Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century

The 1990s cocktail comeback is headiest among the twentysomethings who made the movie Swingers a hit and were profiled in Esquire's Cocktail Culture cover story. Paul Harrington slakes the growing thirst for mixology at Wired's Cocktail Web site, which draws over 250,000 hits a month and has more than 40,000 readers. Now this specialist bartender (known to his fans as The Alchemist) has put all his wit, wisdom, and know-how into a book that's as cool as it's compendious--from James Bond's classic Vesper to the Monkey Gland and the Police Gazette. Starting with full coverage of basic essentials from glassware to garnishes, Cocktail goes on to feature everything you need to know about sixty-four classic cocktails, illustrated with four-color spreads and over three hundred additional drink recipes. Find out what turns a Martini into a Bull's Eye, whether to serve a Mint Julep over shaved or crushed ice, and the true genesis of the Moscow Mule and the feisty, hard-to-get Nicky Finn. Snappy, classy, and spectacularly packaged, Cocktail is the book for bar, cocktail table, and party gift-giving.