What do you think?
Rate this book
The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles
It's a system, a tool kit, a recipe book. Beginning with one irresistible idea—a complete home bar of just 12 key bottles—here's how to make more than 200 classic and unique mixed drinks, including sours, slings, toddies, and highballs, plus the perfect Martini, the perfect Manhattan, and the perfect Mint Julep.
It's a surprising guide—tequila didn't make the cut, and neither did bourbon, but genever did. And it's a literate guide—describing with great liveliness everything from the importance of vermouth and bitters (the "salt and pepper" of mixology) to the story of a punch bowl so big it was stirred by a boy in a rowboat.
It's a surprising guide—tequila didn't make the cut, and neither did bourbon, but genever did. And it's a literate guide—describing with great liveliness everything from the importance of vermouth and bitters (the "salt and pepper" of mixology) to the story of a punch bowl so big it was stirred by a boy in a rowboat.
412 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2014
147 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 28, 2018
The 12-Bottle Bar has good recommendations for selecting each of type of spirit. The recipes are spot on as well. I usually prefer a wee dram of Scotch, but I also enjoy vintage inspired cocktails. You won't find any sickly sweet, corn syrup abominations in this book. I've made around a dozen of the recipes in this book, and all have been super tasty.
The Cuban Old Fashioned is the one I make most often. It's so versatile, you can use nearly any spirit and you'll end up with a fine cocktail. Skip the adulterated Diplomatico, Ron Zacapa, Plantation, and El Dorado rums. This cocktail is delicious with unsweetened dark rum; Panama-Pacific 23 year old, Foursquare 2o04 Ex-bourbon cask, and Barbancourt 15 are all excellent choices. They pair nicely with Peychaud's bitters and a demerara sugar cube, garnish with a Luxardo cherry and an orange wheel. Cocktail perfection.
I also make it using Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Rye or Pikesville Rye, a white sugar cube, 1 dash Angostura, 1 dash Angostura Orange, and a Luxardo cherry. Either way, it never fails to garner hearty mmms all around.
You might also enjoy:
✱ The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique
✱ Speakeasy
✱ The Canon Cocktail Book
✱ To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion
The Cuban Old Fashioned is the one I make most often. It's so versatile, you can use nearly any spirit and you'll end up with a fine cocktail. Skip the adulterated Diplomatico, Ron Zacapa, Plantation, and El Dorado rums. This cocktail is delicious with unsweetened dark rum; Panama-Pacific 23 year old, Foursquare 2o04 Ex-bourbon cask, and Barbancourt 15 are all excellent choices. They pair nicely with Peychaud's bitters and a demerara sugar cube, garnish with a Luxardo cherry and an orange wheel. Cocktail perfection.
I also make it using Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Rye or Pikesville Rye, a white sugar cube, 1 dash Angostura, 1 dash Angostura Orange, and a Luxardo cherry. Either way, it never fails to garner hearty mmms all around.
You might also enjoy:
✱ The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique
✱ Speakeasy
✱ The Canon Cocktail Book
✱ To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion
June 29, 2014
I received an Advance Reviewer's Copy of this book on Netgalley.
I loved the premise of this book. I hate browsing websites for cocktails and not having anything on hand to make anything, so I mostly stick to old favorites. A collection of cocktails using only a few alcohols is a really handy idea.
But the book was not entirely what I was expecting! When everything's gone mad for Mad Men and other midcentury-modern nostalgia about the wonders of drinking culture, I was expecting more cocktails from that era. Not so! Nor is the book much like the original website. Not even the 12 bottles are the same. Despite much poo-pooing of vodka both on the website and in the book, the website's absinthe has been swapped for vodka in the book. The book has also limited itself to only one type of whisky (the website has two), and broken down and also admitted white rum into the ranks of the dirty dozen, along with amber rum.
The overall message of this book is that cocktails should highlight, not cover-up, the flavors of the underlying alcohol. Probably as a consequence, none of my favorite cocktails made the cut, which are creamy ladydrinks like Brandy Alexanders and Grasshoppers that, no matter how much hate is heaped upon them, still manage to be delicious. They also take oddball bottles that wouldn't make it in the 12. Ah well. Big props however for a shoutout to the Brandy Old Fashioned! Not many people know about that variant outside of Wisconsin.
If you like gin and whisky I think you'll really get a lot out of this book. Unfortunately I don't really like either. I did get some new ideas for brandy however, and as a big surprise my favorite section was the discussion about ICE. I've been doing my ice all wrong!
I loved the premise of this book. I hate browsing websites for cocktails and not having anything on hand to make anything, so I mostly stick to old favorites. A collection of cocktails using only a few alcohols is a really handy idea.
But the book was not entirely what I was expecting! When everything's gone mad for Mad Men and other midcentury-modern nostalgia about the wonders of drinking culture, I was expecting more cocktails from that era. Not so! Nor is the book much like the original website. Not even the 12 bottles are the same. Despite much poo-pooing of vodka both on the website and in the book, the website's absinthe has been swapped for vodka in the book. The book has also limited itself to only one type of whisky (the website has two), and broken down and also admitted white rum into the ranks of the dirty dozen, along with amber rum.
