Raising the Bar: Better Drinks, Better Entertaining [Hardcover]

Nick Mautone (Author), Mette Randem (Photographer), Marah Stets (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2004

With dozens of years of experience as a master mixologist, and more than 250 wide-ranging seasonal cocktail recipes, Nick Mautone has gone well beyond the usual bartender's guide to offer dozens of unique and foolproof ideas for easy and successful entertaining at home.

In addition to covering all the basics of cocktail making, Nick shares his tried-and-true secrets for choosing the right drink for the right occasion, serving cocktails for a crowd, and pairing specific cocktails with specific foods. With Nick by your side, be your own party planner and confident bartender: planning ahead, creating your own signature cocktail, perfecting techniques for muddling, mixing, and floating, making the right cut—twists, zests, swirls, and wedges, plus homemade alternatives for garnishes, syrups, cordials, and brandies.

From the Buck to the Bitter Pill, this book provides a wealth of information, along with extras such as Tricks of the Trade (tips on and shortcuts for preparing and storing drinks), Bonus from the Bar (easy recipes that can be made with components of the drinks), and Straight Up (the last word on demystifying hard-to-find ingredients). Plus an entire chapter filled with tempting easy-to-make snacks and hors d'oeuvres that will complete your entertaining needs.

From nogs to grogs, martinis to manhattans, frappés to flips, and everything in between, Raising the Bar offers the right drink for the right occasion, morning, noon, and night...and the morning after. This is the better drink book that raises the bar with more than 100 colorful photographs and scores of helpful hints that will turn good home bartenders into great ones.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mautone, former manager of New York's Gotham Bar and Grill, and Gramercy Tavern, applies 20 years of fine-dining knowledge to the art of the cocktail, explaining how to perfect the Manhattan and the Martini, and bringing herbs, exotic fruits and other unpredictables into the realm of the highball. Beginning with chapters on bar basics and ingredients, Mautone addresses the science of balancing liquor and mixer, lectures on the proper size of ice cubes, and reveals that homemade grenadine is as simple as sugar, water and pomegranate juice. Fifty-two of the 250-plus offerings fall into the "Favorite Classic Cocktails" section, resplendent with standards like the Old-Fashioned and the Rusty Nail. Thus fortified, the rest of the book strives for, and often attains, a level of Falstaffian bliss. There's a Kaffir Lime Kocktail with honey and tequila, and a Whiskey and Ginger Muddle with dried apricots and fresh ginger awash in bourbon. A section on nogs features eggnog, mulled wines and a Chestnut Hot Chocolate with Frangelico. Experiments with herbs include the Rosmarino, with rosemary-infused vodka, and a Basil Martini, topped with a slice of sun-dried tomato. Wasabi turns up in an Asian Mary, taking the place of a Bloody's traditional horseradish. Mautone includes 15 nonalcoholic ades and punches, as well as snacks like Pumpkin Seed Popcorn and Bourbon-Bacon Bean Dip. Color photos throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Readers will have as much fun preparing Nick's inspired creations as guests will have drinking them."

—Alan Katz, publisher, Cargo magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Artisan; First Edition edition (November 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579652603
• ISBN-13: 978-1579652609
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 1.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars HERE'S TO YOU ! December 8, 2004

By Gail Cooke HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

What's cooking in Nick Mautone's kitchen? Cocktails, that's what. Known to many New Yorkers as the master of mixology, Mautone is a believer in quality ingredients for both food and drinks. The majority of his years have been spent in the restaurant business, so he well knows the importance of perfectly pairing cocktails with food. Happy Hour takes on new meaning if this fellow's in charge.

"Raising The Bar," 288 pages of helpful suggestion, recipes and tempting toddies, is a guide for both beginners and the more experienced. Included are more than 250 recipes covering both classic and original signature drinks (Banana Buttered Rum surely does warm on a cold winter's eve).

Among the chapter headings are holiday cocktails, many intended to cut down on preparation time so a host can enjoy his or her own party. For instance, Mautone's holiday eggnog can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before serving.

Welcome a new year with a twist on traditional champagne by making Ginger Champagne Punch for friends, neighbors, and drop-ins. Mautone makes it even more festive and sweet by rimming champagne glasses with powdered ginger and granulated sugar. Check out the heading "Trick of the Trade" for a plethora of party pleasers.

Designated drivers, alcohol abstainers, and moms to be aren't ignored as an entire chapter is devoted to non-alcoholic cocktails, which are every bit as pretty and palate pleasing as their alcohol laced kin.

Pairing his enthusiasm for both food and drink Mautone also offers recipes for do-it-yourself garnishes and finger snacks - great for buffet tables and pre-dinner munchies.

After all the time he's spent behind some of New York's most prestigious bars - Gotham Bar and Grill, the Hudson River Club - Mautone is a veritable fountain of recipes, suggestions, and good ideas. For those who want to make better drinks this is the book - bar none.

- Gail Cooke

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bar is Raised December 3, 2004

By John Eric Fuqua

Format:Hardcover

In "Raising the Bar", Nick Mautone brings a new fresh perspective to entertaining. Being an avid reader of his column in Cargo magazine, I was intrigued to learn that he had written a book on cocktails and entertaining. Mr. Mautone's approach to basic concepts about drink making deconstructed my original thinking and recompiled it into a completely limitless wealth of possibilities. A great example is after reading the recipe for the "Basil Martini", I will never look at a Bloody Mary the same way again.

Though many other writers have published different ideas in food magazines, they always seem to be awkward and complicated. In contrast Mr. Mautone's easy and savory recipes and ideas leave me scratching my head and wondering "Why didn't I ever think of that?". Having had the opportunity to play with the drink recipes and pairing them with the food ideas "Raising the Bar" has surpassed any and all expectations I would have in an entertaining book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This bartender gives it five stars January 12, 2006

By Donald A. Nelson

Format:Hardcover

I am a bartender at a high volume, outdoor bar in Key West Fl. Our bar is set up for maximum speed...and unfortunately many times that means that the final product is not something that I am entirely happy with...but it works fine for what we are doing.

The recipes in this book are the kinds of drinks I would prepare on a day off, for friends from my own private bar at home.

Drinks you can be proud to serve. Drinks that have been tweaked by a "master mixoligist"...and Nick Mautone is definitely a master of his craft.

I collect cocktail books, and rarely will I purchase a new release and be pleased with it. This book however is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and I find myself referencing it more and more frequently.

My only complaint is that the Mr. Mautone varies the servings for each recipe...which is really no big deal as they can easily be increased or decreased depending on your desired need. I am just used to reading a recipe and it yielding 1 drink.

Filled with gorgeous color photos, the book is great as a coffee table book as well.