Until the recent pit thread on martinis, I had no idea there was the vodka vs. gin issue, let alone the derision laid on appletinis. Actually, I also had no idea there was such a thing as a bartender’s book either… I thought they had to memorize all these different drinks :smack:
So what books provide good info about the history of the drink, it’s evolvement, etc. as well as good mixing instructions a beginner could follow?
The Craft of the Cocktail is a must-have.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is also very good.
The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide is a good general reference.
The Bartender’s Guide is the oldest known book of its sort, so is worth checking out for historical interest.
The Savoy Cocktail Book is also of historical interest; it’s from England during the American prohibition era.
Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail is an interesting read.
I’ve heard good things about Gary Regan’s books, but haven’t gotten around to checking them out myself.
If you poke around in H. L. Mencken’s writings, he has some great material about drinking.
Well, I’ve had two beers and a glass of wine. Am I qualified?
I quite liked Undead and Unwed… lots of shoes. And vampires!
The veal sucks!
You can find any cocktail recipe you like on the net, Dale DeGroff has hundreds including all the most popular.
Mr. Boston’s Guide is handy to have around your bar. For reading about history, you can’t go wrong with Cocktail-o-matic.