If the idea of drinking cocktails at any time of day just fills you with joy, then the new book by Shaun Byrne and Nick Tesar may be just what your life has been missing.
Now, of course, the reason that most of us don’t have a ‘cocktail for breakfast’ is that most of the drinks we would make are so high in alcohol that functioning afterwards has the potential to be a little tricky.
But tricky is no longer an issue, as Byrnes and Tesar have you covered on that point. In All Day Cocktails, the pair have compiled a variety of drinks that are either low-or-no-alcohol and are fun and easy to be able to mix up at home.
While there are 90 cocktail recipes included, don’t think this is just yet another recipe book. Instead this is a lesson in the sustainability and seasonality of ingredients. This beautiful hardback cocktail book not only considers all hours of the day, but also all seasons of the year as well.
“All Day Cocktails is all about capturing the flavors in the peak of their season,” said Tesar, “and how to break each season down, so you are not wasting any of the produce. It’s about drinking with no-or-low alcohol, which is more sustainable in terms of self.
“So, each category, we break down citrus, pome fruits, stone fruits and vegetables. Each section is broken down into five or six key pieces of produce, and there’s a preparation recipe for each one, and then a couple of cocktails following on to show you how to use that preparation recipe.”
The book clearly showcases nearly fifty varieties of citrus, berries, tropical fruits, stone fruits, pome fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts. Each variety features a versatile prep recipe that can extend into your cocktails and beyond, meaning All Day Cocktails is much more than your average cocktail book.
The preperation recipes include bitters, caramels, cordials, coulis, granitas, honeys, jams, jellies, juices, kefirs, liqueurs, sherbets, shrubs, syrups, tisanes and vinegars.
Tesar explains that the idea for the book came off the back of the Vermouth book that Byrnes worked on with Gilles Lapalus last year. “Hugh and myself from Marionette did a lot of background work, helping the guys put that together.
“Both Shaun and I are very passionate about the produce that comes from around us, and when it’s in season,” Tesar continued. “I grew up on a farm, I spent my university days working for a veg shop and both we’ve all worked very closely with producers for Marionette liqueurs.”
This chic and straightforward recipe book also has seasonal timelines for the key ingredients of everything, so you can know what to look for and when for the freshest tastes.
“With the sustainability side of things, in terms of working with produce that is close to you, not necessarily flying from the other side of the world, said Tesar. “This helps limit our food miles, and our storage cabin costs. We thought that was in lines with those sustainability ideas.
“It’s a combination of not necessarily having alcohol from the other side of the world, or having an abundance of alcohol. It’s aboiut being able to still function, still look out for yourself, and still get up the next morning and achieve”.
Even US cocktail writer Camper English thinks the book is pretty cool, so why not enjoy cocktails at any time of day with this collection of fresh, creative low- and no-alcohol recipes.
Available in hardback through all good bookstores including amazon
