Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions [A Cocktail Recipe Book]

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Well, Jeffrey Morgenthaler wrote the definitive guide on drinking etiquette in Drinking Distilled. Don’t want to sound like a douchebag and make your bartender hate you? Read this book. The photos inside are just as beautiful, and it will have you repeatedly saying: “I want one of those.” Of all the books I’ve got, and all of the drinks I’ve made, these two still rank up among my favorites. They are the Old Fashioned, Martini, Daiquiri, Sidecar, Whiskey Highball, and Flip. In each drink, every ingredient falls into at least one category. Core is the primary flavor; balance enhances the core with sweetness, acidity, or both; and seasoning adds another dimension and complements or contrasts with the core. These six basic formulas are just a start. Learn these six, then learn to tweak them to create your own recipes. Not every substitution will work across the board, but these formulas are a good cornerstone to more drinks.

Aviary does that in bar form. Take this drink from the now defunct Aviary NYC called “Boom Goes the Dynamite” for example: “Boon Goes the Dynamite”– Ironically this one isn’t even in the book. Hey man, this old-fashioned wasn’t prepared the right way. I need Demerara syrup, not a sugar cube. A big cube not bar ice, and for the love of God, why is there a muddled maraschino cherry in my drink?”Sometimes the carbonated ingredient is sweet, omitting the need for another sweetener, such as with the Cuba libre which is made with rum, fresh lime juice and cola or the Moscow mule, made with vodka, lime juice and ginger beer or ginger ale. It can also be savory, such as with tomato juice in the bloody Mary. I remember the first time I came into Jeff’s bar Pepe Le Moko and I said “have any drinks you’re really excited about right now?” His response: “Well I made all the ones on that menu right there, so I’m pretty excited about each of those.” It’s a graphic novel of their last 6 menus. And to make things even cooler many of the characters are based off of real world bartenders from some of the best bars around the world. Neither of these drinks are easy or inexpensive to make, and both require preparing some home made syrups.

The only downside? This book also wins the award for “the book you’re most likely to make zero recipes from.” Its formula always includes a spirit, something sour and orange liqueur, such as triple sec or brand names Cointreau and Grand Marnier. And then every once in a while you find the rare book that hits the sweet spot. It has some drinks with ingredients you probably have, and are easy to make, but also features some more elaborate drinks that will be an adventure to create.The basis of this drink has also yielded other classics like the Mint Julep and delightful variations on the same theme that include the wonderfully cosy Apple Butter Old Fashioned . 2. Daiquiri All the experts we spoke with agree nothing will develop your palate—and your ability to determine which ingredients complement each other—like tasting. It’s easier for most people to distinguish flavors like fruit, spices, and herbs than spirits and liqueurs, so take your time to taste your alcohols and compare and contrast them (this is the hard part). It was our last stop after a long day of bar hopping, and we loved the vibe of the bar. Unpretentious and casual, but with fantastic drinks. Balance can be thought of in a similar way to taste—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami—as opposed to flavor,” says bartender Devon Tarby, another co-owner at Death & Co and Proprietors LLC. “Taste is experienced through the tongue, and flavor is experienced primarily through the nose.”

And if you’d rather follow a recipe? Then there are dozens of variations of each of these drink styles to choose from. I actually first heard about the book from Shingo Gokan, who is in it, while we were sitting in his bar the SG Club in Tokyo. Jeffrey Morgenthaler's "Bar Book" is my favorite bartender guide to recommend for professional and at-home bartenders. Jeff's writing style and personality make the techniques and processes entertaining and approachable. — Jeff Bell, managing partner at Please Don't Tell in New York City, NY Flips basically consist of any fortified wine or liquor shaken with a whole egg or cream, and sweetened with sugar. They are typically garnished with a dusting of nutmeg or another warming spice, and yields dreamily creamy drinks like the White Russian , Eggnog, and Pina Colada. 6. SidecarThey’re on their 6th or 7th iteration of their elaborate graphic novel menus, which you could literally spend an hour or two reading, soaking in, and contemplating which drink to get. With this formula, you can easily make a delicious margarita (tequila, agave syrup, lime) or a classic daiquiri (rum, simple syrup, lime). Or you can make a gimlet (gin, simple syrup, lime) or a whiskey sour (whiskey, simple syrup, lemon).