Whether you want to learn how to mix a drink at a house party or many drinks while working as a bartender at a local establishment, this book gives you the information you need to get started or use your own crazy whiskey. He traveled the world and wrote the first known bartending book, How to Mix Drinks, in 1862.
The wine chapter covers recipes made from many wine-based alcohols, such as champagne, port, sherry, cider, cognac and brandy. Aperitifs with a wine base such as vermouth bleed into the aperitif and heart chapter.
An Alcohol Timeline
Ancient Alcohol
Water Into Wine
Medieval Alcohol
Medieval Innovations
Alcohol in the New World
Tequila
Modern Beginnings
History of the Cocktail
Keeping Cocktail History Alive
A new drink is the bartender's pride, and its appreciation and acceptance his crowning glory,” wrote Thomas in an 1876 edition. How to Mix Drinks contained three different recipes by Tom Collins, although the other members of the Collins family are not mentioned.
Alcohol in the Twentieth Century
Prohibition
Pop Alcohol
In the original 1952 novel by Ian Fleming, Bond orders a dry martini served in a deep champagne goblet with three measures of Gordon's gin, one measure of Gordon's vodka, and half a measure of Lillet dry vermouth, shaken very well until ice cold, with a garnish of lemon zest. In the world of cocktails, bartenders tried to invent quirky new drinks to keep customers interested, aided by exotic products like Blavod black vodka.
Bartending Beginnings
Media Bartenders
The Art of Modern Bartending
Before They Were Famous
Behind-the-Bar Etiquette
The Real-World Bartender
The Home-Party Bartender
Service Tips
The Five Drink Families
Highballs
These are basic highballs like Vodka and Soda, Vodka and Tonic, Gin and Tonic, Rum and Coke, Bourbon and Coke, and Seven and Seven.
Bartending Terms
Rolled Cocktail: You roll a cocktail by building a drink and then moving it back and forth once with another glass or shaker can. Strained Cocktail: You cool the drink and strain it over ice or straight up.
Glassware
The open surface of the wide mouth glass allows the carbonation to escape, while the narrow flute preserves the bubbles. The larger glasses are intended for cocktails made with added mixers such as a Lemondrop Martini.
Irish Coffee History
The Old Fashioned glass is for the venerable Old Fashioned, but is also used for most cocktails when they are called for on the rocks. These are small drinks by definition and the size of the sherry glass is just right for the portion.
The Stemmed Boob?
Cool Tools
Remove the foil from around the top of the cork with the blade on the corkscrew. Place the pry bar on the rim of the bottle and pry the cork straight up from the bottle.
Alcohol
Mixers
Sugar
Popular Mixers
Get Fresh!
Be Bitter!
Condiments: The Little Things in Life
Garnishes
Wheel: Cut off the tips of the fruit, then cut a ⁄" deep notch lengthwise (this notch makes it easier to place on the rim of the jar).
Cutting Tools
Rimming
Measurements Matter
The most important things to keep in mind are that you can get 3 or 4 servings from a bottle of wine, 20 to 25 shots of alcohol from a fifth, and 30 to 35 shots of alcohol from a liter.
Beer History
The Two Types of Beer
Beer Recipes
Pour the pale ale into the glass, then slowly pour over the ale to create a layer.
Popular Ales
Other people drop the shot, glass and all, into the filled tankard and show off before the foam hits the floor.
Where to Find Craft Beer
1 ⁄ ounce Bacardi Lemon Drink some of the beer from the bottle, then add the Bacardi Lemon.
The Five Steps in Making Beer
Lager Characteristics
Shake the tequila, triple sec and lemon juice with ice, then strain into a tall, chilled, semi-salted rimmed glass.
Ale Characteristics
7 ounces light beer 1 ounce tequila 1 ounce lemon juice Dash Tabasco Dash Worcestershire Pinch of salt and pepper. To make the beer appear green, replace the orange liqueur with blue curaçao, which still has an orange flavor.
United States Beer Firsts
Pour the beer into the glass and slowly pour the stout on top of the beer to create a layer.
Beer Trivia
For a fun variation, balance the shot of sake over the beer with a pair of chopsticks.
Beer and Health Benefits
Pour the syrup and schnapps into the beer and stir gently, then top with a marshmallow.
Through the Grapevine
Choosing Wine
Popular Wines
Seasonal fruit, for garnish Fill a tall glass or large wine glass with ice and add the liquid ingredients. Add the orange and lemon slices and heat over low heat for 40 minutes (DO NOT boil).
Wine Words to Know
Lemon or lime, for garnish Pour the wine and soda over ice into a large wine glass. Club soda or sparkling water to fill lemon or lime wedge, for garnish Pour wine and soda over ice into a large wine glass.
No Rules for Sangria
A Touch of Bubbly: Champagne
Many people use champagne and a peach nectar or liqueur, but this recipe stays true to the original 1948 invention. 6 ounces chilled champagne or sparkling wine 6 ounces chilled champagne or sparkling wine Pour chilled stout over chilled champagne.
Bubbly Bath
Serving Champagne
Hard Cider and Fruit Wine
Ancient Cider
5 ounces hard apple cider ⁄ ounce Jägermeister ⁄ ounce Grand Marnier Pour the apple cider into a 16-ounce glass, then pour the Jägermeister and Grand Marnier into a shot glass.
Presidential Cider
12 ounces hard apple cider 1 ounce sour apple schnapps Pour the hard cider into a glass and add the schnapps. 1 ounce sour apple schnapps ⁄ ounce lemon juice 3 ounces hard apple cider Shake vodka, schnapps and lemon juice with ice.
