The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails (Cocktail Book, Bartender Book, Mixology Book, Mixed Drinks Recipe Book)

After setting up a home bar, I needed a reliable resource for drink recipes. Everything else was rather light on the overall coverage or just very restricted to one type of liquor or another and what I needed was more a standard reference for (almost) everything. True to its title, there are 1,000+ recipes in this, and it's organized in an easy to find manner. Moreover, there are two indexes: One accounts for the drink recipes by drink, the other is organized by major liquor ingredient (say, Bourbon), so finding what I might like to make is simple and quick.There is occasional background on liquor or drink types at the beginning of sections, but unlike other books it doesn't dwell on the history lessons and focuses more on "what will you need", "how to choose", "what should be in my standard bar stock", and other topics like that. The focus is more on providing the ready-reference and necessary background and taking you right into getting the ingredients, measurements, and activities aligned.I wanted just one book that would serve the purpose of "how do I make..." and this for me was it. I'd highly recommend this if that's also your goal in finding that single reference guide. My only complaint is that the actual book is on the small side with a lot of information in smaller type. Keep that in mind and for those needing reading glasses, break those out to review this one.

I bought this book with three other "Mixology" and "Home Bartender" style books. This one is easily the best of the bunch. It explains the tools, what they do, and which one you need to get started. It goes into detail on the bare bones essentials to start mixing, and what you need if you want to expand into a moderate and even a fully stocked bar.The book breaks down each alcohol and explains the history, labeling (so you know what to look for), and what glass to serve each drinks in. It even gives tips on garnishing, and explains the terminology.Aside from the astonishing detail and information, the book is weighty, but reasonably so given its size and appears to be of great quality. I've seen other comments mention receiving damaged and/or sticky books, mine arrived clean and unscathed.All in all, this is a great starting book that will guide you through being a beginner, and continue to aid you as your mixing skills progress to Advanced.

This was my first book I bought to do with making drinks and I couldn't be happier. First of all, the book itself is amazing, great hard cover and beautiful pages. Next, the author really spends some time going over 101 of making drinks. Lastly, the recipes are very well put together along with side notes for variations and suggested substitutes. At the end, the author even gives drink recipes for morning after remedies. And again, I must point out the beauty of the book, sure it's hard to keep it open, but unless you are actually a professional bartender needing a spiral book, the Ultimate Bar Book is beautiful enough to just be a decorative item in the kitchen. It's also nice how the author will stop and take a minute to discuss the classic cocktails and their histories, etc. The author also takes breaks in the book to talk about the individual alcohol's themselves using elegant page colors and patterns. Funny enough, having this book now makes me want to go out and buy another bar book, but I actually can't find another one that meets the beauty, elegance, sophistication, amount of knowledge, insights gained, and completeness as the "Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails".Bravo! And I will be waiting for what will come next from Mittie Hellmich.3 Jan 2011 Update: I love this book so much and I still can't find a better bar book, that I bought a second copy. I keep my new second copy in my bookcase in my study and my first book in the kitchen. Over time my first book has gotten a bit messy due to making drinks with it nearby at parties (there have been a few crazy ones which inevitably leads to some spilling action) and also writing notes on pages commenting on how I liked the drink and any personal suggestions of adjusting the recipe.