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Best cocktail book

I use B&B and other sites sometimes to find recipes for mixed drinks however i would like a hard copy for the bar.

What is the best cocktail book you know. I want the drinks to be in the classic style, that being no mass produced mixers or other modern made crap. If I need Sour Mix I'll mix my lime and sugar and not buy that neon green nasty crap....etc


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I decided to print off my own. Using recipes from the Speakeasy and From the IBA official Cocktail list. Credit go to castlecraver, chjome and others for posting recipes.

If you think ratios are off or have something to add please do. Once I am done formatting and making it look pretty I'll post a PDF file.

AMERICANO Pre dinner (old fashioned glass)
1oz Campari
1oz Sweet Red Vermouth
Mix the ingredients directly in old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Add Soda Water. Garnish with half orange slice and lemon peel.

BACARDI Pre dinner (cocktail glass)
1.5oz Bacardi Rum White
2/3oz Lemon or lime juice
1/6oz Grenadine syrup
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes, shake well, strain into chilled cocktail glass

DAIQUIRI Pre dinner (cocktail glass)
1.5oz White Rum
2/3oz Fresh lemon or lime juice
1/6oz Gomme syrup
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain in chilled cocktail glass.

BRONX Pre dinner (cocktail or martini glass)
1oz Gin
1/2oz Sweet Red Vermouth
1/3oz Dry Vermouth
1/2oz Orange Juice
Pour into shaker all ingredients with ice cubes, shake well. Strain in chilled cocktail or martini glass.



MANHATTAN Pre dinner (martini or cocktail glass )
1 2/3oz Rye or Canadian whiskey
2/3oz Red Vermouth
1 Dash Angostura Bitter
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain into chilled martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

MANHATTAN DRY Pre dinner ( martini or cocktail glass )
1 2/3oz Rye or Canadian whiskey
2/3oz Dry vermouth
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain in chilled martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

MANHATTAN MEDIUM Pre dinner ( martini or cocktail glass )
( or Perfect )
1 2/3oz Rye or Canadian Whiskey
1/3oz Red Vermouth
1/3oz Dry Vermouth
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain in chilled martini or cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and lemon twist

MARGARITA Pre dinner (cocktail glass)
1 oz Tequila
2/3 oz Cointreau
1/2oz Fresh lemon or lime juice
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass rimmed with crusted salt.
MARTINI ( DRY ) Pre dinner ( martini glass )
1 2/3 oz cl Gin
1/2oz Dry Vermouth
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well Strain in chilled martini cocktail glass. Squeeze oil from lemon peel onto the drink, or garnish with olive.
(Vodka Martini - replace gin with vodka)

NEGRONI Pre dinner ( old fashioned glass )
1 oz Gin
1oz Campari
1oz Sweet Red Vermouth
Pour all ingredients directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with half orange slice and stirer.
Optional : Splash of Soda Water.

OLD FASHIONED Pre dinner ( old fashioned glass )
1 1/3oz Bourbon , Scotch or Rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
2 Dashes Angostura Bitter
1 Splash Soda Water
Place suger cube in old fashioned glass and saturate with bitter, as a dash of soda water. Muddle until dissolve. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add whisky. Garnish with orange slice, lemon twist and two maraschino cherries

ROB ROY Pre dinner ( cocktial glass )
1 1/2oz Scotch Whisky
1oz Red Vermouth
1 Dash Angostura Bitter
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry

WHISKEY SOUR Pre dinner (old fashioned or cobbler glass)
1 1/2oz Bourbon whiskey
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
1/3oz Gomme syrup
1 Dash egg white
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain in old fashioned or cobbler glass. If served "On the rocks", strain ingredients into old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with half orange slice and maraschino cherry.

BLACK RUSSIAN After dinner (old fashioned glass)
1 3/4oz Vodka
2/3 Coffee liqueur
Pour the ingredients into the old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Stir gently.

