Favorite recipe book???

Besides the most excellent Beachbum Berry books (these have changed our lives :) ) and the 1947 Trader Vic, what is your recommend favorite(s)?

• JP

[ Edited by: Hakalugi - I don't usually fix spelling errors but this was in the Subject and could skew search results. - 2013-07-19 11:31 ]

I would, of course, include the 1972 Trader Vic guide.

As of late, I'm really digging "Trader Vic's Tiki Party"
All the favorites, food and pretty pictures... Ooooh, Ahhhhh.
Aloha,
:tiki:

...and I am certain you are all familiar with "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted "Dr Cocktail" Haigh? Where else could one find the recipe for the Monkey Gland? This little tome is the only equal in research and art to Sippin' Safari.

What BigBro said; Ted Haigh's book is the right and proper vintage cocktail book to place beside your Beachbum tomes.

The next most-often-referred-to book on my road to ruin is Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology. This book gives provenance to a lot of classic recipes, and Gary tells you where, how and why he may have adjusted them and where YOU should adjust them to your own taste. He also includes charts that are invaluable; if you've ever become confused when browsing recipes, these charts organize things wonderfully.

I have to agree with the Joy Of Mixology, and add Dale DeGroff's The Craft Of The Cocktail. Great book.

I have an excellent .pdf of recipes for Fresh Island mixes. Drop me a note should you want a copy.

Charles Schumann's Tropical Bar Book: Drinks and Stories. You're crazy not to buy it on Amazon right this minute for 95 cents!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1556700652/ref=dp_olp_2/104-1603358-4074337

Thanks Jay!

On 2007-11-07 09:10, pappythesailor wrote:
Charles Schumann's Tropical Bar Book: Drinks and Stories. You're crazy not to buy it on Amazon right this minute for 95 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1556700652/ref=dp_olp_2/104-1603358-4074337

I just got it for TWO CENTS plus $3.99 shipping. Total cost - $4.01. It was listed as "used" but in "very good" condition. Will have to see how it really looks when it gets here. But these online book sellers are usually very accurate.

On 2007-10-19 16:52, bigbrotiki wrote:
...and I am certain you are all familiar with "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted "Dr Cocktail" Haigh? Where else could one find the recipe for the Monkey Gland? This little tome is the only equal in research and art to Sippin' Safari.

Just got mine ("expanded edition") after what seemed like a three month wait for them to come back in stock. Truly an amazing book with lots of good explanations and research. I plan on reading it cover-to-cover and can already tell that I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the art of cocktails.

"Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" is also one of my go-to books
if you like vintage recipes for old school cocktails, this is one to get.

I realize I'm only five years late to contribute to this topic but I also vote for the 1972 Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide as a great source of Tiki cocktails. He reveals around 170 of his own recipes along with a thousand or so others. I've read others complain that he references Trader Vic brand mixers but I found that only to be true for the Navy Grog mix, which is proprietary. Even so, others on this board have come up with a decent substitution for it.

Don't you wish Donn Beach had bothered to publish his recipes? Well the Trader did and it is still available! I enjoy all the Beachbum Berry books and the Trader's is right up there with them in my opinion.

My vote is for the Kahuna Kevin books "Why is the Rum Gone?" Volumes 1 and 2....

Once you have these, everything else seems boring

I still haven't got the Kahuna Kevin books.

Now, since it does say favorite recipe book, and not favorite tiki recipe book, I have to throw this one in the mix:

http://www.pagegangster.com/p/m1uvQ/2/#1

And if you're looking for more old books...
http://www.drinkology.com/reference/all

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2013-02-11 05:40 ]

Thanks for all the recommendations - I'd add that most of the recipes in "Sippin' Safari" don't appear in the Grog Log Books, so it's a must-have

On 2013-02-10 03:47, Anestiki wrote:
My vote is for the Kahuna Kevin books "Why is the Rum Gone?" Volumes 1 and 2....

Once you have these, everything else seems boring

Yeah, authenticity is boring.

Oh Snap!

Well, there is nothing truly authentic about tiki in general. It is an invention of mainland Americans about an idealized polynesia that never existed.

And yes, after the thousandth mai tai and navy grog, although made authentically, it is refreshing to have a change.

At least there are a few people who are creating and not endlessly parroting something that has already been done.

On 2013-02-11 19:19, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2013-02-10 03:47, Anestiki wrote:
My vote is for the Kahuna Kevin books "Why is the Rum Gone?" Volumes 1 and 2....

Once you have these, everything else seems boring

Yeah, authenticity is boring.

I got a big hearty laugh out of this one.

EDIT: To be fair, there's room for both in the sandbox.

