The Cocktail Guy

“Master Mixologist” – The Daily Telegraph

“Imaginative, daring and flying the flag for the savoury-beverage trend”– Harper’s Bazaar

“The drink industry’s answer to Heston Blumenthal” – Square Meal

“Pioneering Bartender” – City A.M.

Meet Rich Woods, a.k.a The Cocktail Guy. At the forefront of the mixology revolution, Rich has been garnering fans and accolades through his creative reinventions of classic cocktails and exciting new drinks, all served with his signature innovative flair.

In this, his first book, Rich unlocks the secrets of making creative cocktails at home, from mastering classic techniques, to flavouring alcohol through simple infusions and more complex distillations and making your own home-made bitters from herbs, spices, fruits and roots. At the centre of Rich’s creative process is an understanding and exploration of flavour; from the way it unravels on the palate to new and unique combinations that are designed to surprise and delight.

The 70 drinks recipes are divided into chapters –‘Inspired by the Garden’ and ‘From the Kitchen’, all achievable for the home bartender, while the third chapter, ‘Iconoclastic’, covers 13 of Rich s most creative recipes with challenging ingredients and exciting combinations for the confident enthusiast who wants to impress a crowd. For the more adventurous reader, the final chapter, ‘Distillations and Infusions’, unlocks the alchemy of making your own distillations and liqueurs at home, from creating your own Beetroot & Chocolate Liqueur to transforming a leftover bottle of vodka with a few simple aromatics.

Including key information on tools and techniques as well as infusing and distilling to imbue your drinks with maximum flavour, this is the ultimate guide to modern cocktailing for the home bartender.

About the author

Rich Wood’s signature style and cutting-edge cocktails combine to make him one of the world’s most exciting bartenders. As Global Head of Drink Development for Orange Brands Management, Rich oversees the development of ever-changing drinks programs across the globe, as well as creating new brands and products for the group. His flavour-pushing creations can be seen in SUSHISAMBA in London, New York, Miami Beach and Las Vegas, Duck and Waffle in London and Duck and Waffle Local (also in London).

As an international award-winning bartender, Rich is at the forefront of cocktail development and a key figure in bridging the gap between the worlds of food and drink. His social media channels are awash with inspirational, mouth-watering creations and can be followed @the_cocktailguy.