The Little Black Book of Cocktails: The Essential Guide to New & Old Classics (Little Black Books (Peter Pauper Hardcover)) [Spiral-bound]

Virginia Reynolds (Author), Kerren Barbas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003 | Series: Little Black Books (Peter Pauper Hardcover)

Here's to cocktails! Mix them, drink them, enjoy them. This bestselling Little Black Book includes more than 150 recipes for classic cocktails, martinis, punches, tropical drinks (with or without umbrellas), dessert drinks, naughty-sounding cocktails (like Between the Sheets and French Kiss), tips on cocktail culture, a glossary, and amusing anecdotes.

Helpful index includes listings of drinks by name, by primary alcoholic ingredient, and by color/flavoring.

The perfect little gift book for your favorite bartender! Cheers!

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Peter Pauper Press; SPI edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088088360X
• ISBN-13: 978-0880883603
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.6 x 5.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Spirits

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a pleased beginner. January 27, 2004

By Kelly Dillman

Format:Spiral-bound

I picked up this book because it's small and it's spiral bound and lays flat when open. What is actually in the book I found to be very useful.

This book covers essential barware, glassware (with drawings), mixers/garnishes, and techniques (including how to flame a drink & how to properly layer drinks). The drink recipes are broken down into these categories: Cocktails Classique, The Martini, Urban Chic, Punch Up That Party, From the Tropics, Naughty Drinks, and Finishing Touches. The drinks I have tried so far have been very good, and have a good jumping board for alcohol to mixer ratio in each recipe.

There is also a glossary with some brief descriptions of the liquors, types of cocktails (ie Sling, Rickey), and various other terms associated with mixing.

Perhaps the most helpful part of this book is the index. This lists all the drinks first by name, then by primary alcohol, and finally by color/flavoring. Very handy when you have only one particular liquor on hand. Overall, it's perhaps the only book needed for a casual at home mixing experience.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully crafted book covers the subject well January 8, 2011

By Walter K. Ezell

Format:Spiral-bound|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book soon after embarking on a project to photograph a beverage a day for 365 days. Among my growing collection of bar books, this is one I will continue to refer to.

It is useful if for a novice if not ideal, covering what mixers, garnishes and equipment are needed to stock a bar. Each recipe tells what kind of glass and garnishes to use, but I had to ask a friend what "cracked ice" is. He said whack it with a spoon.

The three indexes are especially helpful. They cover "Drinks by Name," "Drinks by Primary Alcoholic Ingredient," and "Drinks by Color/Flavoring." Today I have freshly squeezed orange juice. The third index offers 6 orange juice choices, though surprisingly not Tequila Sunrise, which does appear in the first two indexes. Still, the book is small enough for browsing.

As a genuine novice (who else doesn't know what cracked ice is?), I need more help with the presentation of beverages than I get from this book. The well-worded instructions are no match for a good photo. Even though there is 4-color process printing on every page, there are no photos. The 9 drawings of glassware in the first chapter are crude but adequate.

As a career printer with a special interest in binding, I was intrigued by this beautifully crafted book. A slight swatch of the striped end papers is reproduced on the edge of every page and is carried through on the cover as well. The concealed wire-o binding, rounded corners and built-in elastic bookmark are all signs of a small publisher who loves the business of designing and crafting a book. The result is a small volume that is a delight to hold and an ideal gift.

I visited the website of the publisher, Peter Pauper Press, and it turns out they have dozens of different books in this format.... I can't address the content of the others, but this one is well worth the purchase price.

Four stars instead of five, because of the cracked ice, orange juice and photo concerns mentioned above. Which is to say, this may not be the only bar book you'll ever need. Close but not quite. Read more ›

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stired, not shaken May 20, 2004

By Jonathan Cruz

Format:Spiral-bound

I was really impressed with this little book. It wasn't just a cookbook for drinks. Rather, it emphasizes the elegance of mixing drinks. Some people might think this book is a little pretentious, but then again, mixing cocktails is sort of a pretentious thing to do. The book does a good job of making the art of mixing cocktails seem very grown-up and swanky.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book March 16, 2008

By Keith Sacco

Format:Spiral-bound

This is a very handy book to have around very well organized and easy to use not to mention jammed full of wonderful drink ideas.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book! June 11, 2007

By R. Coburn

Format:Spiral-bound

We recently had a cocktail party, and put this book on the bar so people could check it out and try something new. It was a hit with all, which included 20-somethings to 50-somethings.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book for the Basics May 20, 2010

By Thomas Young

Format:Spiral-bound|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book simply has it all. The book begins with a simple discussion of the variety of drinks, glassware, and garnishes used for cocktails. However, the majority of the book is devoted to a wide variety of recipes. This book covers the most simple of drinks such as the vodka martini, the classics such as the Bloody Mary, as well as many others that I have never encountered. The punch recipes for a larger gathering/party will especially come in handy.

The book with its spiral bounding makes it especially easy to read and use while mixing. The book does have an elastic strap, however I never used this. Finally, an appendix at the end of the book makes it easy to find drinks based on taste or appearance.

Overall, the witty writing, quotes, and historical inserts made this a very enjoyable book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for those just starting out June 20, 2011

By bekki

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great little book for the beginner or the curious. I ordered the kindle version and had a blast just skimming over each recipe - I got through the whole thing in probably an hour. I want to make it clear that I haven't actually tried to mix any of the drink recipes yet, but as a former waitress whose spent countless hours around bartenders, they look exactly what I saw friends making or what they've made for me. The authors also make it clear that their recipes are oftentimes just outlines from which you can add and takeaway as you please. Nothing too exotic or hard to execute in here (no raw egg in the whiskey sour, for instance) but that just makes it all the more approachable. The authors do a great job of listing home bar necessities and different types of glassware without getting too bogged down in details. The kindle version has clean and crisp text - no big color pictures in this book, which works well for the ebook set. I particularly like having it on kindle so I can open to the drink I want and leave it flat and open on the bar as I'm mixing my drinks. Also, I can have it on my smartphone using the kindle app and search for something new and interesting that I've never had next time I'm at the bar.