For each cocktail "template", you'll get some discussion of its history, its constituent ingredients (i. Whether it’s classics like the daiquiri or Aperol Spritz, or unique creations like today’s cocktail, the Smokescreen – I always know I can count on that book, regardless of what mood I’m in. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Each "main six" cocktail, for instance the Old Fashioned, will be broken down into its core (whiskey), balance (sugar/syrup), and seasoning (bitters). templates that encompass all cocktails: the old-fashioned, martini, daiquiri, sidecar, whisky highball, and flip.

e. types of brandy, summarizing the process, typology, and recommended bottles), related cocktail construction techniques, variations, and exercises.

Amontillado sherry is a fortified wine that gives the cocktail both body and acidity, making it a strong backbone for the drink. And, unlike every other book you’ll read this year, Cocktail Codex is packed with actual knowledge you can use in the real world. Some of it I think it out of reach for the typical home bartender (carbonating rigs, centrifuges, immersion circulators to make infused syrups), but it's still interesting to me to see their creativity and artistry. although perhaps a few steps beyond my level of cocktail making I loved this book for the basics - the review of the core basics of drinks, both the traditions, the exansions and variations as well as the chemistry of them. This framework will not make you an expert, or even able to competently step behind the bar of a high-end bar, but you will gain a baseline understanding of what's going on.

The Smokescreen was smokey without being overpowering, and the mint and simple syrup played beautifully with just enough Chartreuse to balance out the scotches. More than just a collection of recipes - this explains the frameworks and how the different ingredient categories interact, with examples. This is stuff (aside from infusions) that you should honestly avoid until you know what you're doing, but it's all very cool and raises your horizons of what a cocktail can be.While there is a sameness about everything when all you do is work and home, the attention to the food and drink has been exquisite. Since then, we have evolved and changed from an intimate bar in NYC to an ever-growing family of bars in NYC, Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington, D. Some say that the first book is more about the bar itself than the theory, but then others say the recipes in the first are better.