The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes
Dale DeGroff
Language: English
Pages: 240
ISBN: 0609608754
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Cocktails are bigger than ever, and this is the first real cookbook for them, covering the entire breadth of this rich subject. The Craft of the Cocktail provides much more than merely the same old recipes: it delves into history, personalities, and anecdotes; it shows you how to set up a bar, master important techniques, and use tools correctly; and it delivers unique concoctions, many featuring Dale DeGroff’s signature use of fresh juices, as well as all the classics.
Debonair, a great raconteur, and an unparalleled authority, Dale DeGroff is the epitome of Perfect Bartender, universally acknowledged as the world’s premier mixologist. From Entertainment Weekly and USA Today to the Culinary Institute of America and the nation’s best restaurants, whenever anybody wants information or training on the bar, they turn to Dale for recipes, for history, for anecdotes, for fun—for cocktail-party conversation as well as for cocktails.
That’s what The Craft of the Cocktail is—the full party, conversation and all. It begins with the history of spirits, how they’re made (but without too much boring science), the development of the mixed drink, and the culture it created, all drawn from Dale’s vast library of vintage cocktail books. Then on to stocking the essential bar, choosing the right tools and ingredients, mastering key techniques—hints worthy of a pro, the same information that Dale shares with the bartenders he trains in seminars and through his videos. And then the meat of the matter: 500 recipes, including everything from tried-and-true classics to of-the-moment originals. Throughout are rich stories, vintage recipes, fast facts, and other entertaining asides. Beautiful color photographs and a striking design round out the cookbook approach to this subject, highlighting the difference between an under-the-bar handbook and a stylish, full-blown treatment. The Craft of the Cocktail is that treatment, destined to become the bible of the bar.
Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis
Beyond the Pale: The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
The History of Wine in 100 Bottles: From Bacchus to Bordeaux and Beyond
Shaken and Stirred: Through the Martini Glass and Other Drinking Adventures
Brewing Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Beer at Home (2nd Edition)
that has a particular theme, history, or story surrounding it. Cover the table with a festive cloth. Arrange the spirits and cocktail ingredients on trays in the center of the table so they are accessible from all sides. Have a selection of glassware at each end of the table; I typically o er martini glasses, rocks glasses, highball glasses, all-purpose wineglasses, and utes for Champagne. If you’ll be serving after-dinner drinks, put out cordial or snifter-style glasses, too. Two condiment
Manhattans, and Rob Roys—should be stirred. Drinks that also contain fruit or citrus juice should be shaken. The di erence between stirring and shaking is most noticeable in the look of the drink and the feel of the texture on your tongue. Shaking adds millions of air bubbles to a cocktail, which is ne for a cocktail like a Daiquiri or a Margarita; those concoctions should be e ervescent and alive in the glass when you drink them. As Harry Craddock said in his Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), a
a small amount of white pith visible in the center. This type of peel will maximize the amount of oil expressed into the drink and minimize the amount of bitter white pith on the twist. Cut twists in a downward motion from the middle of the fruit down to the bottom, following the curve of the fruit and turning the fruit after each cut until you have circled the fruit completely. Then turn the fruit over and perform the same operation on the other half. Navel oranges should yield twelve to fifteen
strain into a chilled cocktail glass. BELLINI 1½ ounces white peach purée 3 ounces Prosecco or some other dry sparkling wine ½ ounce Marie Brizard peach liqueur Put the peach purée in the bottom of a mixing glass without ice. Slowly pour in the prosecco while gently pulling the purée up the side of the mixing glass to mix with the prosecco. Don’t stir briskly or the prosecco will lose its e ervescence. Strain into a champagne flute. Float the peach liqueur on top. THE BELLINI The Bellini was
minimalistchic to the Gettysburg Address, the most important information, mandated by law, is who makes it, where it’s from, and its alcoholic strength or proof; these are the bare basics. Better labels tell you the process by which the spirit was made, and if it’s been aged, how long and under what conditions. All of this information will determine its price. Proof describes the alcohol strength in a spirit as the percentage of alcohol (for example, 40 percent alcohol by volume) or a proof