Customer Reviews

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Grab a well chilled coupe glass and find inspiration for well-crafted potables in this gorgeous book. Cocktail culture is back, baby. Geek out on the history of bitters, learn how to craft your own bespoke bitters, or get right down to business and shake (or stir) something special from any of the 70+ recipes. I went with one of the old-guard recipes this eve and made a Martinez Cocktail with Carpano Antica. Thanks for the enlightenment, Mr. Parsons.

The title of the book is a bit misleading, because so much more than just some history of bitters and bunch of recipes. Everything from history to setting up your bar and mixology basics. This book is able to cover a wide variety of topics in a way that is surprisingly well focused and concise. The majority of the book is recipes (Bitters, Drinks and Food) and I can't help but to be impressed about the care taken with the them. Each one has a small introduction, with a little bit of history, a personal anecdote, or a little bit of whimsy that really helps the reader connect with the text. Nothing in this book is an afterthought or out of context filler like you see with so many drink books.

The book does go into comprehensive detail about the bitters available on the market today. The list is very comprehensive, even talking about fairly obscure Bitters such as BitterCube (Wisconsin). Brad goes out on a limb and makes a recommendation of the 11 comercial must have bitters for your cocktail bar. Once you have the feel for the commercially produced bitters you move on to how to make your own. The book breaks down the recipes into a very approachable format. If I were to have a criticism it's would be that there's only 13 actual Bitters Recipes in the book. However, I think overall the book leaves the reader with more than enough information to continue down the road of making bitters.

Who Should Read this Book: Drink Nerds, High Functioning Alcoholics with standards, Home-brewers.

This book is super informative on the topic. As a spirits professional this read is a must. Throughout my career as a mixologist I have wished for a guide to bitters. This is it. Parsons tells a great story and offers recipes to make your own bitters and tinctures, and fabulous cocktails. This book is a must for any cocktail mixing nutjob like myself.

My wife and I have a saying in the kitchen: 'If a recipe seems like it's missing something, what it's missing is probably bitters.' So then the question is which one(s), and how much, and that is when the fun begins. This is the best book on bitters that I've ever read. If you like to cook and/or make cocktails, or have fun making unique ingredients for either/both of those things, you will not be disappointed with this book. It's given me the confidence and knowledge to even make some of my own bitters flavors that are unavailable on the market or that I would like to make a bit different than what's available. Highly recommended for both the kitchen and the bar!

There has long been a gap in every mixologist's library; but who would be bold enough and nerdy enough to devote a book to the art of creating the sometimes delicate, sometimes potent seasonings that allow a true artist to give her drinks a unique, personal flair? We have the answer in this book. The author was extremely smart to combine bitters recipes alongside cocktails and even food dishes that are made all the more special with the addition of bitters. I only wish that there was at least one cocktail associated with each unique bitters the author takes great care to teach. Still, one can experiment and find the right applications on their own. This book is a tremendous resource for those of us ready to take our mixing to the next level, and hopefully elevate the art as a whole. I have no doubt this book will be in mixologists' libraries for 50 years, and that many updated editions are in its future.

The book arrived quickly and in mint condition. Eager as ever I opened it up to enjoy the contents. The author is a great storyteller and really brings bitters to life. However, I was a little disappointed at how short the read was. I was able to finish it in a very short time and was left wanting more!

I am only a little ways into the book yet, but I find the writing style very engaging, and the cocktail recipes most delicious.

If there is any drawback to the book, it is that it uses such interesting combinations of ingredients you'll find yourself having to stock up your bar pretty quickly.

Bitters is my book of the year! The recipes are great, with really something for every palate. We have made several different drinks from the book at our recent holiday gatherings and they have all been crowd pleasers. The photos are GORGEOUS, and the history component really draws you in. I also can't wait to try making some bitters of my own now! I will be gifting this beautiful book to multiple friends and relations this year. Five stars and two thumbs up!

I purchased this book as a gift, and then proceeded to read the entire thing once my Fiancee had unwrapped it. I picked it up out of passing interest and found myself reading the entire book in one go, aside from one chapter.

I really love the history of bitters, with some general history of mixed drinks in general. At first I couldn't understand why there was a list of companies and their primary flavors, but once I began poking around online for bitters I understood. It's actually very valuable. The recipes are as well.

Overall an excellent book. The physical quality of the book is also very nice. I hate dust covers and they didn't make me deal with one. They created a very nice, colorful, hardback book.

I read this book in one sitting. Granted, it was Christmas Day, so I had some free time. But man, what a great book. A great mix of history, ingredients, tools, and technique. Great conversational writing style. Beautiful photography. And in the end, a book you can really use.

Maybe it helps that I live in Seattle and I know a few of the people mentioned in the pages, but I really like Brad's authentic voice. He really connects with the drinks and the people who make them.

If you like to make cocktails, buy this book.