Cognac and Brandy
Angel’s Share
Shake the Campari and lemon juice with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, filling to 1" from the rim.
Napoleon
Sniffing Cognac
Alizé
1 ⁄ ounce Poire Williams pear brandy ⁄ ounce fresh lime juice ⁄ ounce simple syrup Soda water to fill 1 slice of pear.
Stock Up on Ice
Aperitifs and Nightcaps
1 ounce banana liqueur 1 ounce white crème de cacao 1 scoop banana ice cream 1 scoop chocolate ice cream.
The Americano
Liqueur Brands
History of Drambuie
Flavors of Liqueurs
Razzmatazz = raspberry; Rumple Minze = mint; sambuca = anise / licorice; sloe gin = red berry; Southern Comfort = peach, apricot and honey; Strega = herbs, mint, fennel and saffron; Tequila Rose = strawberry cream; Tia Maria = coffee; triple sec = orange; tsipur = anise / licorice; Tuaca = caramel, vanilla, orange; Whidbeys = loganberry;. Pour the peach schnapps into a glass with ice and top up with orange juice.
Sweetly Seductive
What Is Schnapps?
Coffee Beans
Vermouth
Crème versus Cream
Vodka History
Bloody Mary History
It's not known who the Bloody Mary's namesake was, but the drink isn't named after the Catholic Tudor queen who acquired the horrific nickname after ordering Protestant purges. 1 ⁄ ounce blueberry vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice.
The Cape Codder
1 ⁄ ounce vodka ⁄ ounce banana liqueur ⁄ ounce amaretto ⁄ ounce lime juice ⁄ cup sliced bananas Combine ingredients in a blender with a cup of ice. 1 ⁄ ounce coconut vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice.
Disaronno Amaretto
1 ⁄ ounce lemon vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime ⁄ ounce cranberry juice ⁄ Lemon twist, orange, or lime wedge, for garnish. Shake the liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Salty Snacks
Wet Your Whistle
1 ⁄ ounce green apple vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice. Fill a glass of your choice with ice and pour in the vodka, then top with grapefruit juice.
Dry Ice
1 ⁄ ounce mandarin vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice. If you're making "on the rocks," pour vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and half-and-half into a short glass of ice.
Maraschino Cherries
1 ⁄ ounce pomegranate vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice. 1 ⁄ ounce raspberry vodka ⁄ ounce Cointreau ⁄ ounce lime juice or freshly squeezed lime 1 ounce cranberry juice.
Match Trick
Wine from an Empty Bottle Trick
Gin makers use citrus peels, coriander, ginger, rose petals, nutmeg and cassia bark, but juniper berries stand out the most. Today, many alcohol historians dispute this claim because juniper berries were plentiful in Italy, leading them to believe that Italian monks were the first to make gin.
Gin Classifications
Kitty Cat Gin
It takes its name from a cat-shaped plaque mounted on the outside of some English pubs in the 18th century. One could put money in the cat's mouth and then place its mouth on a tube between the cat's feet.
Maraschino Liqueur
1 ⁄ ounce dry gin ⁄ ounce apricot nectar liqueur ⁄ ounce grenadine Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake all liquid ingredients in a blender with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
A Businessman Walks Into a Bar and Orders a Martini
Shake the gin, fresh lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker half filled with ice.
Damson Gin
Pour in the champagne with the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup and top with the chilled champagne.
Homemade Infused Huckleberry Gin
Some people pour the dry vermouth into a mister and mist the top of the martini.
King of Cocktails
The Pegu Club
The new Pegu Club strives to make cocktails the way they are meant to be made, with fresh ingredients and a commitment to superior mixology.
The Ramos Gin Fizz
Liquid Beauty
Shake all liquid ingredients except sparkling apple juice and strain into an old fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. 2 oz sweet and sour mix (or fresh lime juice and simple syrup) Club soda to fill 1 orange slice and 1 cherry.
NASCAR
Rum History
The Real McCoy
Shake and strain all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a glass. Equal amounts of Florida orange juice and sweet and sour mix to fill the paper umbrella, for garnish.
Mind Your P’s and Q’s
Cachaça
1 ⁄ ounce dark rum ⁄ ounce lime juice ⁄ ounce simple syrup 2 drops Angostura bitters 1 twist lemon peel. Pour the dark rum into a tall or short glass of your choice and top with egg.
Gosling’s
1 ⁄ ounce light rum 1 ⁄ ounce pineapple juice ⁄ ounce fresh lemon juice ⁄ ounce grenadine Shake ingredients well with ice.
Bar Palindromes
Dip the rim of the martini glass into the water, then dip it into the hot. Pour the rum, cocoa cream, and cream or milk into a shaker bowl with ice.
Pat O’Brien’s
Hollywood Knickerbocker
Holding the shot glass in one hand and the tall glass in the other, drop the shot into the glass and chug the entire drink.
A Man Walked Into a Bar
007 Does It Again
A Man Walks Into a Bar
A strawberry, lime wedge, sugar rim or whipped cream with a cherry on top for garnish Put the liquid ingredients into a blender with some ice.
Strawberry Mix
Tequila History
Tequila Today
1 ounce aged tequila 1 ounce fresh orange juice 1 ounce pineapple juice Sprite or 7UP to fill. Kosher salt, to garnish 2 ounces aged tequila 1 ounce Grand Marnier juice from 1 lime 1 ounce simple syrup 1 lime wedge.