The overall message of this book is that cocktails should highlight, not cover-up, the flavors of the underlying alcohol. Probably as a consequence, none of my favorite cocktails made the cut, which are creamy ladydrinks like Brandy Alexanders and Grasshoppers that, no matter how much hate is heaped upon them, still manage to be delicious. They also take oddball bottles that wouldn't make it in the 12. Ah well. Big props however for a shoutout to the Brandy Old Fashioned! Not many people know about that variant outside of Wisconsin.
If you like gin and whisky I think you'll really get a lot out of this book. Unfortunately I don't really like either. I did get some new ideas for brandy however, and as a big surprise my favorite section was the discussion about ICE. I've been doing my ice all wrong!
January 13, 2020
This was really interesting, and I enjoyed reading through and learning about the 12 alcohols mentioned in this book. I tried a few of the cocktails and they were really nice. I also made my own advocaat based on the recipe in the book and it was really delicious but did taste more like alcoholic cake batter than traditional advocaat.
Which brings me to my next point, which is about the Snowball cocktail in this book. The snowball is a favourite of mine and when reading this book, their recipe for the snowball confused me because they provide a recipe for American style home made lemonade to use in the recipe. But being from New Zealand, I assumed the lemonade used in the snowball recipe was sprite or 7up. I did a little digging because the book mentioned that the snowball was popularized by Nigella Lawson, so I found her recipe online in which she used a lemonade akin to sprite. I decided to try the snowball their way, and it wasn't good at all. The use of a sparkling lemonade such as sprite or 7up just makes the drink so fluffy and nice. Anyway, that was my one gripe about this book.
Overall, this book was worth checking out though.
Which brings me to my next point, which is about the Snowball cocktail in this book. The snowball is a favourite of mine and when reading this book, their recipe for the snowball confused me because they provide a recipe for American style home made lemonade to use in the recipe. But being from New Zealand, I assumed the lemonade used in the snowball recipe was sprite or 7up. I did a little digging because the book mentioned that the snowball was popularized by Nigella Lawson, so I found her recipe online in which she used a lemonade akin to sprite. I decided to try the snowball their way, and it wasn't good at all. The use of a sparkling lemonade such as sprite or 7up just makes the drink so fluffy and nice. Anyway, that was my one gripe about this book.
Overall, this book was worth checking out though.
July 18, 2020
I wanted to try more cocktails but I never knew what to order in restaurants. I'd try some specialty cocktail off the menu and inevitably be disappointed--too sweet, couldn't taste any alcohol etc.
I first checked this book out of the library and later bought it because it is just so handy. It has a classic cocktail recipes, devised to highlight and accentuate the alcohol taste, not bury it in sugar. While some of the additions get a little more complex than I'm looking for (pineapple siracha syrup I'm looking at YOU!) there were lots of simple additions like lemon, lime, and grenadine, to pair in a variety of ways with the 12 bottles.
My husband and I bought any of the 12 we didn't already have as our anniversary present to ourselves and we've had great fun trying different recipes.
I first checked this book out of the library and later bought it because it is just so handy. It has a classic cocktail recipes, devised to highlight and accentuate the alcohol taste, not bury it in sugar. While some of the additions get a little more complex than I'm looking for (pineapple siracha syrup I'm looking at YOU!) there were lots of simple additions like lemon, lime, and grenadine, to pair in a variety of ways with the 12 bottles.
My husband and I bought any of the 12 we didn't already have as our anniversary present to ourselves and we've had great fun trying different recipes.
May 4, 2024
Got this a while back when I was first getting into bartending. I remember not liking the bottles they chose and putting it down. Decided to look back over it now that I’ve gotten far more into bartending. I have far less quibbles with them then expected. I appreciate their love of classic cocktails and that their list is built up around that. I think the biggest thing I wish wasn’t on their list was Genever, it’s difficult to find and you’re not going to find many recipes that call for it specifically. Should have had a bourbon and I would go for tequila over vodka or a second rum. I’m also a Campari fan, so I’d want that in my 12 bottle bar:
1&2 - Angostura and Orange bitters
3&4- Dry and Sweet Vermouth
5 - Rye
6- Gin
7- White Rum
8 - Orange Curaçao
9 - Campari
10 - Bourbon (or Benedictine or Vodka)
1&2 - Angostura and Orange bitters
3&4- Dry and Sweet Vermouth
5 - Rye
6- Gin
7- White Rum
8 - Orange Curaçao
9 - Campari
10 - Bourbon (or Benedictine or Vodka)
February 10, 2024
This book fits the bill. Exactly what I was looking for, recommended by a bartender, and a great introduction to affordable cocktail-making. This book had some great anecdotes and plenty of tips, even if highlighting their own recipes a tad much. Nonetheless, no complaints-- this gets the job done and I still enjoyed it.
