Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined [Hardcover]

Jason Kosmas (Author), Dushan Zaric (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010

Time-honored cocktails like the New York Sour and the Sidecar were born during the era of Prohibition, the blessedly bygone social experiment that turned drinking into an underground adventure. In those days, hard beverage options were usually made with homemade hooch and flavorings of dubious origin and quality. 
    
Thankfully, a cocktail renaissance has emerged in many of today’s bars, where inventive drinks showcase both the artistry and craft of bartending. At their moody and atmospheric West Village bar-restaurant Employees Only, master mixologists Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric can regale you with colorful tales of cocktail origins—or just pour you a mean drink. In Speakeasy, Kosmas and Zaric take their inspiration from traditional favorites, then use the finest spirits, the freshest ingredients, and a good measure of reverence for their craft to elevate the mixed drink to artisanal status. 

More than 80 imaginative libations that riff on the classics are showcased in this one-of-a-kind collection. Recipes emphasize fresh fruits and herbs, homemade syrups and infusions, and a careful balancing of flavors, with a mind toward seasonality. A Ginger Smash is offered in four different versions: kumquat, pineapple, pear, or cranberry, depending on the time of year. The Millionaire becomes the Billionaire with the addition of homemade grenadine and 107-proof bourbon. And the South Side becomes the West Side by replacing the gin with sun-kissed Meyer lemon–infused vodka. With the specter of Prohibition firmly in the past, Speakeasy shares recipes for the choicest potent potables, reimagining the finest drinks of yesterday for today’s thirsty imbibers.

 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fall into Cooking Featured Recipe from Speakeasy by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric: Mata Hari

The Mata Hari best exemplifies the creative process utilized at Employees Only of taking classic ideas and modernizing them through an expression of big flavors and culinary technique. Inspired by the luscious brandy classic Sidecar, the Mata Hari blends Cognac with chai-infused sweet vermouth and fresh pomegranate juice to introduce soft tannins and exotic spice. Rose hips adorn this cocktail which awaken the olfactory senses, alluding to what comes next. Stunning to look at, seductive on the nose, and vibrant on the pallet, the Mata Hari is one of the first and most popular cocktails at Employees Only. --Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric

Makes one drink

Ingredients

1¼ ounces Louis Royer Force 53 VSOP cognac
1 ounce Chai-Infused Sweet Vermouth
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ ounce pomegranate juice
½ ounce simple syrup
3 dried organic rose buds, for garnish

Pour the cognac, vermouth, juices, and syrup into a mixing glass. Add large cold ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with rose buds.

Dominant flavors: deep red pomegranates with roses on the nose
Body: rich, full mouthfeel
Dryness: medium
Complexity: high

Accentuating or contrasting flavors: chai, cinnamon, and clove interweave
Finish: lingering, black tea, spicy

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From Publishers Weekly

Kosmas and Zaric (You Didn't Hear It from Us), owners of Employees Only, a not-so-hidden take on a Manhattan speakeasy, offer instruction on recreating classic drinks and stirring up some modern variations. Fresh ingredients are their mainstay, but since the focus is on old-school cocktails, fewer intense flavor combinations arise than what might be found in a more contemporary collection of artisanal concoctions. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's curious, for instance, to learn that the Manhattan, circa 1882, contained more vermouth than it did rye, while its modern version calls for a bourbon to vermouth ratio of 2 to 1. Among the 90 offerings, there are some that one would proudly order across a crowded bar, such as the New York Sour with its shakeup of 101-proof rye, lemon juice, and dry red wine. Others would best be acquired on the down low, like the Monkey Gland, a cocktail of absinthe, gin, orange juice, and Grenadine. There is also the Amelia, a sequel to the Cosmopolitan, starring blackberry puree and elderflower liqueur. For the more literary minded, there is the Hemingway daiquiri, a supposed favorite of Papa's, wherein grapefruit juice finds harmony with rum and maraschino liqueur. (Oct.) (c)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158008253X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580082532
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending
  • #77 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Spirits

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretentious but solidly grounded walk-through of scores of cocktails October 11, 2010

By Scott Schiefelbein VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

"Speakeasy" comes to us at the height of the cocktail revival from people who believe they were largely responsible for that revival. According to the book's authors, the bartenders at Employees Only (a New York watering hole that seeks to recreate the atmosphere of Smart Drinking), America has entered the Platinum Age of the cocktail. Thanks in large part to their efforts and wisdom, Americans are re-learning how to drink and what makes a great cocktail.

This book is the product of much of their hard-won wisdom. On the good side, the book is a reasonably extensive how-to list for making dozens of different cocktails. Each cocktail receives its own write-up on a single page that has plenty of room for margin notes and recipe tweaks - and to their credit the authors encourage the reader to experiment. The authors know that while there are certain mechanics and rules to making good cocktails, mixing a good drink is an art that takes on the personality of the creator. And so we are encouraged to create variations off of these recipes.

