Customer Reviews

The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Your average cocktail/bartender book is usually just the result of somebody gathering together as many recipes as they can find, prefacing it with the obligatory "how to stock your home bar" chapter, then selecting "File / Print..." Is it any wonder then that people these days are confused as to what a Martini really is?

Thankfully, Gary Regan has shown us that a mixology book can be far more then we have come to expect.

In "The Joy of Mixology", Gary lays out for us the results of what obviously has been many years of research into what cocktails really are, and how to make them properly. First he covers the common topics such as history, bartending, garnishes, glassware, but with far more interesting information then you most likely have seen elsewhere. Mr. Regan then dives into laying out the various styles of cocktails and mixed drinks, and how to understand them in ways that focus on the proper and well-balanced construction of each style. There is a lot of meat in how he organizes his lists, and a wealth of information behind their proper construction.

Cocktails really don't need to be as confusing as they seem to be to most people. This book goes a long way in not only making sense of the large array of cocktail selections available, but also in bringing to light the potentials of a "Quality" cocktail experience.

I'm surprised that this book doesn't have more reviews - I am usually too preoccupied or lazy to take the time to write Amazon reviews, but in this case I had to speak! This really is THE BOOK if you're looking to learn the art of mixology, the craft of the cocktail, the joy of boozing it up in a delicious and debonair way! I am rather obsessive with the whole mixing drinks thing - and an obsessive buyer of cocktail books - but the only two that really matter - the only two that are ESSENTIAL and not just a novelty to own - are this book and Dale Degroff's the Craft of the Cocktail. Buy others if you have the inclination, but if you're wondering what to buy to learn, or to enjoy, or to be able to say you have the definitive books on the subject - buy those two. And believe me, I've tried out enough of the recipes to KNOW what I'm talking about!

The chart in the middle of the book is invaluable. At a glance you can see what you can make with the ingredients on hand and confidentally experiment without straying too far off tried and true formulas (who knew the Sidecar and Margarita were related?).

There are really a couple of subjects that this book covers:

- Recipes: lots of them with the author's own variations. Not all of the recipes I tried were great. It looks like Gary Regan is trying to provide an inclusive collection of recipes rather than a selection of the best ones. He even includes some that he doesn't care fir,

- Tips for professional bartenders: as a home mixologist I couldn't related to that.

- The standard info on how to and garnishes etc.

And finally, what I consider to be the hear of this guide:

A (for me at least) original, useful and very educational way of grouping cocktails into families. There are lots of tables and descriptions that explain the groupings. This was a real eye-opener for me because it really made it clear how good cocktails were constructed and why a margarita and a cosmopolitan are very, very similar. There are also some great sections that compare the density of various brands of liquors which is extremely helpful when making layered drinks.

All in all, this is not a perfect book but there is really a lot of original content that I've never seen anywhere else. If you like Alton Brown and a pseudo-scientific approach to cooking then you'll definitely enjoy Gary Regan's book.

There is a Great Cocktails show on the Food Network and they often feature Gary Regan on the show. My husband thought he looked like a fun bartender and had me order this book through the library to preview it. He enjoyed it so much he asked for it for Xmas. I've totally enjoyed the recipes that have come out of this book.

This book was written out of passion,not for the money.Extremely complete.I own a large collection of cocktail books and I must say that they have become completely obsolete.This is a real classic with an expanded drink history section.Do you wanna know how it all began?Do you wanna learn the real craft?Buy it now before it's too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this book for my boyfriend for his birthday, and we regularly mix drinks from it. I would say that in general, there are fewer mixed drink recipes than I have found in other books. However, there is a fantastic ingredient guide, which lists all of the drinks and the ingredients they include in a convenient table. This makes it simple to find the drinks we can mix from our liquor cabinet. With other books, I am frequently frustrated by flipping through drink after drink that requires some exotic liquor I don't have.

There is perhaps a slant in the book toward strongly alcoholic drinks--not many "girly" drinks where you can barely taste the alcohol. If you are looking for a book that artfully mixes various liquors into delicious cocktails so that you can really taste and appreciate each ingredient, you have found the right book :)

Very interesting and has caused me to crave a good cocktail more often. Just now getting into the recipes. I have become the amateur mixologist with my family and always enjoy trying new things. I really love how this book equips you with the knowledge to begin to come up with variations of the classic martinis. I highly recommend this book.

I own several other cocktail books but this one is by far my favorite. As other reviewers have mentioned, Gary goes well beyond the usual list of recipes (though his recipes are great). The way he has grouped drinks into various families, arranged by common ingredients or techniques, has helped me to understand cocktails in a much more sophisticated way. The book also, as I hoped it would, introduced me to lots of new drinks by starting with cocktails that I knew and liked, and then making it easy to find other drinks that are related.

I'm glad I have a few other books, particularly The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff, but I only use the others to see how their authors have tweaked a given recipe. If you're looking for a book that gives you plenty of recipes, but also tells you WHY and not just HOW, then The Joy of Mixology is my top recommendation.

This is by far the best bartending/mixology guide I have come across. Gary Regan is a pro in the old school sense. He is a master of his craft, an artist willing to dispense knowledge to anyone interested enough to listen. This is a book for someone that wants to learn the art of mixology, not the casual amateur bartender looking to mix a few drinks at home. This is for the guy that wants to be able to share the origins and history of the Singapore Sling with his client, should they ask. This is for the guy that wants to be a master of proper bartending etiquette, from how to mix, to how to shake, how to present, all the way through to the rest.

As an expert bartender of several years, I will say this. I have read a number of books, and while some have more recipes than this, none have the quality of content or can give as good anthologies. This book will never replace having a great bartender share their secrets, but it is a fantastic start, or an excellent way to fine tune the subtle things.