Customer Reviews

Field Guide to Cocktails: How to Identify and Prepare Virtually Every Mixed Drink at the BarQuirk Books

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I've now bought two copies for myself (one to use, one autographed to be shown off!) and five for friends and relatives. The content is extensive (if you can't find it here, you probably shouldn't be drinking it!), the style is both witty and clear enough for the rankest amateur. Following is one recipe and description: see for yourself! (The following is ©2004, Rob Chirico, used by permission)

General Description:
Every so often a simple relaxing drink comes along with an equally carefree name. The Zombie is not one. The name conjures up such bygone film stars as Karloff and Lugosi with good reason. The nine-odd ingredients in a Zombie make for a lethal brew that is more the product of a mad scientist than a bartender.

The first Zombie was created by Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gant (who for some obscure reason was called "Don the Beachcomber") in the 1930s as a hangover cure for a patron at Don's Los Angeles bar. The fellow returned to the bar a few weeks later, and Don asked him how he liked the drink. The customer replied, "I felt like the living dead." The Zombie went on to become the signature drink at the Hurricane Bar at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, and Trader Vic featured it on his menu. It has since become a standard drink at Chinese restaurants, where it continues to transform jovial patrons into the moribund characters of a George Romero flick. The addition of 151-proof rum likens the Zombie to a postmortem in a glass.

Purchase: Anywhere you spy a tiki statue, a paper drink parasol, or sticks of bamboo, you will find a Zombie lurking. Beware the dreaded premixed Zombie.

You may want to think twice before you order one of the world's most lethal cocktails, because you may not be able to think at all afterward. If you do decide to seek out one of these weapons of mass destruction, Polynesian lounges like Trader Vic's and other high-end resort hotels mix their Zombies fresh. Otherwise Zombies are usually prefab concoctions. Not counting the option of never, the time to order a Zombie is with appetizers before dinner.

The first Zombies were probably shaken, but the drink is more commonly mixed in a blender today. The daunting array of ingredients may persuade you to forgo fresh fruit juices, but if you are going to hell in a handbasket, the handle should be well made.

Areas and Time of Occurrence: You may want to think twice before you order one of the world's most lethal cocktails, because you may not be able to think at all afterward. If you do decide to seek out one of these weapons of mass destruction, Polynesian lounges like Trader Vic's and other high-end resort hotels mix their Zombies fresh. Otherwise, Zombies are usually prefab concoctions. Not counting the option of never, the time to order a Zombie is with appetizers before dinner.

Season: The Zombie may strike you as a summertime drink, but it will strike you whatever the season.

Preparation: The first Zombies were probably shaken, but the drink is more commonly mixed in a blender today. The daunting array of ingredients may persuade you to forgo fresh fruit juices, but if you are going to hell in a handbasket, the handle should be well made.

Affinities: Since the Zombie is the equivalent of a liquid pupu platter, indulge yourself and order that tiny hibachi surrounded by barbecued beef sticks, crab Rangoon, chicken, prawns, and crisp wontons.

Recipe for the Zombie:

¾ ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce light rum
1 ounce dark rum
½ ounce apricot brandy
1 ounce passion fruit syrup
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
½ ounce 151-proof rum
Maraschino cherry, slice of orange, slice of pineapple, and a sprig of mint

Shaker method: Shake the three juices, light and dark rum, brandy, passion fruit syrup, and sugar with ice; then strain over ice into a chilled hurricane or other large glass. Float the 151-proof rum on top; then garnish with a maraschino cherry, an orange slice, a pineapple slice, and a mint sprig.

Blender method: Blend the three juices, light and dark rum, brandy, passion fruit syrup, and sugar with ½ cup crushed ice. Pour into a hurricane glass, and float the 151-proof rum on top; then garnish with a maraschino cherry, an orange slice, a pineapple slice, and a mint sprig.

Wow ! They said its the only "mixology" I'll ever need and they're right! OUTSTANDING ! Unlike most of these guides, it reads almost like a novel. Packed with interesting discussions of the myths surrounding famous drinks with just enough dry humor to put one in the mood for testing a new concoction. This book would have been standard equipment in the glovebox of every Earl's Shooting Brake!

For novice and professional alike, this is the barkeeps Rosetta Stone !

