Drinks and their history/the art of the cocktail

Ray Foley's guide to good bartending is actually quite a good read in and of itself. His style is amusing, the topics are interesting, and the introduction is very helpful and informative. Coming as this book does from an experienced bartender, I would expect clear, concise directions and information. Foley delivers that and more.

First, he introduces us to the "tools of the trade". He describes and illustrates such things as bottle openers and Boston shakers to get us all up to speed. Plenty of advice here, too, on what guests will expect to find.

Next, presentation is addressed. You will need to know how to make garnishes, shake drinks, open bottles, and whatnot. Again, sound advice on do's and don'ts.

Now to the good stuff! Here Foley shows you how to set up and stock your bar to best advantage. He even lists the approximate price range for various home bar setups and a guide to how much of each kind of liquor will be needed depending on number of guests, time of year, age of guests.

Measurements of every kind are detailed and cross-referenced.

In part 2, each type of liquor is described, its (short) history is given, and major brand names are listed. Here you can find a lot of helpful information.

The main part of this book is the recipes section, which is listed in alphabetical order. It contains over 1000 of them! Some are classics, some are trendy, some are bizarre. I didn't see any drinks missing from the list that any guest might conceivably request. And yes, there is a chapter on non-alcoholic drinks.

There is a chapter on related Web sites.

Included: both a topics index and a drinks index (for example, whiskey drinks, martinis, triple sec drinks).

I liked the format a lot -- it's easy to use. I do wish there were a "mixer" index: how else to find what goes with Coke or pineapple juice!

other books by this author: Wine For Dummies