The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails [Hardcover]

Tony Abou-Ganim (Author), Mario Batali (Foreword), Mary Elizabeth Faulkner (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010

Over the course of the past two decades, Tony Abou-Ganim has earned his reputation as one of the leaders in the craft cocktail movement. Through his work with food and hospitality legends like Mario Batali, Steve Wynn, and Harry Denton, Abou-Ganim has earned his reputation as "the Modern Mixologist," someone bringing the traditional art of mixology into the 21st century. Now, in The Modern Mixologist, Abou-Ganim has established the new standard in cocktail books — a must-have guide to home mixology in a beautiful, coffee-table–suitable format. Featuring gorgeous full-color photography throughout by the award-winning Tim Turner, this book instantly becomes the most beautiful guide to creating cocktails available anywhere. If you carry one high-end cocktail book, this is it — sure to be a terrific gift item all year round.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR TONY ABOU-GANIM AND THE MODERN MIXOLOGIST:

"Tony Abou-Ganim is the poster boy for modern mixology." —Mario Batali

"The [Modern Mixologist] unfolds with wonderfully simple step by step logic that will lead the reader to cocktail expertise...Cheers to a triumph!" —Dale DeGroff, author of The Craft of the Cocktail and The Essential Cocktail

"One of the top mixologists in the world." —Adam Klappholz, Vanity Fair

"The Modern Mixologist: this book is the one to get!" —Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

"A modern classic from an industry legend." —Jim Meehan, GQ

"If you've ever had a great—or even a good—cocktail in Las Vegas, one of the people you need to thank is Tony Abou-Ganim." —Liquor.com

"[The Modern Mixologist] is both fascinating—from a historical perspective—as well as informational, with all sorts of helpful photos on techniques, tools and other miscellaneous requirements to becoming a better bar chef." —Steve Dolinsky, Adventures in Urban Eating

"One of the top 25 most influential cocktail personalities of the past century...[Tony Abou-Ganim's] influenced countless bartenders and has built an empire of modern bartending." —Imbibe magazine

"Abou-Ganim is now one of the giants in his industry, yet his new book, The Modern Mixologist, makes cocktails accessible. There is no insider's regalia; there are no navel-gazing anecdotes. Aptly named, The Modern Mixologist is a guide to being just that." —Chicago Tribune

"It is a challenge to produce a cocktail book that is unlike all of the others on the market and it is a task that I believe Tony Abou-Ganim has successfully accomplished in his first book, The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails." —Colleen Graham, About.com: Cocktails

"Who better to deliver an advanced course in home bartending than the 'Modern Mixologist' himself? Tony Abou-Ganim's new book covers specialized glassware, infusions and seasonal drinks, along with 60 of his best recipes." —The Tasting Table

"Tony Abou-Ganim, the legendary 'Modern Mixologist,' is a global leader in the craft cocktail renaissance." —Catherine Stanton Schiff, Cocktails for Everyone

"Abou-Ganim is one of the fathers of modern mixology, one of the superstars of the cocktail revival and a mentor to many of the best bartenders in the country." —Anthony Todd, The Chicagoist

"The book is beautiful. It's packed with helpful information on glassware and bar basics, and it also provides a guide to mixing drinks with seasonal produce as well as a brief history of cocktails." —YUMsugar

"Despite his stature, Abou-Ganim's one of the more humble and passionate successful food people I've met. This comes across in the book. Most refreshingly, he's not judgmental or pedantic. He doesn't vilify vodka or make amateurs feel dumb. His only non-negotiable is the pursuit of quality." —Mike Nagrant, New City magazine

"In The Modern Mixologist internationally celebrated cocktail authority Tony Abou-Ganim shares his vast knowledge. This new book combines 60 of Abou-Ganim's very best recipes alongside practical bar tips, cocktail history, as well as quotes from leading authorities and industry personalities." — Bar & Beverage Magazine

"The Modern Mixologist is the definitive twenty-first century cocktail guide." —Nightclub & Bar website

