Field Guide to Cocktails

Book excerpt: Finally, a field guide to preparing and identifying virtually every drink at the bar, from the Añejo Highball to the Caipirinha, from the Singapore Sling to the Zombie! Field Guide to Cocktails is not an ordinary bartender’s guide. Here are more than 200 recipes for the world’s best libations, with tried-and-true classics like the Tom Collins and the Fuzzy Navel and contemporary favorites like the Mojito and the Cosmopolitan. Full-color photographs of the cocktails are cross referenced to in-depth descriptions of the drinks. The histories are the stuff of legend: The Gin Rickey was mixed up to satisfy a thirsty lobbyist; Grog was drunk by sailors in the British Navy to prevent scurvy; and the Gibson was originally just a glass of water with an onion in it. You’ll also learn the most appropriate time and season to enjoy the drink, and you’ll get suggestions for the perfect food pairings—lobster with a Cape Codder, sharp cheese and crackers with a Gin and Tonic, black bean dip and chips with a Cuba Libre, and more. So whether you’re planning a cocktail party or trying to identify a new drink to try at the bar, Field Guide to Cocktails is the only mixology book you’ll ever need. Cheers!