How do you decide to buy a cookbook? I skim the recipes, of course, looking for what has been included, trying to glean the author’s perspective.
I do have a favorite strategy in sizing up a book: I go to the index — there had better be one — and start looking for my favorite recipes. A baking book? Do they have brownies? A Mexican book. Do they have anything with tomatillos? A tapas book. How many gazpachos?
And for bar books, I look for something very basic. Does the book have an honest Gin and Tonic? It’s Suzen’s favorite cocktail — aside from margaritas and mojitos. You’d be surprised how many cocktail books either don’t have a G&T recipe or have one that is absurd: “2 ounces of gin then fill the class with club soda.” How helpful is that? What if my glass is small or large or something in between?
Mittie Hellmich’s The Ultimate Bar Book reflects her serious mixology expertise. Her G&T is explicit: 2 ounces of gin and 4 ounces of tonic water. It’s simple and complete. And the resulting drink does have that perfect balance that makes the G&T a classic. No guessing, no mystery in Mittie’s recipe.
The Ultimate Bar Book is a classy encyclopedia, featuring over a 1,000 drink recipes each written with that clarity of that G&T. You may have seen other “total drink” books, and they do vary in quality. Some volumes appear to be written by experienced juniors from a prominent university — juniors who have finally declared their major to be partying with cheap booze. If instead you want sophistication and creativity, then The Ultimate Bar Book is that one comprehensive book you’ve yearned for.
The book is organized in chapters by type of liquor including: brandy, champagne and sparkling wines, gin, run, tequila, vodka, whiskey, punches and, yes, even shooters. [I think there Mittie was targeting those boys at the university.] Accordingly, there is a very necessary chapter on hangover remedies that includes this lovely idea:
Barbatoge
3-5 ounces chilled champagne
¼ ounce bandy
Dash of Cointreau
Slowly pour the champagne into a chilled champagne flute. Add the brandy and Cointreau.
Not that I recommending getting smashed, but this remedy sounds worth trying on one of those drink-don’t-drive nights and mornings after.
With all these drink recipes; this book could occupy you for many weekends. One feature I really appreciate in the inclusion of some forgotten classics, like the French 75, with both history and variations. With this book you can explore both old and new beverage ideas. Here’s a refreshing new martini recipe using my favorite orange liquor, Mandarine Napoleon.
Mandarine Martini
¼ ounce Mandarine Napoleon
Dash of Cointreau
1 ½ ounces gin
½ ounce vodka
Mandarin or orange peel spiral
Pour the Mandarine Napoleon and the Cointreau into a chilled cocktail glass, swirl to coat the inside of the glass, and discard. Shake the gin and vodka vigorously with ice. Strain into the prepared lass, and garnish with the mandarin peel spiral.
If you want a creative bar book, that is easy to follow, and yields superior flavors, then The Ultimate Bar Book is the perfect selection. Cheers.