WHITE RUSSIAN After dinner (old fashioned glass)
1 2/3oz Vodka
2/3oz Coffee liqueur
1 oz Fresh cream
Pour coffee liqueur and vodka directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice. Float fresh cream on the top and stir in slowly.

FRENCH CONNECTION After dinner ( old fashioned )
1 oz Cognac
1 oz Amaretto liqueur
Pour all ingredients directly into old fashioned with ice cubes. Stir gently.

GOD FATHER After dinner ( old fashioned glass )
1 oz Scotch
1 oz Amaretto
Pour all ingredients directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes

GOD MOTHER After dinner ( old fashioned glass )
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Amaretto
Pour all ingredients directly in old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.

GRASSHOPPER After dinner (cocktail glass)
2/3 oz Créme de menthe (green)
2/3 oz Créme de cacao (white)
2/3 oz Fresh cream
Pour all ingredients into shaker filled with ice. Shake briskly for few seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

RUSTY NAIL After dinner ( old fashioned glass)
1 ½ oz Scotch whisky
¾ oz Drambuie
Pour all ingredients directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with lemon twist.

BLOODY MARY Long drink (highball)
1 ½ Vodka
3 oz Tomato juice
½ Lemon juice
1 tsp horseradish
Add dashes of Worchestershire Sauce, Tabasco , salt and pepper into highball glass, then pour all ingredients into highball with ice cubes. Stir gently. Garnish with Celery Salt and lemon wedge (optional).

BRANDY EGG NOGG Long Drink (highball)
1 oz Brandy
1 ¾ oz Milk
1/3 oz Gomme syrup
1 yolk egg
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes, shake well. Strain into a highball with ice cubes. Sprinkle with fresh ground nutmeg.

BULL SHOT Long Drink (highball)
1 oz Vodka
2 oz Cold beef bouillon
1/3 oz Fresh lemon juice
Pour all ingredients directly into highball with ice cubes, add several dashes of Worchestershire Sauce, Tabasco, Salt and Pepper. Stir the ingredients. Garnish with Celery Salt.
(Note: May be served hot in cold weather).

TOM COLLINS Long drink ( highball )
1 ½ oz Gin
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
½ oz Gomme syrup
2 oz Soda water
Pour all ingredients directly into highball filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with lemon slice and maraschino cherry.
Add dash of Angostura bitter.


GIN FIZZ Long drink ( highball )
1 ½ oz Gin
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
½ oz Gomme syrup
3 oz Soda Water
Shake all ingredients with ice cubes, except soda water. Pour into highball glass. Top with Soda water.

HORSE'S NECK Long drink ( highball glass)
1 oz Brandy
3 ½ oz Ginger Ale
Dash of Angostura bitter (optional)
Pour brandy and ginger ale directly into highball glass with ice cubes. Stir gently. Garnish with rind of one lemon spiral. If required, add dashes of Angostura Bitter.

IRISH COFFEE Long drink ( Irish coffee- glass )
1oz Irish Whiskey
3 oz Hot coffee
1 oz Fresh cream
1 tea spoon of brown sugar
Pour into the glass (for hot drink) hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and add a teaspoon of sugar. Warm the mixture over a burner. Do not boil the mixture.
Float Cream on top. Suggested to use a coffee spoon, place near the surface of glass and pour the cream gently over to enable it to float.

PLANTERS PUNCH Long drink ( highball )
2 oz Dark Rum
1oz Fresh lemon juice
1/3 oz Grenadine syrup
Soda water.
Pour all ingredients into shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Pour into highball with ice. Top up with Soda water. Stir gently and add a dash of Angostura bitters. Garnish with lemon and orange slices.

SCREWDRIVER Long drink ( highball )
1 ¾ oz Vodka
3 ½ oz Orange Juice
Pour all ingredients directly into highball glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with orange slice.

