Left Coast Libations: The Art of West Coast Bartending: 100 Original Cocktails [Hardcover]

Ted Munat (Author), Michael Lazar (Author), Jenn Farrington (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Original and innovative, the carefully tested recipes and techniques in this guide—collected from the West Coast’s most talented bartenders—are sure to delight and satisfy all cocktail fans from novice to connoisseur. Written in a style that is both playful and appreciative, the book provides invaluable information on topics such as what people ought to know about ice (and don't) and what role egg whites can have in a drink. The mouth-watering recipes and lush photographs featured here will make readers excited to create the amazing cocktails of professional mixologists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Munat is delightfully entertaining, and his keen wit, coupled with a little sarcasm and a touch of attitude, have served him well here. It’s a darned good read.”  —Gary Regan, author, The Joy of Mixology

“Ted and Michael’s book is the finest attempt anyone has made to reveal the movement that culinary cocktail-making has become.”  —Scott Beattie, author, Artisanal Cocktails

“I am so very pleasantly surprised to learn that not only do some of our Western Territories have bars, but—if we are to believe this amusing and informative little volume—the conduct of those institutions is frequently placed in the hands of individuals who thoroughly know their business. I should like to visit them some day.”  —David Wondrich, author, Imbibe!

About the Author

Ted Munat is a writer and raconteur. He lives in Seattle. Michael Lazar blogs about the research and re-creation of exotic and historic cocktail ingredients on the blog Stirred, Not Shaken. He lives in Oakland. Jenn Farrington is an advertising, editorial, and documentary photographer. Her photography has appeared in Gourment, USA Today, and Wine and Spirits. She lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 166 pages
• Publisher: Left Coast Libations (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982631502
• ISBN-13: 978-0982631508
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart--or pocketbook, April 2, 2011

By 

Perpetual Student (Del Mar, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Left Coast Libations: The Art of West Coast Bartending: 100 Original Cocktails (Hardcover)

The retail price of this book is $24.95, but if you want to make more than a few of the exquisite creations it contains, be prepared to spend a whole lot more. These are not cocktails that can be whipped together with the contents of a typical home bar. More than a third of the 102 drinks require at least one homemade ingredient. These range from the fairly simple (agave nectar syrup) to the fairly complex (smoked cider air), with most somewhere in between (e.g., glazed pecan-infused bourbon). But even those drinks that do not require a homemade concoction almost always call for an unusual spirit or liqueur or two--or four or five. If you already have on hand St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, Chartreuse, Aperol, Ramazotti, and Lillet Blanc, you are off to a good start. If you've never heard of any of these things, call your credit card company to verify your spending limit: you've got some shopping to do. Notwithstanding the fact that you might need to take out a second mortgage to make every drink in this book, it could be worth it. Most of the drinks that I've tried have been excellent. Also, if you've been mixing drinks for a while, you can use the recipes as inspiration for your own creations, without necessarily purchasing (or making) every obscure ingredient. Several of the recipes have encouraged me to combine spirits and liqueurs that I wouldn't have previously considered. This then formed the base of an entirely new cocktail. Used in this way, Left Coast Libations can keep you buzzed without making you broke.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous and Interesting, August 7, 2010

By 

I. Cole "atcsim" (Federal Way, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Left Coast Libations: The Art of West Coast Bartending: 100 Original Cocktails (Hardcover)

This is more than just a coffee table book. It is humorous and fun to read. Once I started reading the little blurbs on the bartenders I couldn't stop, before I knew it I had read the entire book. I also love the recipes in back for making various syrups and mixers. It is nice to have the art of making great cocktails demystified. And it is nice to see hardworking bartenders who love their crafts being recognized. They are artists. I would recommend this book highly. I have bought several more for gifts.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great gift - for any cocktail afficianado, August 7, 2010

By 

cukiegirrl "cukiegirrl" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Left Coast Libations: The Art of West Coast Bartending: 100 Original Cocktails (Hardcover)

I just bought this book as a gift to myself. I was recently introduced to the aviation drink and have been wanting to learn more about the art of cocktails. Well, this book is the proof, mixology surely is an art. The images and recipes in this book are wonderful. Great care was obviously taken in the publication of this book and it shows in the detail of the photos and graphics. So far I've only skimmed the pages and once I read the stories of the contributors and host my upcoming soiree, then, I can update the review. However I do believe that a photo is worth a thousand words, and in this book the photos are a plenty. I am so glad I pre-ordered my book!