Let's stock your bar!
We've got 2023's best cocktail book recommendations.
There’s something so satisfying about being able to make a great cocktail. The ingredients, the tools, the glassware — it all comes into play, but not without the know-how. Around here, we’ve been working on upping our mixology game. As usual, we’ve turned to books for an assist. Here are 12 new (and new-ish) books that will up your aperitif adeptness in no time. What’s more? They’ll add a dash of delight to your bookshelf.
Now get shaking, friends!
MIXIN’ MUSTS
New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails (Second Edition): Over 400 Classic Drink Recipes with Great Writing from the New York Times
by Steve Reddicliffe - Jennifer Finney Boylan - Rosie Schaap
Cocktail hour is one of America's most popular pastimes and a favorite way to entertain. What better place to find the secrets of craft cocktails than The New York Times? Steve Reddicliffe, the "Quiet Drink" columnist for The Times, brings his signature voice and expertise to this collection of delicious recipes from bartenders from around the world, with a special emphasis on New York City.
Strong, Sweet and Bitter: Your Guide to All Things Cocktails, Bartending and Booze from Behind the Bar
by Cara Devine
A debut cocktail recipe book by hostess of popular YouTube series Behind the Bar, Cara Devine. Using the Flavor Triangle (strong, sweet and bitter or sour flavors) as the basis, this book shows you how to master the fundamentals of flavor and craft a drink from anything available on hand.
Cocktails in Color: A Spirited Guide to the Art and Joy of Drinkmaking
by Sammi Katz - Olivia McGiff
Cocktails in Color celebrates the craft of drinkmaking, from raw ingredients to finished, delightful refreshments. Together, Sammi Katz and Olivia McGiff explore the elements, tastes, and techniques of all things drinks to create an accessible, visually delicious new guide to drinking that gives you the tools to design your own cocktails. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a new kid at the bar, Cocktails in Color deserves a spot on your bar cart. Each page is fully illustrated with rich, inspiring gouache paintings, making it a visual delight that stands out from other bartender books. This book encourages readers to explore a palette of ingredients for their developing palate.
NEAT & NERDY
Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails
by Michael Ruhlman - Marcella Kriebel
New York Times bestselling author Michael Ruhlman applies the principles of his innovative book Ratio--about the relationships of ingredients to each other--in this delightful back-to-basics cocktail book, sharing the simple recipes and fundamental techniques that make for delicious and satisfying libations.
Did you know that a Gimlet, a Daiquiri, and a Bee's Knees are the same cocktail? As are a Cosmopolitan, a Margarita, and a Sidecar. When hosting a party wouldn't you enjoy saying to your guests, "Would you care for a Boulevardier, perhaps, or a Negroni?" These, too, are the same cocktail, substituting one ingredient for another. Or if you'd like to be able to shake up a batch of whiskey sours for a party of eight in fewer than two minutes, then read on.
Mellow Buzz Cocktail Deck: 40 Recipes for Low-Alcohol Drinks and Hangover-Free Mocktails
by Kat Odell
When the occasion calls for a drink, but not for getting drunk, it's time for the mellow buzz--to mix up a creative cocktail that is festive, mouthwateringly delicious, and easy on the alcohol.
Here are 50 cards that help you set up your low-ABV bar and show you how to create 40 low- and no-alcohol drinks that are perfect for enjoying everyday and special occasions alike. Using beer, wine, cider, sake, sherry, and vermouth, plus a variety of amari and other liqueurs, the recipes come from bartenders all over the country who are passionate about creating craft cocktails.
DIVIN' DEEP
Maison Premiere Almanac: Cocktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur
by Joshua Boissy- Krystof Zizka - Jordan MacKay - William Elliott
A delightful, imaginative, and thoroughly original cocktail compendium and bartending manual with 90 drink recipes from the popular and influential Brooklyn bar and restaurant.
A major player in both the craft cocktail revival and the bar and restaurant renaissance, Maison Premiere offers an immersive experience that channels a time when cocktails were not merely a pleasure but an essential part of daily life in late-nineteenth-century New York, New Orleans, and Paris.
Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals
by Gary Paul Nabhan - David Suro Piñera
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 endeavor 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.
Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes
by Garret Richard - Ben Schaffer - Dave Arnold
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.
Seasons of Cognac
by Laurence Benaïm - Aurore de la Morinerie
This connoisseurs' tribute to the ultimate French brandy celebrates the Cognac region and the centuries-old techniques that Hennessy uses to craft its celebrated liqueur.
WITH A TWIST
Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places
by Steven Grasse - Adam Erace - Lee Noble
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 cozy 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.
Spirits of the Tarot: From the Cups' Abundance to the Magician's Creation, 78 Cocktail Recipes Inspired by the Tarot
by Thea Engst
Sip like a psychic and let the magic of the cards reveal your true drink of choice with this collection of 78 cocktail recipes based on the Rider Waite tarot deck.
Reading tarot is all about trusting your intuition and connecting with your spirit guides. When you pull cards, they are a direct message from your guides, giving you insight into your life and choices. There's no better way to thank and commune with your guides after their counsel than having a drink together.
Trejo's Cantina: Cocktails, Snacks & Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood
by Danny Trejo - Hugh Garvey
A cantina-style celebration of Mexican food and drink, entertaining, and Hollywood culture in 100 recipes for nachos, tacos, and Danger Dogs plus cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from the legendary actor, restaurateur, and author of the acclaimed Trejo's Tacos
