Good Spirits
Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In Good Spirits, A.J. Rathbun has collected 450 of the best cocktail recipes, featuring an incredible variety of spirits, mixers, and garnishes. With its stunning, full-color photographs and fresh, lively tone, this is the definitive guide to both classic and contemporary drinks for anyone who appreciates the art of the cocktail. The recipes in Good Spirits are organized by theme, so it's easy to find the perfect drink for every mood and occasion. The 12 chapters include "Cool It Down" (summer drinks, such as the Bellini and the Gin Fizz), "Gold Standards" (classics such as the Manhattan and the Sidecar), and "Fresh Faces" (creative new drinks, such as the Dublin 8 and Urban Bourbon). Hosting a party? Mix up a bowl of Champagne Punch. Preparing a romantic evening for two? Opt for the Cupid Cocktail or a couple of Silk Stockings. For anyone who wants to go beyond mixing a few new cocktails and become a home bartender, a thorough introduction provides information on all the different varieties of liquors and mixers, glassware, and essential equipment. Throughout the book, Rathbun's unabashed passion for and knowledge of his subject are clear in engaging headnotes and sidebars such as "Four Drinks to Induce Dancing," "Top Five Movie Star Mixes," and "Four Drinks Not to Serve the In-laws." Good Spirits is like the perfect party: the drinks go down easy and everyone, from the casual cocktail drinker to the connoisseur, will have a great time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this gorgeous guide to every cocktail imaginable, Rathbun, a poet and the "editor for the Kitchens and Housewares store" at Amazon.com, breaks out the 12 chapters not by ingredients but by useful, or at least amusing, categories. These include "Dinner for Two," which is a chapter of romantic drinks such as the French Connection (brandy and amaretto) and the Kiss in the Dark (cherry brandy and dry vermouth). A section entitled "An Obscure Reliquary" features creepy concoctions, like a Brain Hemorrhage and a Corpse Reviver. There's a voluminous chapter on martinis, including a questionable Bacontini, as well as others on shots, frozen drinks, hot drinks and blended drinks. There are 450 recipes in all and, fortunately, an excellent index. Not only is there a general index to let you know on which page to find a Purple Python, there is also an index of "Drinks by Primary Liquor," which lists, for example, all the book's 29 bourbon-based options at a glance. The scores of full-page color photos by the aptly named Melissa Punch, each with dazzling Day-Glo backgrounds, are thirst inducing and add an irresistible retro charm to the proceedings.
