Party Drinks!: 50 Classic Cocktails and Lively Libations (50 Series) [Hardcover]

A. J. Rathbun (Author)

Book Description

Series: 50 Series | Publication Date: August 28, 2004

Every party-thrower and party-goer will enjoy these classic and new recipes, selected for their great taste, panache, and preparation ease. Rathbun covers the essentials of what kinds of alcohols and mixers to buy and how much.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Party Drinks! entertains you while teaching you how to entertain with a minimum of hassle. Rathbun’s style and wit make this not only a helpful book, but a fun read, too."
—Mardee Haiden Regan, author of The Bartender’s Best Friend, and Gary Regan, author of The Bartender’s Bible

"If this fun, breezy book doesn’t get your party started, you should consider investing in a new set of friends."
—David Wondrich, cocktail columnist for Esquire

"The next time you’re looking to have some fun, turn to Party Drinks! for inspiration. From the classic Martini to a sexy Singapore Sling, Party Drinks! has the recipe to jump start any party."
—Colin Cowie, author of Dinner After Dark

"It’s so nice to get back to the classic recipes for today’s cocktails. Too many cocktails have been brutalized by know-it-all bartenders who think waving a bottle of vermouth over a glass of gin makes a martini—not! The martini recipe in this book passed the father-in-law test—and my father-in-law is the most discriminating cocktail drinker I know. That says it all."
—Tom Douglas, author of Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen

About the Author

A. J. Rathbun is a freelance food and entertaining writer and the author of Champagne Cocktails, Wine Cocktails, Dark Spirits, Luscious Liqueurs, Party Drinks!, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award-winning Good Spirits. Rathbun earned his MFA in creative writing from Western Michigan University, and has worked variously as a buyer for Amazon.com, an usher at the Art Institute of Chicago, a rock band roadie, an envelope stuffer, a marketing assistant, the director of the Poetry After Hours program at the Seattle Art Museum, an online editor, a waiter, and of course, a bartender. In addition to his cookbooks, Rathbun is the editor of In Their Cups and the author of Want, two poetry collections. Rathbun has been a guest, talking about drinks, food, entertaining, and kitchen products, on numerous radio shows, including Martha Stewart's Everyday Food satellite radio program and USA Radio, has done interviews with a variety of publications, including the Seattle Times, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Arizona Republic, and has contributed to the magazines Every Day with Rachael Ray and Wine Enthusiast, among others. He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Museum of the American Cocktail. He teaches cocktail classes at the cooking school Dish It Up, one of which was recently profiled in the magazine Traditional Homes. Rathbun lives in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about him and his books, and to read his blog, Spiked Punch, and check out a few of his drink-making videos, visit his website at www.ajrathbun.com. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press (August 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558322736
• ISBN-13: 978-1558322738
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A.J. Rathbun is a food and entertaining writer and poet and the author of Champagne Cocktails, Dark Spirits, Wine Cocktails, Luscious Liqueurs, Party Snacks!, Party Drinks!, the IACP Award-winning Good Spirits, Double Take (in collaboration with chef Jeremy Holt), and editor and contributor for In Their Cups. In addition to his cocktail books and cookbooks, Rathbun is the author of Want, a collection of poems. He lives in Seattle, Washington. To learn more, visit Rathbun's website at www.ajrathbun.com and drink up his blog Spiked Punch (it's lonely, and needs attention).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luscious Libations for Hospitable Hosts, October 4, 2004

By 

Rebecca A. Staffel (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Party Drinks!: 50 Classic Cocktails and Lively Libations (50 Series) (Hardcover)

I love Party Drinks! It's a completely useful book full of recipes for tasty drinks both new and classic, along with gorgeous pictures of them all. Whether you need to come up with drinks for a crowd or just a few cocktails for company, you can flip through the pages and find something new and special that won't take an extra trip to the liquor store. Naturally, I love "The Rebecca," (raspberries! champagne! yum!), but I've already mixed up a pitcher of "Don't Just Stand There" (mmm, apple-y for fall!) and my guests were pleased. Got a liquor cabinet? Then you need this beautiful, brilliant little book!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is Champagnalicious!, October 19, 2004

By 

M. Bohlmann "KitchenMaus" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Party Drinks!: 50 Classic Cocktails and Lively Libations (50 Series) (Hardcover)

I think this will be a great gift for the holidays--I plan to get several to give to family and friends. The book is slim, but packed with lots of great drinks, plus gorgeous photos! One thing I really like about the book is that it gives lots of suggestions on variations of the drinks--in case you need to mix different amounts, or don't like or have a particular ingredient. Plus, there's some good general bartending advice at the beginning of the book.

So far we've tried two of the drinks. We had some friends over last weekend and my husband made the Champagne Punch, which has light and dark rum, lemons, and champagne. It was delicious! Even one of our friends, who isn't a huge champagne fan, really loved it. We also have tried The Rebecca, another champagne drink. We actually froze the raspberries in the vodka during the day, and had the drink in the evening--the frozen raspberries were delicious, and a perfect garnish for this very pretty drink.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The prettiest, wittiest cocktail book I've seen, August 12, 2005

By 

Melinda Barnes (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Party Drinks!: 50 Classic Cocktails and Lively Libations (50 Series) (Hardcover)

I love this book! It has so much more to offer than the book I bought at Crate and Barrel for 5x the price. It's quirky and fun and filled with unusual recipes. Great selection of drinks for summer days, cold nights, casual get togethers or swanky cocktail parties. Plus it's filled with tons of hilarious footnotes that are worth quoting while you mix. My favorite drinks (not just because the names are great): the Red Carpet, the Presidential, Silk Stockings, and the Slow Comfortable Screw. You have to try the mojito. This really is the prettiest cocktail book I've seen. Perfect gift item--just tie a bow around it and add a bottle of your friend's favorite alcohol.