Honourable mention must be: Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold. This was the first book I read on mixology and felt this was a really well-written explanation on the 'how to' and 'why' of certain techniques and the fundamental principles of traditional cocktails. First lesson I ever learned and one that goes a long way, there is no chilling without dilution and there is no dilution without chilling.
@@freepour Fair enough. But in my case, I think it worked out well to start with first understanding what techniques and principles you need to employ to get to the most "optimal" drink and from there, I got into recipe books that highlighted the amazing history. I also do research for a living, so the scientific approach he took to answer questions like 'how long do you need to shake or stir' really resonated with me. I actually just picked up Imbibe and Smuggler's Cove. Next on my list is The Bar Book! Thanks for the great recos!
Cocktail Codex was the very first book I got and is, basically, the one to blame for starting my obsession with mixology. I can't recommend this one enough for anyone who wants to understand how to create/modify cocktails or to get a solid foundation on how the classics should taste like. The Bar Book is definitely an amazing starting point for someone who is starting from scratch. I love Jeffrey's writing style and how thorough he is. I have yet to get Imbibe but I do have a reprint of Jerry Thomas' original 1862 book. I love how the book provides recipes with 5-10 gallon yields! One of my latest favorite book is Jim Meehan's Bartender Manual. It's really one of the best I've read so far.
Leandro you chose three great books to showcase here. I can see why you chose them, and the progression that someone truly passionate about cocktails would move through.
Nice list Leandro, however I think you missed one important book by Ted Haigh. Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. The book came out 2004 (I think) and is a great read with lots of history,
Normal people: The French revolution was one of the most important and influential events in recent human history. This guy: The development of the negroni was one of the most important and influential events in recent human history. :-O
Some great books. One of my favorites is How’s Your Drink by Eric Felton. I nice read, more history than recipes, and also written early on in the resurgence of cocktails.
Perfect list!! I like Imbibe! Because it really gives you a sense of pride pursuing the profession of bartending. I actually use it to figure out old recipes in older measurements also. The Bar Book is great for hacks and modern techniques. I love Morghenthauler because he is such a Bar Mcguyver. I love his other book drinking distilled as well. Both of his books will definitely prep you to getting behind the bar. Another one I can say does that as well is the Joy of Mixology Gary Regan. Cocktail Codex is great because it trains your mind to compartmentalize different drinks. When I trained in the bar Above mixology course they sort of used a lot of the same tech. Great list
My wife got me the Cocktail Codex for Christmas and she has said it was the best gift she could have given herself. It's a fantastic book and I am now making it a goal to try new recipes from that one and a few others every week. This past weekend I made the gin based White Lady which was surprisingly delicate for what is basically a gin sour. I followed that up by making a second and I used Empress 1908 and added a dash of lavendar biters. Again it was quite good. Now to find another one to make.
Imbibe was great I am a big history buff. I also read Unvarnished by Eric Alperin. It was fantastic. Alperin is a story teller in the Bourdain mold. His technique section was interesting and helped me see how interchangeable cocktails are once you know the base recipes. I'd love to hear your review of this "close to home" book.
Over the last couple years I’ve really learned a lot and gotten the cocktail bug. Big thanks to your channel for making it easier and more fun. I’ve given cocktail codex to several friends as a gift and it’s gone over swimmingly! Cheers
Did you make a new channel? Nevermind, just heard you say education barfly over the headset as I was typing this. Haha still gonna give you the algorithm boost.
I've actually been considering buying all 3 of these, so the timing of these recommendations is perfect. I'm into history and am a big fan of Wondrich. I like his writing style and already have his book Punch... The new set is great, btw, much warmer feel.
I'm just a hobbyist, but these are definitely 3 of my favorites along with Death & Co. (mostly because I find that I can make more of the cocktails with the limited space I have) and Regarding Cocktails (because Petraske's ethos and methodology are so easy to emulate in a home bar). The Bar Book introduced me to so much theory and so many hacks that it basically read as a crash course into cocktail theory. Cocktail Codex changed the way that I looked at drinks, how they are formulated, and gave me a better understanding of what makes a cocktail balanced. Imbibe taught me a lot about the history of cocktails and definitely has some laugh-out-loud moments in it, some truly fantastic cocktails, and helped me understand how much had been forgotten to time during the later parts of the century.
@@Barprints you're in for a treat with Smuggler's Cove, I expanded my rum selection from 3 to about 35 after reading through it and working my way through the drinks.
Thank you, I’ve been looking for some books on the subject but there are too many of them out there to easily decide. This helps narrow my choices down. Cheers !
Morgenthaler's book is amazing. Love his syrup methods and short cuts and his own testing on ice and tekkers. His other book on drinking etiquette is also worth getting