Audrey Saunders
mixologist and owner of the Pegu Club
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Audrey Saunders
“As Pegu Club’s first head bartender, Toby was already a real leader and gifted visionary in his own right. During his tenure, we shared numerous technical conversations, and it is an utter joy to see them so intuitively developed here. Without question, this book reflects a real mastery of technique and understanding. Pure poetry to read.” (from Amazon)
JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • Offering a foundational approach to cocktails, this manual from a James Beard Award-winning trailblazer will have you understanding and creating original drinks like a seasoned barkeep. Take a raucous romp through the essential stages of fashioning cocktails and learn the hows and whys of bartending with acclaimed mixologist Toby Maloney and the team from The Violet Hour. When the pioneering cocktail bar opened in Chicago in 2007, it set a high standard with an innovative training program that teaches not just how to replicate classic cocktail recipes flawlessly, but how to embrace ingenuity, make smart decisions, and create original, inspired recipes from rote. Like cooks who can peer into their pantry and whip up dinner on the fly, no recipe needed, those who follow the methods in The Bartender's Manifesto will have the technical foundation and confidence to take their cocktail skills to the next level and fabricate a drink from any ingredients at hand. First, dive deep into the mechanics of creating cocktails with the right balance, texture, aroma, and temperature. From there, Toby goes well beyond the fine-tuned mechanics of the craft, covering how to kickstart the creative process and bring professional-level complexity and sophistication to drinks. Additional essays offer insider intel on how to offer top-notch hospitality (at the bar and at home), find comfort in the everyday rituals of the craft, and spark surprise and curiosity in the process. With detailed insights into The Violet Hour’s greatest recipes, expert tips from bar alumni, and helpful step-by-step illustrations and photographs, readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what makes the bar’s training program so legendary, plus the superpower of creating imaginative cocktails that reflect their personal style and creativity.
Recommended by Audrey Saunders
“They say that lightning never strikes twice, but I’m here to tell you that it does. When Gary 'Gaz' Regan sent me The Joy of Mixology back in 2003, I knew it would become a game-changer for our industry. Not only have I been regularly recommending it ever since, but I also utilize it as a powerful reference whenever training new bartenders. It's a seminal piece of work, and required reading for anyone interested in cocktails as a profession, or a hobby. A lot of advancements have been made in our industry since the publication of the first edition. Not only is the core content as fundamental today as it was in '03, but the updates in this revised edition guarantee that this book will remain on my must-read list for many years to come. Gaz has wonderfully captured new techniques, concepts and recipes, and it will continue to teach and inspire today's bartenders as it did for me back then.” (from Amazon)
A thoroughly updated edition of the 2003 classic that home and professional bartenders alike refer to as their cocktail bible. Gary Regan, the "most-read cocktail expert around" (Imbibe), has revised his original tome for the 15th anniversary with new material: many more cocktail recipes—including smart revisions to the originals—and fascinating information on the drink making revival that has popped up in the past decade, confirming once again that this is the only cocktail reference you need. A prolific writer on all things cocktails, Gary Regan and his books have been a huge influence on mixologists and bartenders in America. This brand-new edition fills in the gaps since the book first published, incorporating Regan's special insight on the cocktail revolution from 2000 to the present and a complete overhaul of the recipe section. With Regan's renowned system for categorizing drinks helps bartenders not only to remember drink recipes but also to invent their own, The Joy of Mixology, Revised and Updated Edition is the original drinks book for both professionals and amateurs alike.
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