Customer Reviews

The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The overall content of this book is excellent and is beautifully written. Even though one might not agree with the author on every point it is a very enjoyable read. Rather than just write a cocktail recipe book, Embury lays out his theories on the underlying principles of mixing a good drink and divides them into general categories. It is somewhat similar Gary Regan's excellent "Joy of Mixology" in that sense, but is in some ways more readable and is written from the standpoint of a passionate and gifted amateur rather than of a professional bartender, and I think more encouraging of personal experimentation. I already had Regan's book in my collection when I acquired this one, but I don't feel that one is a replacement for the other.

The book is also fun for the historical perspective it offers. Not only are Embury's observations on Prohibition interesting (he lived through it) some of his recommendations on how to do things are informative in comparison to how they are done today. For example, he suggests getting large cocktail glasses--"no less than 3 ounces"! A typical cocktail glass today is over twice that size, though some cocktail enthusiasts now recommend using smaller glasses for classic styles of cocktails.

As good as this book is, shame on the publisher of this edition for allowing it to go to press with so many typos! Some reviewers charitably suggest that the typos also appeared in the earlier editions. I doubt this; they are the sort of typos one gets from OCR and relying on a word processor to clean up the OCR output, and then not doing a final page proof before going to press. (E.g. missing punctuation, "sued" for "used," page references to page XXX.) But even if they were in earlier editions, this is not a facsimile reprint and the errors should have been corrected in this edition. Fortunately, none of the typos are of the sort that prevents the reader from understanding what the author is trying to impart. If the publisher does a second printing of this edition, I hope that the typos will be corrected.

It appears that the editor of the 2008 edition may have been sampling the recipes while on the job. I was shocked by the number of typos, which can make reading the book a rather frustrating endeavor. In some cases, words are replaced by similar-sounding words, and one must backtrack to make sense of things.

(I don't know exactly how books are published these days, but I assume that a computer is involved and that it should be a simple exercise for a competent proofreader to make corrections using some form of text editor prior to publication. Of course, it is entirely possible that these errors were present in previous editions, but there is no reason why they shouldn't be corrected.)

Nonetheless, we should be grateful that this classic is now available as an affordable and otherwise finely executed reprint.

As a certified Master Bartender and (purist), I am honored to recommend Mr. Embury's book, and recommend it indeed on several levels. The details and attitude are all there. This is basic and pure mixology. I have used this book as text to train over forty bartenders, some I'm sure have served you well. I have three copies and will probably buy what more I can find, only to give them away and share in the invaluable knowledge therein.
Read this book, and may you never more suffer an intolorable, insipid cocktail again.

All of the reviews mentioning typos are irrelevant since that was an old version of the book. The copies Amazon is selling now do not have typos.

Anyone who has the slightest interest in becoming a serious mixologist should have this book as a reference source. Besides the usual recipes for drinks and cocktails, Mr. Embury inserts his strong opinions on how the drinks should be made, how they taste, and why they are mixed in the manner suggested. The explanations of how the different alcohols are made is interesting and the glassware chapter is helpful if you want to throw a classy party. The section on liquers is especially handy and excellent. My Dad gave me this book years ago. He was a well known mixologist and I think he used this book as a text. I know I do. This book is highly recommended.

There are many books around about "bartending" or "cocktails", but Embury's TFAoMD (1948) is the definitive work when it comes to mixing drinks, and it was a delight to see that it is back in print. Don't bother with any other books on the subject. Original editions of this work, in good shape, sell for a couple of hundred dollars, if you can even find them!

Not only does Embury describe the principles of a mixed drink, and the equipment that is useful in its preparation, but he also describes each base ingredient, each mixer and how to mix to get the best result. He also provides recipes for six basic cocktails and the practical possibilities in making your own.

There is also a chapter concerning "The Use and Abuse of Liquor", so you could argue that this is even a moral work.

TFAoMD is educational, entertaining, practical and an essential addition to the library of the serious mixologist. Moreover, it is beautifully written. What more could you ask for...?

Judging by Mr. Embury's prose, he would be a load of fun to sit down and have a drink with. Or better yet, have him do the mixing. This book is entertaining, comprehensive, and clearly written. It tells how to mix drinks, the history of the cocktail, descriptions of various liquors, liquers, mixers; and contains literally hundreds of recipes. Best of all, it shows you a few basic prinicples so you can "roll your own," as the author suggests, and frees you to experiment.

Get this book! Read the other reviews: the only reason this book is getting 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the typos in this edition. Ignore them and get the book. It's a pleasure to read.

Embury is a wonderful writer with a dry wit. He clearly and methodically lays out cocktail basics so you can "roll your own." This isn't a book about chocolate martinis and sour apple martinis: it's old school, taking it cues from the pre-Prohibition era of bartending (1880s - 1920). While some of his own recipes are a bit boozy (like a 7-to-1 gin martini), he gives just not his recipes, but lists other "standard" recipes, critiques them, and then urges you to experiment and find what you like best. In the interest of completeness, he even lists cocktails he thinks are terrible ("... but boys will be boys.")

An aside: A recent web article about making the perfect sidecar found his sidecar to be much too boozy ... a problem they solved simply by adding 1 drop of orange bitters. I have a feeling Embury would fully approve of their meddling.

If you just want a book with lots of recipe lists, this isn't your book, though it has plenty of those. If you want to know why certain types of drinks work and how to create your own, this book is indispensable. The man is genius, and his commentary about certain drinks is absolutely refreshing.

I first came across this book (1952 without illustrations) in my dad's library. I've purchased and used many other bartending books and guides and always keep coming back to Mr. Embury. He never disappoints and his personal versions of cocktails always please.

If everyone who served cocktails had a copy of this book, the notion of a cocktail party being simply "beer and wine" would be a thing of the past.

I first encounered this book when I worked in a retail bookstore and would spend slow evenings reading it. I first used it to find useful information and was quickly lured by it's wonderful prose and erudite descriptions of alchoholic beverages and their uses.
I use it constantly now, in my own kitchen, whenever I need to look up any alcoholic beverage's history, attributes and recipes. I delight in Mr. Embury's writing and in the wonderful tidbits he imparts on every page. Bravo! I am now buying it for my children, who are grown, so they too will be able to know more about the finer things in life!