A Bevy of Bartending Books
Craft cocktails are the hot new trend among food and beverage fashionistas. It's fun to watch your local bartender (now often referred to as "mixologists") as he or she merrily mixes dibs of this and dabs of that like an old-timey mad scientist.
Such artistry spurs on the rest of us to want to make the perfect Pisco Sour or stock the best bottles in our own home bars. But where to begin?
To the rescue come two new books just out from the venerable Hoboken, New Jersey-based publisher, John Wiley & Sons.
In the fourth edition of "Bartending for Dummies" (Wiley, 2010, $16.99), author Ray Foley (founder and publisher of Bartender Magazine) opens with basic chapters entitled, The Right Tools and Glasses and Setting Up Your Home Bar.
Part II includes 16 chapters on everything from American Whiskey to Tequila and Mezcal (a personal favorite) to Wine.
Recipes from A (the Irish Mist-based A Tinker Tall) to Z (the potent Zorbatini, made of Vodka and Ouzo) comprise Part III--a whopping 200 pages of this 366-page tome.
Towards the end, there are short chapters on Nonalcoholic Drinks, Ten Drinks to Try and Ten Drinks to Let Someone Else Try, and At Least Ten Cures and Lores. (Not sure I'll be rubbing half a lemon under each of my armpits as a hangover cure anytime too soon!)
The book concludes with extensive indexes of the recipes and topics, so it's easy to search for anything and everything related to the subject of bartending.
As with all the publisher's Dummies titles, the book is paperback with distinctive yellow, black and white graphics on the cover. Printed on newspaper-like stock, it's peppered with a plethora of helpful icons, lists, and bullet points throughout.
The second edition of "The Bartender's Best Friend" (Wiley, 2010, $19.95) is a more formal, dressed-up book than "Dummies." Its tough waterproof cover, illustrated with a color photo of an enticingly iced martini, is designed for instant clean-ups on the job or in the kitchen.
The book begins with sections on Bartending Basics and The Home Bar. The 850 recipes in the Drinks A to Z section are indexed alphabetically and run longer and lusher than those in the Dummies book, with step-by-step instructions and problem-solving tips.
There's a mini-course on professional bartending for those just getting their hand in the (cocktail) mix, or more experienced mixologists who need a dash of honing and toning. A Bartender's Glossary and handy Bibliography bring up the rear of the book.
I especially liked the long black ribbon bookmark, a handy way to remember the cocktail you just finished shakin' or the one you want to try next.
Author Mardee Haidin Regan, president of Reganomics, Inc. (a wine and spirits editorial and consulting company) and the producer of the Ardent Spirits eLetter and Ardentspirits.com Web site, is also the co-author of five books, including a Julia Child Cookbook Award nominee.
designer girls coats on November 02, 2010 at 04:24 AM
I have read, "The Bartender's Best Friend", and it was indeed a good one teaching you the tips and trick of becoming a good one at it and proving a very good insight into the actual situation that would be taking place in the real scenario.
bartending books on November 16, 2010 at 05:56 AM
Way to go man! You are doing the right thing. We bartender people always find problems but there is no one to help us. Your website is so informative, and I think people will do really good if they go through your drink recipes guide audio. bartending books
abercrombie ropa on May 04, 2012 at 12:52 AM
demostrando una muy buena idea de la situación real que se llevará a cabo en el escenario real. y yo creo que la gente va a hacer muy bien si van a través de su bebida de audio guía de recetas. los libros de coctelería