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The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks Hardcover – October 28, 2008

by
Dale DeGroff (Author)
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Dale DeGroff (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 42 customer reviews
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100 Books for a Lifetime of Eating & Drinking
100 Books for a Lifetime of Eating & Drinking
 If you want to make an authentic tagine, bake mouth-watering cakes, or vicariously experience the life of a chef, you’ll find the book for it on this list.
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Degroff (The Craft of the Cocktail) likes to be referred to as the King of Cocktails, and it is hard to argue the point. During his stint as bartender at Manhattan's Rainbow Room, he shunned packaged mixes and ushered in the use of fresh ingredients for classic drinks as well as potables of his own device. In this book, he offers 100 popular whistle-wetters and 100 variations thereof—martinis, sours, highballs and punches are all well represented. A Bloody Mary is never shaken, but rather rolled back and forth, while a Bloody Bull adds beef broth to the recipe and can stand up to a vigorous shake. There's the lowly Long Island Iced Tea, mated with a variation called a Full Monte, which calls for Champagne instead of cola. And a basic Daiquiri (rum, simple syrup, lime juice) is out-boxed by Dale's Hemingway Daiquiri, which adds Maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice to the mix. 150 full-color photos help sweeten the deal, and historical asides provide fine fodder for party chit-chat. The Tequila Sunrise, it turns out, was created south of the border during Prohibition and included fresh lemonade and French cassis. But when the drink traveled north, inexperienced bartenders dumbed it down to today's mix of OJ and grenadine. Where was a cocktail king when we needed one? (Oct.)
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From Booklist

DeGroff, who with David Wondrich and Eric Felten forms a triumvirate of indispensable drinks writers, can also claim a major role in the start of the still-flourishing cocktail revival. His inspired work behind the Promenade Bar at New York City’s Rainbow Room during the 1980s helped create a bulwark against the encroachment of wine coolers and lite beer, and demand for his services as a corporate consultant is a testament to the public’s continued thirst for high-test, high-taste concoctions. Far more focused than his 500-recipe Craft of the Cocktail (2002), The Essential Cocktail is a carefully selected, judiciously blended mix of recipes, instructions, and historical lore, garnished with well-seasoned advice on tactics, techniques, and tools. Oft-consumed classics and overlooked also-rans sit comfortably alongside DeGroff’s and others’ variations, and cutting-edge innovations like foam supplement rather than supplant tried-and-true preparations. DeGroff is a man to trust with the details both small (Angostura bitters or Peychaud’s?) and large (shaken or stirred?). If you’re not thirsty after consulting this volume, there’s no medicine for what ails you. --Keir Graff
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Clarkson Potter (October 28, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0307405737
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307405739
  • Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 0.8 x 10.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsGreat text, more specific recipes, dubious pictures
By D. Rivera on November 8, 2008
Format: Hardcover
This is a definite must-have book -- Mr. DeGroff's reputation is such that you can trust pretty much every recipe he has in the book. If you are wondering whether to buy this book over pretty much any other similar cocktail book, I would advise you to buy it in a heartbeat.

Would I rather have it over his earlier Craft of the Cocktail? For most people, no. That book covers the basics for the average home mixologist, whereas this sequel tends to discuss more advanced techniques, like certain foam toppings.

Mr. DeGroff continues to share great anecdotes about the cocktail hour in the Essential Cocktail and certainly isn't a dry writer. I also like how many of these recipes prescribe a particular brand of spirit to be used in each cocktail. This specificity is an improvement over the Craft of the Cocktail.

If I do have to criticize the book, it is that I don't always feel that the pictures jive with the recipes. Specifically, many pictures have these peel garnishes hanging off of the glass. It was my understanding that this style is not really Mr. DeGroff's, especially for those recipes calling for flamed peels. There is even a section in the book entitled "Garnishes" that advocates a style in direct contradiction to the pictures. However, I have not had the pleasure and privilege of Mr. DeGroff's live performances. Perhaps I'm wrong, but based on some of the videos I've seen of his, these drinks don't look like they've been made in the style of Mr. DeGroff. In Craft, many of the pictures features DeGroff's hands as he makes the drink. So, unfortunately I get the sense that Mr. DeGroff wrote a great book but then had Potter Publishers provide some generic pictures. A minor issue of trusting what I see that detracts from the sense that this book is all about Dale DeGroff.
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4.0 out of 5 starsGood recipes, beautiful pictures, could have been more complete
By BoarderPaul on June 4, 2010
Format: Hardcover
This was one of the first cocktail books I bought, and I still turn to it often. It's quite complete, and has beautiful photography. I also appreciated that DeGroff has included a number of his own creations, which add some interest to the book. There's a good discussion of barware, tools, techniques, etc, and just the right amount of cocktail history.