As someone whose home bar currently comprises nothing more than gin, vodka, and a pathetic collection of triple sec, Rose's Lime Juice and Virgin Islands rum (a gift from vacationing parents), I skipped the recipes at first and went straight to the section of the book called ''Behind Bars: An Insider's Look at Ordering Out.'' Here was a list of useful tips for bar- and restaurantgoers. Among them:
* Since most mixed drinks contain 3 ounces of liquid and most shots contain just 1 ounce, it's more cost effective to order one ''bone-dry'' (i.e., no vermouth) Stoli or Jagermeister martini than it is to order three shots of Stoli or Jagermeister.
* Just as asking for ''a glass of wine'' will probably yield plonk, it's inadvisable to simply order ''a martini,'' say, or ''a gin and tonic''; doing so pretty much guarantees your drink will be made with generic spirits. If you care about how your cocktail tastes, order it by brand name: ''an Absolut martini,'' ''a Tanqueray and tonic.'' Know what you want and don't be afraid to ask for it.
* Speaking of Absolut Martinis, they may be my father's drink of choice, but they're an aberration to traditionalists. If you must have the classic gin cocktail, speak up about it already! Otherwise, resign yourself to the reality that you're just as likely to get a vodka-based version these days. Ditto for numerous other drinks. So specify, specify, specify.

The recipes are peerless - clear and concise - and there is a witty but equally historical intro to each. It also seems to be the only serious cocktail book out there that has food pairings with every recipe. I think my home bar can stand some updating, and this book is a great start.

I was actually asked by Amazon to review my own book -- I suspect because I bought a couple of copies that I needed quickly -- and for less than my publisher discount at that. Since I do not deem it fare to do so (under my own name anyway), I will simply say that while it is not the best book I have ever written, it is at least the best book I have ever written that has been published so far. And it is a heck of a lot shorter than the new Pynchon tome. Keep New Orleans alive!

I bought this book for my dad, and everyone at the party thought it was a great book. Not only are the recipes easy to follow but the stories and histories that go along with the recipes are really funny.
I'd reccommend this book for anyone who has an interest not only in cocktails, but in having a good laugh as well.

What a find! This compact, yet comprehensive guide is the best source for mixed drinks I have seen. The recipes have been thoroughly researched and clearly presented for both the expert and novice mixologist. Mr. Chirico intersperses his descriptions of each drink and its origins with his own "wry" comments -- he is both informative and witty. The book includes icons so you know what you need to prepare each drink as well as information about liquor, bar tools, and techniques. I have been working my way through my favorite recipes and have not been disappointed. (I have not tried the Jell-o shot, but the James Bond Martini is a winner!)

I loved reading this guide. There is lots of interesting information and what an assortment of cocktails! My son is purchasing a couple of these for gifts; has two friends that are always trying new drinks out and they will really appreciate this book.

I have waited a long while for a really useful amateur barman's instruction manual. This is it, for sure! A guide to the novice and the more jaded that "mixes" simple, accurate, step-by-step instructions for the preparation of all the old favorites and most of the newly fashonable cocktails with extra-dry wit, pertinent historical background and literary flair! A very helpful symbol-system and description of necessary materials for a well-stocked bar is thoughtfully included. A must for the contemporary host/hostess.

First, I heartily agree with the prior positive reviews. As a former bartender myself, when my daughter found herself assigned as a bartender at her catering company I wanted her to have a handy reference guide. This book does a great job filling the bill. In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that it is organized alphabetically by drink names. Many other bartending/mixology books make the mistake of organizing by ingredients (e.g. Vodka Drinks, Bourbon Drinks, Gin Drinks, etc.). As my daughter pointed out, if you don't know what's IN the drink, how can you look up the recipe? If someone orders a Manhattan and you don't have the faintest idea what the ingredients are, how would you look it up in those books organized by ingredients? In this book, you simply look up "Manhattan." And I very much agree with those who have praised the historical notes on origins of the various drinks. These informational tidbits add to the enjoyment of creating the cocktail. Today, so many young bartenders assume you need a blender to make a Daiquiri or that if you add chocolate syrup, cherries and whipped cream to vodka and vermouth that it's still a called a Martini. This book not only provides instructions on how to make drinks, it also educates the reader on what MAKES a particular concoction the drink that it is. Example: "The Manhattan" - made with Rye whiskey....make it with Scotch and it becomes a "Rob Roy." If you're making a Martini and you substitute a cocktail onion for the olive, the "Martini" becomes a "Gibson." In summary, this book is all you'll ever need to meet the vast majority of cocktail orders that may come your way. Oh, and my daughter says the many color pictures of drinks are "way helpful."

If you looking for info an how to make mixed drinks this book will come as a big help for you.