Customer Reviews

Maran Illustrated Bartending

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I was never a terribly big fan of alcohol, so when I was introduced to such strong and bland drinks as the Vodka Tonic, it did little to persuade me.

Then, I had the Midori Sour, which hardly had any alcoholic taste to it. Of course, for those who know the Midori Sour, it's stigmatized as a "chick drink" or something females prefer. This is because the Midori Sour is not a heavy drink and contains a small amount of liquer.

But the idea of getting annihilated or intoxicated for the so-called "buzz" and acting foolish, did not impress me. If I was to drink alcohol, I was gonna drink it for the flavor.

I had plenty of other cocktails, besides the Midori Sour, but I just couldn't find anything else that rivaled its simple, yet flavorful combination. I thought, "Surely, there must be more alcoholic drinks out there, that actually taste similarly delightful."

Unfortunately, learning about cocktails can get easily frustrating, because there are few resources that present a solid introduction of it. Most of the books I checked out, would refer to one of millions of different liquors (vodka, bourbon, whiskey, rum, cachaca, etc) as ingredients, without explaining the differences, and popular choices of brands. All of this is nothing short of overwhelming to beginners, who are looking to mix something sophisticated and beyond stuff served in plastic red cups.

One of the reasons why I refuse to purchase cookbooks, is due to the endless array of ingredients I've never heard of. These cookbooks don't tell you where to purchase them, or what brands they personally used, etc, etc.

On the contrary, this book on bartending, executes a magnificent job of introducing you to the art of cocktails. It provides simple instructions, step by step, and it also educates you about all the techniques employed in this book, such as the creation of various garnishes, muddling fruits, layering effects, making simple syrup, etc. There's even a glossary of all the liquors and ingredients listed in this book. And best of all, everything is accompanied with pictures!

I've yet to come across another bartending book that is this complete. Most books fail to provide any pictures, leaving your imagination to wonder the result, and whether you made it properly and what not. Furthermore, the lack of visuals offer little to no incentive for you to make the cocktail.

Trust me when I tell you that this book will save you loads of time and confusion that I endured when I first got into mixing drinks. This is a fantastic book, and I recommend it to everybody seeking to upgrade their bartending skills.

Having said all that, I'm not saying this is the be all, end all bartending bible. But it's as close as you can get to it, relative to other books in current times. I'm absolutely surprised at how useless and unfriendly 99% of the bartending resources are, right now. Heck, I wish a publisher came and offered me a chance to make a bartending book, because I'd explain everything I had trouble understanding, as an eager-eyed novice, myself. But until then, this is the book you wanna get.

Sidebar: It even teaches you how to make an authentic Cosmopolitan, as opposed to the processed, pre-made stuff they have at stores, or the ones in most bars that blasphemously substitute fresh lime with Rose's Lime. :(

Some of my favorite drinks in this book were...

- Strawberry Caipirinha
- Bourbon Smash
- Melon Mojito
- Melon Daiquiri
- Rum Runner
- Rugburn
- Blue Cosmo
- Banana Colada

Good luck, and I hope this helps!

This book is the best of all bar tending books out there. My boyfriend and I wanted a book to help us to learn to make our favorite cocktails instead of going out all the time. We originally saw it at a book store but decided to buy it from Amazon. Not only are the recipes detailed but the pictures are excellent. You will know if you made the drink right by comparing it to the picture in the book. Here are the other awesome features of this book:

*The recipes are extremely easy to follow and thoroughly explain the preparation.

*There is an introduction to each type of liquor, its different forms and the history behind it.

*It lists all liqueurs(which compliment liquor) with their origins and uses.

*All tools that you could ever possibly need for your home bar are discussed including glassware and what each glass is used for.

After reading this book I can easily make just about any drink out there. I have also started creating my own drinks by combining liquors and liqueurs that I have learned to identify by the flavor and consumption listed in this book.

If you really want to have a good time making your own drinks without the headache and confusion this book is definitely the one to get!

This is the best book I've seen for mixed drinks. The martini recipe selection is especially wonderful, and all the pictures are beautiful. It's a big help to see what the drink will look like before deciding whether to make it.

This is a great book. The photos along with well written directions take the frustration out of trying new drinks. The additional information on glasses, tools, garnishes, etc. make this a great book for people to use at home(can even think of a few bartenders that could benefit from this one too).

From the beautiful color photos showing what your drink should look like to the receipes for creating your own bar supplies (simple syrup, etc), you just can't go wrong. If you're experienced in bar drinks, this will help out when the one-in-a-million drink request comes through. If your new you'll have lots of fun trying out drinks you never heard of or making drinks correctly (when to stir, when to shake) for everyday drinks. A really great book.

I really liked this book, because of the colored photos and how to make your drinks look professional. How to rim your glass, and what some of the liquors are.

If you are looking for a bartending book that has a picture of the drink with the ingredient mix...this is it! Each page has a picture with instructions. I love it. Its easy for anybody.

Great book on cocktail mixology! I own several bar-tending books, have bar-tended in the past, host at home, and this is my absolute favorite for mixed drinks. If you like learning from visual graphics, this is the best. True colors, great presentation of garnish preparation. The side-bits on suggested tips, preparation, etc, are helpful and valuable. Highly recommended for mixed cocktail reference and preparation. The best graphics. Thank you "maran illustrated", the Maran family and Gavin for a job well done! Kudos!

I only drink occasionally, and wanted to learn more about mixed drinks. I found this book to be an excellent reference for learning the art of bartending. It provides you information on everything from the types of glassware to the various garnish techniques. If you are setting up a bar at home and want to know the tools and techniques needed, this is the book for you. Also, the recipes are good too.