Apothecary Cocktails: Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today

For me this book misses the mark entirely - it is neither a true cocktail book (most drinks are fewer than 3 ingredients and call for combinations like - hot tea and whiskey, or hot soup and vodka), nor is it a collection of historical curative mixes (many of the recipes seem to be fabricated from what the author thinks someone might have made).EDIT: Apparently Warren Bobrow just commented on this review stating the following: this is mean spirited.. no one has ever slandered me in this manner.. what is your point? are you afraid of posting under your own name for a reason?So I will elaborate:Is this review mean spirited - it's not intended to be that way. I paid good money for this book and I would seriously caution others against spending $20 for several interesting recipes, and dozens of what I must assume are space-fillers.Examples include:"10 cups fresh vegetables, lightly steamed and pureed in a blender; 2 cups vodka""whiskey; strong beef bouillon; lemon juice""Jager; boiling water; sugar""boiling water; dark spiced rum; honey""Fernet; ginger beer""1 large coconut; rum""Branca Menta; cola""hot black tea; rum; lemon juice""Krupnikas; hot black tea""lamb stew; whiskey""liqueur; hot chocolate""borscht; vodka"etc.Quite frankly, I do not need instructions on how to combine hot tea/water/soup with liquor, especially when the only differences between recipes are specialty liqueurs that no one has.Are there a handful of great drinks in here? Sure! Especially those in the public domain, like the vieux carre. But there aren't enough great cocktails in here for a book, and the number of repeats is embarrassing (though apparently WB isn't ashamed by the lack of professionalism displayed by publicly harassing a customer).Further, these drinks aren't actually historical cures found around the world! For example, the book proposes that honey is deeply curative, but then seems to invent various recipes that use honey. I'll just say that this wasn't what I expected from "Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today."

This is not just another cocktail book. It really is specific to the apothecary, healing aspect that is the history of so many concoctions that were our medicine before 'big-pharma' took over with a pill for everything. The spiral binding is to me a must for any books to really be used and not just sit on the shelf, and this one will get used. The pictures are fabulous. Warren knows his photography.I especially love the recipes. Very few ingredients that are nearly impossible to get. Generic specification of the base spirit, allowing the focus to shift to the other ingredients that make this a true apothecary experience.This book goes to the top of my list, both for history of cocktails, original purpose of many liqueurs, and just a beautiful presentation of cocktails I look forward to enjoying, even if they will be for those times when under the weather.

Another one of my favorite cocktail books because it offers history behind the drinks and also is connected directly the origin of cocktails themselves...which is medicine. It's very interesting to me to read about how certain cocktails came to be, how certain ingredients are used for certain ailments, etc. This book also calls for some highly specific ingredients and also for some syrups or other items that you need to make for yourself, but in these instances it provides you with all of the information you need. This is absolutely a great book for those who enjoy drinks as well as enjoy the history AND the practical application of some cocktails to cure what ails you.

I've been a fan of Warren's spirits / cocktail writing and creativity for some time now. Seeing it all come together so wonderfully in this book is super. Warren's joy for cocktails, for history, and for telling tales are all so very evident in this book. For me, of the many highlights, the stories that accompany each section and the historical context of each recipe makes this a must-have book for the serious cocktail geek, the historian, or someone that just wants to enjoy a good beverage. The recipes are diverse and splendid, ranging from boozy classics, to "soups" and broths, to teas, to refreshers. I particularly love the Gin & Coconut Ice with Seltzer. Added bonus is that the photography is inspiring. Well done!

I have revised my review on this book - I originally was looking for something different, but upon revisiting this book later, I found it delightful!It's a hidden gem for those interested in serious cocktail makings. You must be well versed in the bar world and google or you wont know what most of the ingredients are. This said, there are some really interesting drinks here with decent back stories.I wish this was an actual hard bound book instead of spiral bound with a hard cover, I purchased as a gift and it just didn't look as nice.

Thanks to this gem, many of my favorite subjects have collided--recipes, health, cocktails and history--and I'm so very glad about it! Warren Bobrow's nifty tome not only satisfies the palate with delicious recipes, it pleases the eye with beautifully shot color photos, and educates the mind about how and why these potent potables will soothe both body and soul. The overall look of "Apothecary Cocktails" will also please those of us who appreciate vintage, because while it looks like a beloved pre-Prohibition heirloom it's firmly modern modern by thoughtfully hiding a spiral spine under a hard cover (no broken book spine to despair over...thank you!!). It's a handsome addition to the bar, reference bookshelf or coffee table.

Good mixture of recipes

Not as good as Vintage Spirits and Forgotten cocktails, but it's a good read!

The book has lots of interesting cocktail recipes that I am going to source the ingredients and try to make

Adequate and satisfactory. Item as described.

Cadeau offert et très apprécié