Also on the good side - the book contains instructions for how to make your own mixes at home rather than buying the off-the-shelf stuff at the liquor store. This is a sterling addition to the book. Consider - if you're having a Mexican feast over at a friend's house, would you prefer it is he or she made his or own picante sauce or if instead you were handed a bottle of Pace? The same should hold true for such things as simple syrup, grenadine, and the like. True - if you take this book too seriously you're going to be spending an awful lot of time preparing your libations, but such is the price to pay for quality.

The book also provides some lessons on the bartending craft. The first few pages of the book include instructions for how to stir and shake cocktails as well as a primer on essential bar-ware. I would have liked to read about how to build the liquor portion of a home bar - what do these guys consider to be the essential building blocks of a good home bar and what should be left to the fringes? (This is one of the better tidbits that you can find in "Boozehound," for example.)

Unfortunately, "Speakeasy" is a bit on the pretentious side. The writers tell you that to properly stir a cocktail, you must keep the back of the spoon against the edge of the glass - really? Also, recipes can call for pretty ridiculous steps - such as "stir 40 times." Why 40 is a magic number is never explained. And the book is also laden with a self-satisfied tone that can be tedious after a while. It's interesting that when describing the birth of a certain drink, the authors credit some "obnoxious cocktail geeks" who entered the bar one night to challenge the bartenders - that description could equally apply to the authors themselves.

But that's fine - I don't want to hang out with these people - I just want to know their thoughts on making a good drink. And "Speakeasy" has plenty of those. Sure, there are omissions - there is not much at all in here about tequila. But let us not quibble - this is a good book that promises many happy toasts and groggy mornings.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Classy, pleasant, informative cocktail recipe book August 25, 2010

By Hugo D. Hackenbush

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

(NOTE: This review pertains to a softcover advance copy of the book, and not the final text)

Perfect for budding amateur bartenders, "Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined" is a quality cocktail recipe book that (mostly) hits all the right notes, with a few caveats.

Within the book, you will find a classy, smart selection of alcoholic drink recipes that you may or may not be familiar with (e.g. Manhattans, cosmopolitans, sangrias, sidecars, whiskey sours, punches, gimlets, spritzes, Bloody Marys, etc.). Besides classic cocktails, there are recipes for aperitifs, long drinks, pick-me-ups, cordials, infusions, sangrias, punches, homemade syrups and other drink accompaniments.

Most of the timeless drinks included in this book (more than eighty of them) have been reworked with a modern spin, and mostly to good effect. The reworkings are generally respectful and smart, as they honor and (usually) enhance the included classic drink recipes, rather than distort them.

The prose of the book is simple, eloquent and lovingly written (admittedly, I did find the writing to be a bit pretentious at times, but endearingly so). There are lots of intriguing historical tidbits peppered throughout the book; in fact, every recipe in the book is accompanied by a passage that includes background info and other helpful descriptive notes specific to each drink. There is also an informative section in the book that gives helpful preparation tips on how to create the "perfect" cocktail, including general mixing techniques and proper choice of tools.

There are plenty of illustrations and photos contained within the book, always a plus with recipe books of any kind. Unfortunately, my advance review copy contained poorly-printed black and white photos; I am assuming that the final text will contain higher-quality photos, preferably in color.

Also on the debit side, the organization of the book is somewhat messy. Recipes are placed within sections designated by type, but within those sections, drink recipes are confusingly placed, unnecessarily making the search for specific recipes a minor chore. An alphabetized ordering, or at least an index of some kind, would definitely be helpful. Once again, I am presuming that this is an issue which will be corrected in the final text.

That being said, if you're in the market for a classy, fun and informative drink recipe book, this is well worth snapping up. Recommended.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for your average drinker January 19, 2011

By W. Dietrich VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I love to drink, some might say it is my hobby. I have a walk in closet in my family room that only has liquor with at least 75 bottles in it. I own muddlers, shakers, jiggers, strainers, make ice with distelled water in special ice trays. I have a beer fridge and a wine fridge, a margarita machine and blenders and an entire shelf of a book case with books on drink receipes. With that being said the Speakeasy was past my comfort level both in ingredients and the average cost of making a drink.

Old school cocktails are very much in vogue right now and I enjoy them very much. However, my local liquor store was missing several of the key ingredients for the cocktails that I wanted to try out. I would take a guess that the average consumer would have not have many of the key ingredients in stock. With that being said the drinks are creative and the few I tried were very tasty. As for as drink books go this one was very detailed and had nice pictures and the overall quality was much higher than I would have expected. My disappointment was that the ingredients were not easily available.

If you are the type of person who reads Gourment Magazine than you will love the book, however if you are the kind of person who gets their ideas from Rachel Ray magazine the Speakeasy may be out of your comfort level.