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2013-02-12 05:44 ]

On 2013-02-12 04:26, Anestiki wrote:
Well, there is nothing truly authentic about tiki in general. It is an invention of mainland Americans about an idealized polynesia that never existed.

And yes, after the thousandth mai tai and navy grog, although made authentically, it is refreshing to have a change.

At least there are a few people who are creating and not endlessly parroting something that has already been done.

This is a bit odd coming from someone who has been here for some years, has a great home Tiki room etc.

Is it not our main mission here to embrace, recreate, preserve the "Vintage" Tiki lifestyle
I myself need a semblance of authenticity & a working knowledge of the history that allows us to enjoy classic
decor, architecture, cocktails etc. that I grew up with.

I find that many of the younger members here don't feel, or get that, But to be fair it was before their time.

I just feel a need myself to honor those roots, sure nothing wrong with adding a new cocktail recipe
but it lacks any history & nostalgia that is at the core of our Tiki scene.

They are called classics for a reason......

Where exactly in this threads title does it say 'Favourite "Classic/Authentic" Recipe Book'?

My reply was just a counter point to Anestiki's comments
just friendly disagreement, Swizzleman, don't be tossing those heavy cans of Fosters at me now
they can leave a mark!

But in the words of Lt.Guy Fleegman "Oh that's not right! No..." :lol:

First of all, I meant no disrespect to Beachbum Berry's books. They are amazing drinks.

However, if the tiki revival is to be more than a passing fad, it has to do the hard work of adding something new that keeps people excited (maybe even create their own drinks that people will be looking back to 50 years from now...). Otherwise, it will only be a pale reflection of the original era (albeit with some amazingly good cocktails).

For the last several years I have seen very few new ideas presented. It is definitely not as fun to search through the forums as it used to be. I believe we're all over the initial excitement of rediscovering the golden era of tiki. It should move on to experimenting and adding to the canon of great tiki drinks. Sometimes the experiments won't work or be mediocre, but I'm sure there's another great tiki drink just around the corner. Who wouldn't want to re-experience the equivalent of their first Trader Vic's Mai Tai again?

I was simply putting forth my current favorite books. I was not looking to supplant all of the hard work done by the original creators as well as those who have researched them and brought their hard work to light.

Anestiki, you have a completely valid point of view
I just don't think I agree with it :)

As a former Bartender, I can not think of a single cocktail from the last 30 years
that is better than any classic/vintage cocktail of the first half of the last century.

But maybe I don't look at "Tiki" like the rest of you, I am not looking to improve it
or evolve it, I am perfectly happy just having my Dad's version of it.

Now I am fine with the "Tiki Revival" of today, being a mash up of several influences
that are not a part of the classic Tiki Bar experience, just as long as I have the vintage "Don's, Mai Kai or mid century Chinese/Tiki dive
that was just as it was some 60 years ago.

I am curious to what everyone else thinks ?

I see Donn Beach, Trader Vic (and their staffs) as the giants whose shoulders modern mixologists stand upon. I think you can argue that most every "new" recipe out there is a riff/variation on an extant classic. What I like about the old recipes is that they're a bit more "forgiving" as far as substitutions for rums and other ingredients; they tend to withstand a bit of tinkering. Like, for example it's nice to know you don't need Ron Zacapa 23 to make the drink "work"

Regarding both points of view, let's not forget that the last section of BeachBumBerry's Remixed features many new recipes from the Tiki Revival. This disagreement appears to have resulted from the unfortunate choice of the word "boring" to describe the classics. Of course any drink can become boring if drunk often and to the exclusion of all others.

Perhaps some object to the new recipes being referred to as Tiki drinks since they didn't originate during the 50's and 60's Tiki bar heyday but they are certainly exotic. Where does that leave the Zombie or Mai Tai? I think the term Exotic Cocktail adequately describes recipes, both old and new, that have five or more ingredients!

An activity sure to initiate much participation would be for the Tiki Central community to categorize drinks as either exotic, tropical or tiki.

I would add that one of the pleasures of the old classics is that they generally do not incorporate (or suffer from) the "flavored" spirits we see so often used today. There is a certain elegance and pleasure I associate with using a "straight" spirit and then enjoying the various effects of the "old-timey" syrups and flavorings. The interaction and the "edges" of the flavors are delivered differently into the mixture.

Are the old classics good? Mostly yes. Can people make good "new" drinks today? Absolutely yes. The "new" drinks today have a whole different suite of ingredients from which to choose. Times are different, and tastes evolve with the times. But that evolution is not always better. Fortunately there is a well-established bastion of folks like us TC'ers who care to remember and enjoy and thereby preserve the known mixology home-runs of the past.