SINGAPORE SLING Long drink ( highball )
1 1/3 oz Gin
2/3 oz Cherry Brandy
dash Cointreau
dash DOM Benedictine
1/3 oz Grenadine
3 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Fresh lemon juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into highball glass. Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherry.

TEQUILA SUNRISE Long drink ( highball )
1 ½ oz Tequila
3 oz Orange juice
½ oz Grenadine syrup
Pour tequila and orange juice directly into highball with ice cubes. Add a splash of Grenadine syrup to create chromatic effect (sunrise), do not stir. Garnish with orange slice and cherry, straw and stirrer.

CAIPIRINHA ( old fashioned glass )
1 3/4oz .Cachaca
1/2 Fresh Lime cut into 4 wedges
2 teaspoons sugar
Place lime and sugar into old fashioned glass & muddle. Filled glass with ice and add Cachaca.

COSMOPOLITAN ( Large cocktail glass )
1 1/3oz Vodka
½ oz. Cointreau
½ oz. Fresh Lime juice
1 oz. Cranberry juice
Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into large cocktail glass. Garnish with lime slice.

KAMIKAZE (cocktail glass )
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz. Lemon juice
Add all ingredients into cocktail glass shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. . Garnish with a lime wedge and stirrer..

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA (highball glass )
½ oz Vodka
½ oz Tequila
½ oz White Rum
½ oz Cointreau
½ oz Gin
1ozLemon juice
1 oz Gomme Syrup
Dash of Cola
Add all ingredients into highball glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with lemon spiral. Serve with straw.

MAI-TAI (highball glass )
1 oz White Rum
1 oz Dark Rum
½ oz Orange Curacao
½ oz Orgeat syrup (almond)
¼ oz Rock Candy syrup
1/3 oz Fresh Lime juice
Add all ingredients except dark rum into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into highball galss. Float dark rum, garnish with pineapple spear and lime peel. Serve with straw.

MOJITO (highball glass )
1 /13 oz White Rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice
3 sprigs of Mint
2 teaspoons Sugar
Soda Water
Muddle mint sprigs with sugar and lime juice. Add rum and top with soda water. Garnish with sprig of mint leaves. Serve with straw.

ORGASM (old fashioned glass )
1oz Cointreau
1 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
2/3 oz Grand Marnier
Build all ingredients over ice in a old fashioned glass or shot glass. Garnish with cherry.

B52 (shooter glass )
2/3 oz Kahlua
2/3 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
2/3 oz Grand Marnier
Build all ingredients over ice into a shooter glass.Serve with stirrer.

SALTY DOG (highball glass )
1 1/3oz Vodka
3 oz Grapefruit juice
Shake vodka and grapefruit juice in cocktail shaker. Strain into a salt rimmed highball glass filled with ice.

CUBA LIBRE (highball glass )
1 ¾ oz White Rum
3 oz Cola
Build all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge

SEX ON THE BEACH (highball glass )
1 1/3 oz Vodka
2/3 oz Peach Schnapps
1 1/3 oz Orange juice
1 1/3 oz Cranberry juice

Pour all ingredients into shaker. Shake and pour into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange slice.

APPLE MARTINI ( cocktail glass )
1 1/3 oz Vodka
½ oz Apple Schnapps
½ oz Cointreau
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain in chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of apple.

LADYBOY Long drink ( Short Tumbler)
1 oz Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz Brandy
Build ingredient into a short tumbler glass with ice,
Stir lightly.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.


Mint Julep
2 oz bourbon
8 sprigs of mint
1 tsp of sugar
Put mint and sugar with a dash of water in mixing glass. Add shaved ice and bourbon. Shake until frosted and pour all into rocks glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.



The Modena
2 1/2 oz Makers Mark
4 dashes 9 year old balsamic vinegar
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
Maraschino cherry
Mix all ingredients as a martini. Serve with cherry garnish


Classic Grog
1 shot rum, dark or white (I prefer a spiced rum myself)
1 tsp sugar
Squeeze of lemon
Cinnamon stick
Boiling water to fill a mug

In a mug, mix together the rum, sugar and lemon with the cinnamon stick. Add enough boiling water to fill the mug, or to taste.


