 | By: Fernando Castellon Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Hamlyn ISBN: 0600612619 ISBN-13: 9780600612612 Released: 15 Oct 2005 RRP: Average Rating:  |
The book is divided into sections & starts by covering the history of the cocktail, the "correct" way to make the drinks & the equipment you'll need. It then moves on to the main body of the work: the 550 recipes, grouped by drink type. For each drink there's a list of measures & ingredients, a step-by-step guide to preparation & a very nicely photographed picture of what it should look like if you've done it right.
Later on there are sections on which snacks to serve with the various drinks; how different spirits are made & the differences between them; a glossary of the terms used; an A-Z list of recipes; a list of cocktails by main & secondary ingredients (so you can see at-a-glance what you can make with what you have to hand!) and, finallly, a list of which cocktails are best served at particular times of day, season, as remedies & so on!
It's alll very comprehensive as well as being beautifully & thoughtfully laid out. My only smalll gripes are that it's such a nice book that I'm terrified of ruining it when I'm making drinks (there's no spiral binding to keep the thing flat!) & that the amount used as a "measure" is based on the French double measure of 40ml - this is tricky to come by in the UK so some adjustments are necessary.
One of my favourite sections is on page 41, & it's a list of bar stocks for beginners, amateurs & professionals which is great for getting yourself set up & ready to go. That said, the prices of the spirits & liqueurs need to be borne in mind, & the book itself is only part of what you'll end up spending if you get interested.
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