You can never have enough cocktail books, right?
Well, this month brings a variety of titles that will not only help you make better drinks but also understand what you are putting into them.
Whether you want to better understand Tequila, ice or flavour, or maybe you want to take your cocktails into the wild or drink something that takes you to a darker place. Either way, there is a book for you.
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The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts
Crystal clear spheres, cubes you can read through, embossed, branded, and blinged-out chunks, chips, blocks, and ‘bergs: it’s time to elevate your ice!
In The Ice Book, internationally renowned cocktail ‘icepert’ Camper English details how to use directional freezing to make perfectly pure ice in a home freezer, carve it up into giant diamonds and other shapes, and embed it with garnishes, including edible orchids and olives. You’ll learn how to create a frozen bowl for Negroni punch, serve a Manhattan inside an ice sphere, and infuse cubes with colors and flavours to create cranberry cobblers, a colour-changing Gin and Tonic, and other awesome drinks.
This handy guide―and great gift- featuring striking colour photos throughout―offers easy directions for dozens of ice projects and suggestions for further freezer fun. Both instructional and inspirational, The Ice Book will help you take your nonalcoholic and boozy beverages to the next level.
Releasing May 23rd 2023
Strong, Sweet and Bitter: Your Guide to All Things Cocktails, Bartending and Booze from Behind the Bar
Strong, Sweet and Bitter is the debut cocktail recipe book by the hostess of the popular YouTube series Behind the Bar, Cara Devine. Using the Flavor Triangle (strong, sweet and bitter or sour flavours) as the basis, this book shows you how to master the fundamentals of flavour and craft a drink from anything available on hand.
Drawing upon her expertise as cocktail bar Bomba’s manager, Devine explores the different ingredients and techniques required to craft anything from classic cocktails to their lesser-known but equally delicious counterparts. Anyone from those who haven’t ever made a cocktail before to the most experienced of bartenders can start off by learning to make a base from scratch (or finding out which to pick from the store), what equipment is required to make cocktails, which ingredients marry well together, the science behind cocktails and how certain cocktails came to be throughout history to craft the perfect drink. The book then splits into types of cocktails, rather than spirits, to match your mood and introduce you to drinks based on your preference.
Looking for something short and boozy? Or craving something citrus and fresh? You might discover a cocktail you like using a spirit you never thought you’d enjoy, all based on your mood or preference. The book also explores how to be a great host and contains breakout boxes filled with little facts and tidbits for hosts to share with their guests.
This is the ideal, most comprehensive foray into cocktail making for anyone looking to learn the ins and outs of being behind the bar.
Releasing May 16 2023
Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places
Craft cocktails meet the great outdoors in this vibrant celebration of good times and good spirits from the authors of The Cocktail Workshop.
What could possibly enhance the natural beauty of a crystal clear lake, snow-capped mountain, or backyard fire pit? A craft cocktail, of course! So cosy up by the campfire, pack your cooler for a picnic out at the lake, or rent a mountainside cabin with your friends—it’s time to head for the woods for some good times and good spirits courtesy of Backcountry Cocktails.
Inspired by the singular natural beauty of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, this book is a true celebration of outdoor entertaining—with dozens of seasonally-inspired and organized recipes to enjoy outside, whether on an early spring hike or a mid-winter retreat.
Each recipe from authors Steven Grasse and Adam Erace, of The Cocktail Workshop, captures the energy of hitting the trails in an elevated yet approachable ode to craft cocktails and the beauty of the natural world. No matter your cocktailing style, there’s something for everyone, from spiked cocoa to frozen fizzes (perfect for packing as a treat after an afternoon of hiking) and even foraged creations that will tie your experience to the land around you.
All recipes are designed to use relatively few ingredients (for easy packability) and to be both portable and batach-able—so you can enjoy them no matter what kind of adventure you have planned for the day. Each seasonal chapter also includes a handful of recipes for entertaining, like Crispy Cast-Iron Trout with Wild Greens, “field guide” how-tos on local experts covering topics from medicinal plants to preserving fruit, and DIYs (like fermenting your own vegetables or foraging for mushrooms).
Released earlier this month (9th May)
Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals
The agave plant was never destined to become tasteless, cheap tequila.
All tequilas are mezcals; all mezcals are made from agaves, and every bottle of mezcal is the remarkable result of collaborations among agave entrepreneurs, botanists, distillers, beverage distributors, bartenders, and more. How these groups come together in this “spirits world” is the subject of this fascinating new book by the acclaimed ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan and the pioneering restauranteur David Suro Pinera. Join them as they delight in the diversity of the distillate agave spirits, as they endeavour to track down the more distant kin in the family of agaves, and as, along the way, they reveal the stunning innovations that have been transforming the industry around tequilas and mezcals in recent decades.
The result of the author’s fieldwork and on-the-ground interviews with mezcaleros in eight Mexican states, Agave Spirits shows how traditional methods of mezcal production are inspiring a new generation of individuals, including women, both in and beyond the industry. And as they reach back into a rich, centuries-long history, Nabhan and Suro Pinera make clear that understanding the story behind a bottle of mezcal, more than any other drink, will not only reveal what lies ahead for the tradition―including its ability to adapt in the face of the climate crisis―but will also enrich the drinking experience for readers.