"Tony Abou-Ganim wrote the book on Las Vegas mixology...Thanks to his pioneering efforts, talents and tastes, today we're among the nation's most innovative cocktail cities." —Vegan Seven magazine

"Leading the cocktail-culture comeback, award-winning master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim revisits the pre- and post-prohibition drinks shaping today's bar menus." —Restaurants & Institutions magazine

About the Author

Tony Abou-Ganim grew up in the bar business, learning the craft from his cousin Helen David at the Brass Rail Bar in Port Huron, Michigan, before going on to develop the cocktail programmes of numerous restaurants in San Francisco (working with Harry Denton) and New York (working with Mario Batali) and at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. He operates his own beverage consulting firm specialising in bar staff training, product education, and cocktail development, and also serves as the national ambassador of the US Bartenders Guild.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Agate Surrey (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572841079
• ISBN-13: 978-1572841079
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.9 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Bartending
  • #48 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Spirits

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a gift! January 2, 2011

By mimi43

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this for my mixologist-in-training (amateur) husband who owns as least 4 different cocktail/mixology books and receives IMBIBE magazine. He has met his match in this book! It has raised the bar! It has asked him to move beyond all of the information he has already absorbed on how to "construct" a cocktail to begin seeing cocktail-making as an art form. I would say it asks you to start seeing it as chemistry meets high cuisine in a glass. The author uses a grid to introduce each season's best ingredients and what liquors go best with them. He gives you ideas for what flavors pair well and he gives you all kinds of recipes. He also gives you a list of what tools you will need to make drinks from beginner level through advanced. It also has PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES... a beautiful book with lovely lessons, great info and delicious recipes. Well written- a great read for someone who is interested in learning more about drink making from scratch- even a beginner with curiosity will get the basics, including history of the cocktail and info on various spirits. I wouldn't recommend it for someone who just wants a cocktail recipe book-- you'll be asked to buy WAY too many obscure and expensive liquors and ingredients for the new and inventive drink recipes provided! Get a basic book and once you feel bored, move on to something like this :)

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Overflowing with Freshness in Ingredients and Ideas February 23, 2010

By Dale Degroff

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I finally received my copy of The Modern Mixologist yesterday and devoured it in one sitting. It is absolutely the soul of Tony. On almost every page we find "the warm welcome and extension of self" that Mario Batali speaks of in the forward.

The book unfolds with wonderfully simple step by step logic that will lead the reader to cocktail expertise, and along the way there are plenty of pictures that elicit over and over again the words, "oh...now I get it!". The quotes capture the reader immediately and most will, like I did, page forward in search of them.

Tony has made every classic cocktail his own. We already have too many recipes books to tell us the "right" way or the "correct" recipes for them. The original cocktails are absolutely scrumptious and I admit to an advantage because I have already had the good fortune to taste many. One Tony classic, the Cable Car, is already a "modern classic" and will live on in books and cocktail menus long after our time.

The cocktails are filled with Ferrari parts! Sorry folks you're gonna need a close read to get that one. They are overflowing with freshness in ingredients and ideas and are as welcome as a summer breeze. I gotta quit now and get to the bar and make myself a drink!
Cheers to a triumph
Dale DeGroff

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for the novice bartender and with much to recommended it to even the experienced professional April 9, 2010

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

The cocktail is perhaps the most iconic of upscale party-time mixed drinks. In "The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails", Tony Abou-Ganim draws upon his more than twenty years of professional experience and expertise to compile a superbly illustrated instructional compendium of cocktail recipes. Beginning with an informed and informative history of 'mixology' and the basic tools of the trade and fundamental techniques in building cocktails, "The Modern Mixologist" offers drinks ranging from an Apricot Julip; a Blond Mary; and a Fresh Fruit Bellini; to a Margarita Primo; a Neighborhood Negroni; and a Spiced Cider Toddy. Ideal for the novice bartender and with much to recommended it to even the experienced professional, "The Modern Mixologist" will prove a welcome and popular addition to personal and community library instructional Food & Beverage reference collections.