Signature Cocktails

by Amanda Schuster

Overview

ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Epicurious, Vice, Food & Wine

A HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE SELECTION: Bloomberg, Saveur, Imbibe, Good Housekeeping, Sharp Magazine, Liquor.com, ELLE Decoration

A collection of 200 iconic drinks from around the globe, each of which has changed the culture of the cocktail

A signature cocktail is a bespoke drink that expresses the nature of the time, person, or place for which it was created. In this book, the author, veteran drinks writer Amanda Schuster, curates a collection of some of the most celebrated cocktails – from well-known classics such as the Bellini, to the up-to-the-minute Twin Cities from New York’s ultra-hip Dead Rabbit bar.

Signature cocktails have become an increasingly popular way to define the style and character of a celebrated establishment and the talented mixologists behind them. Each unique drink in this collection is accompanied by the name of the creator, place and date of invention, alongside a specially commissioned image, easy-to-follow recipe, and a fascinating insight into its unique story.

Covering almost 600 years of cocktail history, this elegant and uniquely focused collection of 200 drinks will appeal to a wide range of readers – from lovers of cocktails to everyone who enjoys entertaining, food, and culture, to mixologists, bartenders, and industry professionals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838667559
Publisher:	Phaidon Press
Publication date:	10/04/2023
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	181,853
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Amanda Schuster is a Brooklyn-based freelance drinks writer and the author of two books: New York Cocktails and Drink Like a Local: New York. She has over 17 years’ experience in the industry as a consultant, retail buyer, and writer, and was the primary contributor and Senior Editor-in-Chief of popular online magazine Alcohol Professor.

Expert Consultants:

Jared Brown   and   Anistatia Miller   are the directors of Mixellany Limited, a consultancy and publishing company that specializes in spirits and mixed drinks. They have contributed to numerous publications and are the authors of several books on cocktail culture.

Camper English is a cocktails and spirits writer, and the creator of the Alcademics website. He is a lecturer and consultant and the author of several books. 

Emma Janzen is a drinks journalist, photographer, and author. 

Vivian Pei is a food writer and consultant, and co-founded the Singapore Cocktail Bar Association.

Robert Simonson is a drinks writer for the New York Times, author of several books, and the creator and author of the Substack newsletter The Mix With Robert Simonson.

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2023

Schuster (New York Cocktails) brings together an elegant and comprehensive collection of 200 cocktails that “stand the test of time.” Presented in chronological order and enriched with engaging anecdotes and backstories, each recipe lists year and place of origin (including the bar where the drink was born), inventor, type of alcohol, and type of glassware. The headnotes are fascinating—the Atholl brose dates to 1475 Scotland, when the Earl of Atholl supposedly laced well water with alcohol to ward off attackers by getting them drunk. In the 1850s, legendary New York City bartender Jerry Thomas was the first to record a recipe for the blue blazer, a flaming hot toddy that he passed between two cups “in a long, perfect, blazing arc.” Some drinks are representative of place (for instance the rum daiquiri and Cuba), while others speak to a person or, in the case of the spiced port drink known as a smoking bishop, a work of literature: it was popularized after Charles Dickens included a reference to it in A Christmas Carol. The timeline runs up to the present day, with recent options like the white negroni invented in 2001 Bordeaux and a saffron-inflected gin sour created in 2008 Seattle. Capping things off is the Phaidon 100, a gin cocktail incorporating balsamic vinegar and garnished with white chocolate, which was created in 2023 to mark the centennial of the publisher. These bright, attractive cocktails are sure to wow any aspiring mixologist. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

‘Heavy on the research, rich in detail and history, and packed with the kind of handy facts you can break out at the next dull party you attend.’ – Forbes

‘Surprisingly succinct … Makes whipping up these at home drinks just a little bit easier.’ – Food & Wine

‘Beautifully photographed … There’s something for every mood and flavor preference in this volume.’ – Epicurious, Best Cookbooks of 2023

‘Even if you don’t make any of the 200 drinks in this beautiful compendium, the images provide enough eye candy to make the browsing worthwhile.’ – Good Housekeeping, Best New Cocktail Book

‘The level of research here is astonishing, but it’s all presented in a super accessible and enjoyable way ... A must for anybody interested in cocktail history.’ – VICE, Best Cookbooks of 2023

‘The rare coffee-table book that can actually be used.’ – Bloomberg

‘[This] epic tome is one of the most comprehensive surveys of cocktail recipes you can find.’ – Food Network

‘If you know an avid home bartender – whether they're a budding mixologist or are well skilled with a shaker – this no-nonsense collection is sure to become their new cocktail bible.’ – Country Living

‘Anyone who has ever savoured a perfectly mixed Old Fashioned will appreciate cocktail connoisseur Amanda Schuster’s tribute to the greatest drinks of all time.’ – Elle Decoration

‘Essential reading.’ – Restaurant

‘An elegant and comprehensive collection … Enriched with engaging anecdotes and backstories, … these bright, attractive cocktails are sure to wow any aspiring mixologist.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Essential … Whether you crave a classic Bellini, a trending Espresso Martini, or the new Panamanian creation the Bird of Paradise Fizz, there are plenty of tipples here to tickle your fancy.’ – Saveur

‘Bound to be a classic … A valuable, accessible resource.’ – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

‘Uniquely focused [and] elegant.’ – T: The New York Times Style Magazine Australia

‘A beautiful (and easy-to-follow) drinks guide that’ll happily sit on your table.’ – InsideHook

‘Explores 200 iconic cocktails—complete with recipes and gorgeous photos—and what makes each of them a signature drink.’ – Imbibe

‘This will be your ultimate guide to making the ‘perfect’ cocktail—not only the classics, but maybe even a signature drink of your own.’ – WERD

‘This is an outstanding, elegant, and inspirational guide for even the most seasoned of mixologists.’ – Shelf Awareness

‘A compelling read … A must for anyone who would wish to sound savvy when discussing cocktails.’ – Vancouver Sun

‘Traces the origin stories of … iconic drinks from around the world.’ – Atlas Obscura

‘A nice quick bit of knowledge.’ – The Plain Dealer

‘Arguably the most interesting cocktail-driven book to hit coffee tables and bartops in 2023.’ – IMBOLDN

‘Deserves a spot on your bookshelf.’ – The Awesomer

‘A global survey of the world’s most iconic drinks, and also provides the directions with which to bring them home to your own bar.’ – Alcohol Professor

‘[An] … exhaustive reference point for both the way cocktails have changed across hundreds of years, but also the ingredients that have remained true throughout the mixology process.’ – Foodism

‘An excellent introduction to newbies on how the cocktail developed over the years and was influenced by the locales where they were created.’ – Good Spirit News

From the Publisher