Essential reading for mezcal connoisseurs and amateurs interested in unlocking the past of a delightful distillate, Agave Spirits tells the tale of the most flavorful and memorable spirits humankind has ever sipped and savoured.
Featuring twelve illustrations by René Alejandro Hernández Tapia and indices that list common and scientific names for agave species, as well as the names of plants, animals, and domesticated agaves used in the production of distillates.
Release date – 16th May 2023
The Flavor Thesaurus: More Flavors: Plant-Led Pairings, Recipes, and Ideas for Cooks
The plant-led follow-up to The Flavor Thesaurus, “a rich and witty and erudite collection” (Epicurious), featuring 92 essential ingredients and hundreds of flavour combinations.
With her debut cookbook, The Flavor Thesaurus, Niki Segnit taught readers that no matter whether an ingredient is “grassy” like dill, cucumber, or peas, or “floral fruity” like figs, roses, or blueberries, flavours can be created in wildly imaginative ways. Now, she again draws from her “phenomenal body of work” (Yotam Ottolenghi) to produce a new treasury of pairings-this time with plant-led ingredients.
More Flavors explores the character and tasting notes of chickpea, fennel, pomegranate, kale, lentil, miso, mustard, rye, pine nut, pistachio, poppy seed, sesame, turmeric, and wild rice-as well as favourites like almond, avocado, garlic, lemon, and parsley from the original-then expertly teaches readers how to pair them with ingredients that complement. With her celebrated blend of science, history, expertise, anecdotes, and signature sense of humour, Niki Segnit’s More Flavors is a modern classic of food writing and a brilliantly useful, engaging reference book for every cook’s kitchen.
Release date – 23rd May 2023
Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the World of Film Noir (Turner Classic Movies)
Eddie Muller—host of TCM’s Noir Alley, one of the world’s leading authorities on film noir, and cocktail connoisseur—takes film buffs and drinks enthusiasts alike on a spirited tour through the “dark city” of film noir in this stylish book packed with equal parts great cocktail recipes and noir lore.
Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar pairs carefully curated classic cocktails and modern noir-inspired libations with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights on 50 film noir favourites. Some of the cocktails are drawn directly from the films: If you’ve seen In a Lonely Place and wondered what’s in a “Horse’s Neck” – now you’ll know. If you’re watching Pickup on South Street, you’ll find out what its director, Sam Fuller, actually drank off-screen. Didn’t know that Nightmare Alley’s Joan Blondell inspired a cocktail? It may become a new favourite. Meanwhile, Rita Hayworth is toasted with a “Sailor Beware,” an original concoction which, like the film that inspired it (The Lady From Shanghai), is unique, complex, and packs a wallop.
Featuring dozens of movie stills, poster art, behind-the-scenes imagery, and stunning cocktail photography, Noir Bar is both a stylish and exciting excursion through classic cinema’s most popular genre.
Release date – 23rd May 2023
Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes
Transforming tropical drinks with powerful techniques from the modernist bar
Weaving together lessons from the craft cocktail revival, history of the tropical canon, and today’s cutting-edge bar techniques, master mixologist Garret Richard and award-winning cocktail writer Ben Schaffer provide a unique handbook for the tropical cocktail’s next wave.
Crucial techniques are clearly detailed, including balancing syrups, flash blending, handling carbonation, tackling tinctures, cordializing citrus, and powering juice with acid adjusting. Over the course of 84 recipes, vintage cocktails like the Rum Barrel, Mai Tai, and Ray’s Mistake are reimagined just as future classics are revealed, including the Beachcomber Negroni, Winter in L.A., and Field of Mars. These drinks honour founding legends such as Donn Beach, Trader Vic, and Harry Yee, as well as modern icons, including Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, and Dave Arnold.
This groundbreaking compendium sets a new tropical standard by equipping both home bartenders and professionals with the skills to forge their own paths to cocktail creativity.
Release date – 17th May 2023
Campfire Cocktails: 100+ Simple Drinks for the Great Outdoors
Nothing goes better with a campfire than a cocktail. Surround yourself with friends, family, nature, the stars, and a stiff drink. These tasty yet simple cocktails take the stress out of mixing drinks, no matter where you are. Get cosy in front of the fire with Tequila Hot Chocolate, cool off after a long day exploring with some Camper’s Sangria, and settle down at the campsite with Cidermeister or Cherry Limeade.
Inside you’ll find:
- 100 travel-friendly recipes perfect for camping trips, hikes, cabin getaways, glamping, patio parties, and more
- Recipes with a few quality ingredients to simplify packing for your trip
- Drink recommendations for every occasion, from after-hike drinks to campsite chilling
- Expert mixology tips for the best cocktails
Take these delicious recipes with you wherever you go with Campfire Cocktails.
Released earlier this month
