The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink [Hardcover]

Eben Klemm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2009

The original cocktails Eben Klemm creates as master mixologist for B.R. Guest Restaurants in New York City are the talk of the town. Now you can learn to mix like a master with The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink. In this mixology guide to creating both classic cocktails and modern twists, Klemm teaches people on the other side of the bar how to make drinks at home.

Klemm's philosophy is simple: You don't need to memorize a thousand cocktail recipes; you just need to have a perfunctory knowledge of the basic families into which drinks are divided. Toss in a few bartending skills, a few simple ingredients, some classic recipes, and a few contemporary spin-offs, and you have all you need to know to make the perfect drink for any occasion.

Improve your home bar and impress your guests with The Cocktail Primer.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eben Klemm is the master mixologist and the director of cocktail development for B.R. Guest Restaurants in New York City. Klemm has created the cocktail menus and signature drinks for five restaurant openings and three lounges, and revamped the cocktail lists at every B.R. Guest-owned restaurant, including Primehouse New York, Ruby Foo's, Dos Caminos, Isabella's, Atlantic Grill, Ocean Grill, Blue Fin, Fiamma, and others.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (November 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740778161
• ISBN-13: 978-0740778162
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending

More About the Author

After studying biology at Cornell, Eben Klemm began bartending in New York City to pay the rent. His science background, willingness to experiment, and fascination with cocktail culture and history were a good mix. Since then, he has overseen the cocktail program and concocted signature drinks for B.R. Guest Restaurant's fourteen dining destinations, one nightlife spot, and one private event space, including Primehouse New York, Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos, Wildwood Barbeque, and 675 Bar. Klemm's cocktails have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Time Out New York, Popular Science, and Playboy. He has appeared on MSNBC, The Early Show, and 20/20.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A step-by-step guide to creating not only classic cocktail favorites, but also modern variations, December 12, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink (Hardcover)

Master mixologist Eben Klemm presents The Cocktail Primer, a step-by-step guide to creating not only classic cocktail favorites, but also modern variations - and understanding the basic principles of mixology to help one design a drink to fit any occasion. Full-color photographs illustrate this excellent, easy-to-follow guide to anyone eager to learn how to mix and serve drinks to suit any taste. Highly recommended.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CHEERS !, November 26, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink (Hardcover)

The author of this "can't-wait-to-try-one" drink book is identified as a Master Mixologist. Now, just in case you're not familiar with that designation it is one who, among other things, creates original cocktails, blends of spirits springing not only from necessary ingredients but also from imagination, experience and experimentation.

Among Master Mixologists Eben Klemm is one of the best, although that was not his original goal. A former student of biology at Cornell University he once managed a molecular biology laboratory but also learned, as many have, that there are times when one simply needs to pay the bills and bartending is one way to do it. From that introduction Klemm became a restaurant bar manager and later created the cocktail menu and signature drinks for numerous restaurant openings. He now shares his expertise with us in this brightly illustrated COCKTAIL PRIMER.

Divided into seven chapters the book opens with everything we need to know about setting up a home bar, follows with a section on Martinis and variations thereof, and then Manhattans From there Klemm sheds light on Simple and Complex Sours before tackling Muddled Drinks (Mojito, Mint Julep, Black Cherry Bounce, etc.) The concluding chapter is devoted to Highballs in which he notes that highballs can be as simple or as complex as we want to make them. (I vote for simple as Klemm tells us those are nearly infallible.)

THE COCKTAIL PRIMER will be a welcome addition to any home bar or simply enjoyed for browsing.

- Gail Cooke