I seems to me that a few of the comments about various recipe books mentioned in this thread are loaded with some broad generalizations which I personally wouldn't make. I think it is a difficult stretch to simply declare one author or book as "better" than another when the recipes come from completely different time periods, select from completely different palates of ingredients, and are in some cases of completely different levels of complexity. One in particular often stays in the realm of 8-to-15 or so ingredients versus the others tendency to stay in the realm of 4-to-8 or so ingredients. These differences are what drive many of us to begin collecting and experimenting with various books and the various "genres" or "styles" or "time periods" of the mixology contained in each.

On 2013-02-13 04:41, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
Anestiki, you have a completely valid point of view
I just don't think I agree with it :)

As a former Bartender, I can not think of a single cocktail from the last 30 years
that is better than any classic/vintage cocktail of the first half of the last century.

But maybe I don't look at "Tiki" like the rest of you, I am not looking to improve it
or evolve it, I am perfectly happy just having my Dad's version of it.

Now I am fine with the "Tiki Revival" of today, being a mash up of several influences
that are not a part of the classic Tiki Bar experience, just as long as I have the vintage "Don's, Mai Kai or mid century Chinese/Tiki dive
that was just as it was some 60 years ago.

I am curious to what everyone else thinks ?

I don't think we've yet exhausted the possibilities presented by the suite of ingredients Donn and Vic made use of. Those are some broad shoulders we're standing on. I'll keep iterating on their ideas, doing things the hard way, and see what I can come up with.

And frankly, if I was left just with a 1934 Don's Zombie and a Trader Vic's Mai Tai I think I'd be just fine.

kevin

Heads up! There is an interesting new cocktail recipe book coming out very soon and available for pre-order on Amazon. I thought a couple of us here on TC would be interested in knowing about this.

Liquid Vacation: 77 Refreshing Tropical Drinks from Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas
[Illustrated] [Hardcover] Author: P. Moss

Target release date is August 13, 2013 - that's just a few weeks from now. Book description, along with pre-order link, is pasted below. I've ordered a copy and will post details here when I get my copy.

BOOK DESCRIPTION AND PRICE GUARANTEE FROM AMAZON:
Publication Date: August 13, 2013
All of us need a break now and then, whether it's from the stress of everyday life or the boredom that comes with routine. You'll find it in Liquid Vacation, a colorful, sometimes wild walk through the tiki culture in Las Vegas, from the early days of the Stardust Hotel to the present as it's embodied by Frankie's Tiki Room, just minutes from the famous Strip. Liquid Vacation author P Moss, a dedicated student of the tiki culture, walks readers through the swaying palms, whispering bamboo and rustling grass skirts of the tiki world from Aku Aku and Don The Beachcomber to Frankie's, the world's only 24/7 tiki bar, and especially the drinks that make tiki tiki. Liquid Vacation is written by P Moss with original tiki drink recipes by: Chris Andrasfay, co-founder of Frankie's Tiki Room, and bartenders Allison Hartling and Mike Richardson.

Special Offers and Product Promotions
Pre-order Price Guarantee! Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you'll receive the lowest price.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935043749/ref=oh_details_o00_s02_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this book which is surprisingly good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-1000-Cocktails-Robert-Cross/dp/0572028520/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374273976&sr=1-1&keywords=1000+cocktail+recipes

As mentioned earlier in this thread most drinks are riffs on classics. This book is old school & features drink families Id never heard of

E.g. the Zoom - http://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2132/zoom

I don't have it yet but I think 'To Have & Have Another' will have some good recipes for strong drinks:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/To-Have-Another-Hemingway-Companion/dp/0399537643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374273851&sr=8-1&keywords=to+have+and+have+another

Anyone got it?

The "Liquid Vacation" recipes may taste good but the few I saw in a book review all relied on artificially flavored rums and vodkas. With 25 - 30 classic rums always on hand I refuse to start buying flavored spirits! Plus it goes against my devotion to classic cocktails. I quickly abandoned Fuzzy Navels and Sex on the Beach. My liver deserves better.

On 2013-07-19 17:30, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
The "Liquid Vacation" recipes may taste good but the few I saw in a book review all relied on artificially flavored rums and vodkas. With 25 - 30 classic rums always on hand I refuse to start buying flavored spirits! Plus it goes against my devotion to classic cocktails. I quickly abandoned Fuzzy Navels and Sex on the Beach. My liver deserves better.

I drunkenly agree!

your livers deserve no better than the most base rotgut that mankind has endured for thousands of years.!!!

Why blame my liver for the transgressions I have perpetrated on you all!
you can only blame my brain! which I found in a jar some time ago....

An ultra-rare and signed first edition of "The Fine Art Of Mixing Drinks" by David Embury from 1948 came up for sale, not sure how recently, but it's still available. Add it to your birthday wish list now before it flies off the shelf!