The Old-Style Martinez
1 1/4 oz Gin (Old Tom's is the most authentic)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 Tsp Maraschino Liqueur
1-2 dashes Angastura bitters
Stir or shake, pour into cocktail glass garnish with lemon or twist

The Modern Martinez
1 1/2 oz gin (Plymouth works well)
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
2 Tsp Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes orange bitters
Stir or shake, pour into cocktail glass garnish with lemon or twist

The Hemmingway Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz white Rum (I recommend Matusalem platino)
1/4 oz Maraschino liquor (They've just started remaking the classic cherry herring, for the truly devoted, but otherwise the Italian Luxardo is a fine choice.)
3/4 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 oz Grapefruit juice

The Blood and Sand Cocktail
3/4 oz Scotch whisky (Blended scotch actually comes in handy, as an overly peaty or developed single malt can lend a chemical quality to the drink)
3/4 oz rosso vermouth
1/4 oz cherry brandy (Cherry herring once again makes this drink)
1 1/2 oz orange juice (Fresh squeezed is best)


Brandy Alexander
¾ oz cream
¾ oz brandy
¾ oz dark crème de cacao
Nutmeg
Pour the liquors and cream into a mixing glass. Shake and pour in martini glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

Moscow Mule
1¼ oz vodka
3 oz ginger beer
1 tsp sugar syrup
¼ oz lime juice
1 sprig mint
1 slice lime
In a copper mug or cocktail glass, pour vodka over ice. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig

Sidecar
1½ oz cognac
¾ oz triple sec
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
1 orange slice
Put all ingredients and squeeze lemon in mixing glass, shake briskly. Select sugar-rimmed snifter. Strain into glass and garnish with orange slice.

Stinger
1 oz cognac
1 oz crème de menthe
Put all ingredients in mixing glass, shake briskly. Select brandy snifter. Pour into glass.

Vodka Gimlet
1½ oz vodka
¾ oz lime juice
3-4 lime slices
Pour Vodka and lime juice into mixing glass, shake and strain into martini glass. Add 3 to 4 slices of lime.
 
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Nice list!

Though you might want to seek out a copy of Esquire's Handbook for Hosts. I have a copy of the 1949 edition and it is wonderful. Lots of cocktails, recipes, hints for throwing parties, and much else. They turn up on eBay and I think you'd enjoy it.
 
For classic tropical style drinks, there is a compendium of vintage recipes from the 50's and 60's harvested from the secret recipes of ancient bartenders from places such as Trader Vic's, the Kon-Tiki, Donn the Beachcombers, Mai Kai, etc. The book is called the Beachbum Barry's Grog Log, and it come highly recommended. There is also a couple of follow up books, Intoxica and Sippin' Safari. These can be found on Amazon as far as I know, since that's where I picked mine up. Many of the drinks contain obscure yet amazing ingredients and result in quite tasty classic drinks that are unlikely to be found from other cocktail sources.
 
I've always used two:

  • A fog-cutter splattered copy of Trader Vic's Bartending Guide (1947) that's been in the family for, oh, 63 years.
  • Playboy's Host & Bar Book (1971)

These have served me well for many, many years. :thumbup1:
 
I have had good luck with "Field Guide to Cocktails" by Rob Chirico A good variety of recipes along with a little history. All in all a handy little book.
 
I have an old Old Mr Boston fr the classics, and "Playboy" cocktail book which is pretty good and has some more of the newer drinks.. But the internet is my usual my go to now.
By the way, for those of you that have one, the Amazon Echo (Alexa) "Ask the Bartender" skill is pretty handy. Enable the skill and you can say, "Alexa, ask the bartender how to make a <cocktail name>."
She will respond with the ingredients, proportions and basic mixing instructions.
 
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