Post #240578 by Chip and Andy on Sat, Jul 1, 2006 9:59 AM

I would recommend the Joy of Mixology for every serious Home Bartender. Actually, with a few of the bars I have been in around here, I would recommend it for every bartender, home or otherwise......

And, just for the entertainment value, I would add Tad Haigh's Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails. Having tried about half of the recipes in this book, I am impressed. But, I also figured out that I don't like drinks with egg in them.

And, I want to add the following to all of your research....

Drink what you like and like what you drink. All of these books contain recipes, and recipes are a guide. For every drink you have never tried, you should mix the first drink according to the recipe and as exactly as you can to the recipe. Then, adjust it to your taste or the tastes of those you are serving. For example: I like my Mai-Tais with less lime and a dash more Curacao than Beachbum Berry. It is still a Mai-Tai, but I altered it to my tastes and when I mix for guests I add a wee bit more syrup for two of my guests that I know have a sweet tooth. I didn't know about all of those little tweaks before I started mixing, but I tried it and found what I liked, and then when serving guests I asked what they liked.

The moral of the story: Follow the directions, learn the rules, then break them. If you venture to far from the original, make a new original! And then share with us the results!