The reason it's a 4-star and not a 5-star is that ultimately it's really just another recipe book--though a very good one. Ultimately, I hope for reference books, whether they are cookbooks, cocktail books, or plumbing repair books, to tell me WHY I'm doing something and not just WHAT to do. If you're already very familiar with cocktails and are looking for some new ideas, you'll probably enjoy this book just fine. However, if you're looking for an in-depth overview of cocktails which will give you more of a sophisticated understanding of the subject, I would recommend The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft. At the very least I would recommend you check out both books before buying.
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5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Book, but...
By scratchline on December 2, 2008
Format: Hardcover
Proofread! Please! While this book isn't as riddled with misprints as Mr. DeGroff's first book, there are still mistakes aplenty. No excuse. The book is beautiful and arguably better laid out than Craft of the Cocktail which is also essential. And, of course, Dale DeGroff is as close as you can get to a cocktail oracle. But, for Chrissake, proofread it! Next time, just drop me an email, and I'll do it for free. It would be an honor. Oh, and throw some o.j. into that Ward Eight.
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5.0 out of 5 starsDrink Porn or should I say Pornography for Mixologists...
By Christopher Carlsson on October 30, 2008
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Beautifully done in both material and layout,this is bound to be a must have classic tome on mixology.While it covers only about 500 recipes,it covers 500 worthwhile or essential(hence the title)cocktails, all well worthy of inclusion in a cocktail reference book - not just a compendium of every drink ever concocted (for better or worse). Almost every drink is given a short but interesting history/intro, then ingredients, directions, and photographs of the finished drink.
Larger format (quarto or about 10 1/2" Tall and 8" wide)with a rarely seen (in drinks books past or present) decent binding so it stays open nicely with tasteful graphics,easy to read type fonts,and even a nicely retro cover (under the more modern dust jacket),it combines the practical and the high art both in its content and production. A lot of thought must have gone into not only the contents of the books but also the practical aspects of it.Built not only to please the eye and palette it works well on a counter,(or better yet behind one of those clear plastic book holders),laying flat, easy to read/consult,easy to wipe pages,and logically organized with a fine array of carefully chosen drinks.
While not as exhaustive as Dales other classicThe Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Make 500 of the World's Best Drinks and Host Legendary Parties It is a precis on how to do the included cocktails properly and artfully.
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5.0 out of 5 starsJust starting out on the mixology journey
By H. Rivers on June 19, 2009
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I decided it was time to start finding some more things I'd like to drink other than the 3 things I order at every bar. So I checked a bunch of books on bar tending out of the library. This is by far my favorite so I bought a copy to keep. First, it has a lot of the classic drinks that you'd get at a bar and also lots of others and all the drinks I've made so far are really great. Second, the photos are super - I pick half the drinks just by their looks alone. Third, the stories with each drink just add another layer of fun. I didn't expect to learn anything about the history of cocktails in America, but I have and it's been really fun.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsVery good selection of drink recipes and very nice stories on ...

After getting the first book by DeGoff, I ordered the second book. I really think that the two books will make for enjoyable nights for my friends and I. Read more

Published 15 days ago by Pete X
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Good Book, Dale is consummate bartender consultant

Published 3 months ago by NOLA YANKEE
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

The King.

Published 4 months ago by William Wisecracker
5.0 out of 5 starsThe title says it: Essential

Dale DeGroff is reputed to be the king of modern cocktails, and he doesn't disappoint in this book. Straight-forward recipes that taste perfect, excellent instructions, and... Read more

Published 4 months ago by S. Bigbie
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

great product

Published 6 months ago by Raymond F.
5.0 out of 5 starsgreat starter book

It made a great gift to friend who is starting out making mixed drinks, It's got everything they need in it.

Published 8 months ago by J R S
5.0 out of 5 starsTop Book Club Choice

Absolutely fabulous. Not only how to make Essential Cocktails but the history behind them and if not history the lore. This is a great book for any ones' book club!!!

Published 9 months ago by David Lowe
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

out dated

Published 9 months ago by Wilber Beste
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

amazing

Published 9 months ago by miroslav
5.0 out of 5 starsIf you are beginning the trade or even if you ...

If you are beginning the trade or even if you are a seasonal mixologist. DALE DeGRoFF is a name that a true Bartender should not only know, but recognize. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Artizahn

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