Starred Review.
In their introduction, experienced barhands Altier and Kaye state that a "good drink, when it's put together right and is suited to the occasion, transforms you into a better version of yourself," setting the tone for this sharp guide to drinks for every conceivable occasion. Buoyed by wit as bracing as a gin martini, the duo lead a tour through dozens of cocktails, offering suggestions for the end of a long unlucky streak (a Gin Rickey) and when sitting next to a movie star (the rum and fruit-juicy Mary Pickford) as well as more commonplace events like meeting the in-laws (the gin-based Fine and Dandy), a high school reunion (a Rusty Nail), or flying coach (a Madras). Rather than devolving into sheer novelty, misogyny or mean-spiritedness, the authors deftly walk the line (rare exceptions include "last drink before AA"), offering cogent information on a drink's creation and characteristics, along with sharp commentary such as "your sexual orientation is at best a self-fulfilling prophecy, and not a very interesting one at that" in the entry for sexual experimentation (calling for a rye-and-maraschino liqueur Fancy Free). The duo, veteran New York drink-slingers both (Altier currently runs a Manhattan bar), keep a canny balance between the educational and the irreverent, making for a terrifically entertaining guide to informed imbibing.
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If you’re not sure how to booze, this book will lead the way. If you think that you do know how to booze, it will show you where you’ve been going wrong. A delightful read with an opinion all its own, along with style, wisdom, and lots of sarcasm.” — gaz regan, co-host of ardentspirits.com and author of The Joy of Mixology
“[A] sharp guide to drinks for every conceivable occasion…buoyed by wit as bracing as a gin martini …Rather than devolving into sheer novelty, misogyny or mean-spiritedness, the authors deftly walk the line… between the educational and the irreverent, making for a terrifically entertaining guide to informed imbibing.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Prepare to make delicious drinks and then spurt them out your nose all over your kitchen laughing at this naughty cocktail and awkward-social-situation survival guide….[E]ncourages cocktail consumption and mischief!” — Drink Me magazine
“[E]ntertaining….like getting a talking-to from a bartender who’s seen it all …. The drinks advice is remarkably good, from empowering explanations of cocktail fundamentals to variations on classics that are well worth trying.” — Booklist
“[O]ne part bar guide, two parts liquor love sonnet....the book serves up classic cocktails and delightfully witty reasons to drink them.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
Prepare to make delicious drinks and then spurt them out your nose all over your kitchen laughing at this naughty cocktail and awkward-social-situation survival guide….[E]ncourages cocktail consumption and mischief!
If you’re not sure how to booze, this book will lead the way. If you think that you do know how to booze, it will show you where you’ve been going wrong. A delightful read with an opinion all its own, along with style, wisdom, and lots of sarcasm.
[E]ntertaining….like getting a talking-to from a bartender who’s seen it all …. The drinks advice is remarkably good, from empowering explanations of cocktail fundamentals to variations on classics that are well worth trying.
[O]ne part bar guide, two parts liquor love sonnet....the book serves up classic cocktails and delightfully witty reasons to drink them.
[E]ntertaining….like getting a talking-to from a bartender who’s seen it all …. The drinks advice is remarkably good, from empowering explanations of cocktail fundamentals to variations on classics that are well worth trying.
[O]ne part bar guide, two parts liquor love sonnet....the book serves up classic cocktails and delightfully witty reasons to drink them.
"Prepare to make delicious drinks and then spurt them out your nose all over your kitchen laughing at this naughty cocktail and awkward-social-situation survival guide….[E]ncourages cocktail consumption and mischief!"
