The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique (Cocktail Book with Cocktail Recipes, Mixology Book for Bartending): Elements of Cocktail Technique

I recently set up a home bar and have been looking for guides that would show the ins and outs of preparing quality cocktails. There seem to be a lot of books out there with recipes, but none of them really get down to the fundamentals of technique. I have even looked into professional bar-tending classes, but they seem to inconvenient and I suspect they focus as much on customer issues and how to crank out the drinks. I typically only have one drink a night: I want it to be a good one!This book truly delivers. It is beautiful with magnificent photos, it's the right size to sit on a bar shelf and, most importantly, it really gets down to the details of technique. A good example is the chapter on shaking...About a week ago (before buying this book) I cracked the glass part of my Boston Shaker when trying to release it. It made me realize that I really had no idea how to deal with shaking a cocktail in general. Then along comes Morgenthaler's chapter on shaking. He starts by listing (in detail) the different shakers and how they can be used. He describes (in detail) the brands and qualities of the various shakers and what characteristics you should look for in each type (heavy gauge vs. light gauge steel for example). He then continues with how to grip the Boston Shaker (in detail - are you seeing a pattern yet?) and even how to practice shaking (he has his trainees use rice in the shaker).In short, this is EXACTLY the sort of information I had been looking for. The book is all about the technique that creates a truly wonderful cocktail. Yes, it includes some great recipes (more can be found on the author's blog) and, yes, it has great pictures and the explanations are well written. But most of all it gets down to the details that you could probably only get if you had a pro working alongside you.I suspect that there is a lot of great information in this book for even for professional bartenders, but it remains very accessible.I can guarantee that the pages of my copy will soon be stained with various bitters, spirits and juices.

This book covers every aspect of bartending the home-bartender needs to know, and a lot of stuff he didn't know was interesting. And it's beautifully written, every sentence is clear and concise. If you buy just one book about mixology, this should be it.Another thing I like about Morgenthaler's approach is how he never just assumes bartending axioms are right. He experiments to see for himself, and finds that some are just myths. For instance, you've probably heard that you should roll your citrus on the counter before you press it, to loosen up the fibers and get more juice out of it. Well he took two one-pound groups of citrus fruit, rolled one group before pressing and didn't roll the other group. He got the same amount of juice from both batches! So we don't have to waste time rolling lemons and limes anymore.Another example is that he tried all the "ways to make clear ice," and found they're all nonsense, wives' tales.

I pre-ordered this before it came out and have had it for about two weeks. I stayed up late a few days after the book arrived and read it cover to cover-- really. The book is beautiful, and very practical. I like to think I know a bit more than just the difference between shaking and stirring. Jeffrey goes deeper, and It is great to go there with him. Please note, this is not primarily a cocktail recipe book. Go elsewhere for that (Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is my current favorite). The Bar Book is a technique book and if you want to learn and improve your cocktails, this is the best book I have seen. Up until now, my favorite technique reference was actually an IPhone app- Speakeasy Cocktails- a real winner, but that app only scratches the surface with some great demo videos, in comparison to the Bar Book.A couple quick notes- The Quinine syrup recipe was last week's project. I did have to call around to find a source for cinchona bark- so worth it- what an exceptional G and T resulted. This week, the true green mint simple syrup has enabled easy mint juleps, mint/lime sodas, and some quick mojitos (oxymoron, I know). I think brandied cherries might be next.Jeffrey's treatment here is holistic and fulfilling- just great stuff. The photography is really gorgeous. I just bought 4 more copies for gifts for a few close friends who love cocktails as much as I do.

I use mostly as a guide for syrups and other things like that, but they have drink ideas for everything that you make. Lots of other items in the book so there are other things that are great about it.

Recommended by my favorite bartender. What makes this book essential is that it thoroughly covers the basic and advanced techniques used by bartenders. Needs more drink recipes.

I started a new job as a restaurant manager and was just thrown into the fire. Little did I know that I was also wearing the bartending hat. Having never bartended before, it was horrifying trying to make drinks I had never heard of or drank. I like classic cocktails and have my own shaker and bartending kit at home, but did I really know how to make a cocktail? No. I knew to shake a drink but I knew I was not doing it right. This book has been a godsend. I was not looking for a bartender's bible, I was looking for basic bartending techniques (aka how to really do my job). I cannot tell you how many compliments I have received for my drinks. I have studied and practiced from this book, and even went further to acquire more proper tools for behind the bar. I recommend this for any home or professional bartender looking to learn or improve technique. I don't know what I would have done without it! Having now stocked our bar with simple syrup, I am going to bring in my own grenadine next. You really gain a great understanding of cocktail elements and how a drink "works". I may not work at a high end bar or be a world class bartender but I can be proud to say that I have honed my craft.