January 17, 2024
A great and thorough resource, and interesting to learn the historical context and scientific qualities of liquors, garnishes, and other ingredients in combining to form the drinks we know and love. Includes more than just drink recipes — like cocktail onions, flavored simple syrups, and even bitters. Will surely come in handy & be a steadfast reference! Cheers!
February 2, 2020
As I researched creating a home bar, I came across this book. I thought it fit into what I wanted to do. Having read some reviews, it seemed like a good choice.
As I headed into readng this, I had an idea that I would created a blog to document my learning as I crafted each of the drinks included within, a la Julie/Julia Project (Julie and Julia). That blog seems to be no longer active. I abandoned that idea.
I enjoyed the book. There is some solid information here. Through reading this, however, my approach to my home bar changed. Having gotten into plenty of hobbies during my lifetime, none seem to work out when I go out and purchase everything at the beginning. I could see purchasing 12 bottles at once would be overwhelming.
To the authors' credit, they stipulate that and offer beginning with a single bottle or perhaps two. That was fitting what I was forming in my mind. At the same time, I was watching a lot of You Tube videos. Common Man Cocktails had an episode where he stated beginning with a single bottle is the way to go.
And that is what I have done. FWIW, I began with Rittenhouse Rye BiB.
The more I read the book, the more I realized it is like every other "cookbook". They bent recipes to fit their arbitrary 12-bottle schtick. It would be interesting to count how much it would cost to purchase everything they recommend. Being from sunny California, everything was organic and homemade.
I was intrigued by the addition of genever to the 12-bottle list. That and two rums, but no scotch or bourbon seemed like an odd mix. When I realized getting genever was going to be difficult here in The Sticks, I began reading the book differently . . . just as a reference source.
There's nothing wrong with the book and I shall certainly use it for guidance. For me, it is not a prescription that will work for me. I picked it up hoping it would be.
As I headed into readng this, I had an idea that I would created a blog to document my learning as I crafted each of the drinks included within, a la Julie/Julia Project (Julie and Julia). That blog seems to be no longer active. I abandoned that idea.
I enjoyed the book. There is some solid information here. Through reading this, however, my approach to my home bar changed. Having gotten into plenty of hobbies during my lifetime, none seem to work out when I go out and purchase everything at the beginning. I could see purchasing 12 bottles at once would be overwhelming.
To the authors' credit, they stipulate that and offer beginning with a single bottle or perhaps two. That was fitting what I was forming in my mind. At the same time, I was watching a lot of You Tube videos. Common Man Cocktails had an episode where he stated beginning with a single bottle is the way to go.
And that is what I have done. FWIW, I began with Rittenhouse Rye BiB.
The more I read the book, the more I realized it is like every other "cookbook". They bent recipes to fit their arbitrary 12-bottle schtick. It would be interesting to count how much it would cost to purchase everything they recommend. Being from sunny California, everything was organic and homemade.
I was intrigued by the addition of genever to the 12-bottle list. That and two rums, but no scotch or bourbon seemed like an odd mix. When I realized getting genever was going to be difficult here in The Sticks, I began reading the book differently . . . just as a reference source.
There's nothing wrong with the book and I shall certainly use it for guidance. For me, it is not a prescription that will work for me. I picked it up hoping it would be.
March 16, 2019
Love! I choose this book as a guide to dip my toe into the world of mixology, and it was a great asset for that. It really takes any intimidation out of learning the art by breaking down the true necessities for any bar at any budget. History of spirits and cocktails, recipes, fun anecdotes and bar essentials make this book not only a fun cover-to-cover read (which is saying a lot for a reference book), but a fixture on my bar for years to come. Cheers!
February 24, 2020
Excellent entry level cocktail manual with recipes that are easy to follow and don't require a massive liquor cabinet or a lot of hard to find or make mixers or syrups.
Knocked a point off as the lack of tequila/mezcal as one of the 12 leaves a lot of really good recipes out of the book. They should do a version of substituting those for vodka and/or make a 13 bottle bar!
Knocked a point off as the lack of tequila/mezcal as one of the 12 leaves a lot of really good recipes out of the book. They should do a version of substituting those for vodka and/or make a 13 bottle bar!
October 8, 2021
I don't know why I wanted to read this book as I rarely drink alcohol anymore. On top of that, it was quite pretentious and had a hipster-y vibe. Too many make-your-own syrups, repeated recommendations for specific products ("maraschino cherries--we like Luxardo brand"), and overly complicated recipes.
May 8, 2022
A very useful book for building a home bar, and beginning a practical exploration of classic cocktails. It's so easy with every other cocktail book to be overwhelmed by the number of ingredients, both to be purchased as well as made. If one has few or no flavor aversions and are still a non-nerd level drinker, this isn essential early read for the practicality and organization of thought alone.
November 29, 2023
Recommended to us during a cocktail and bar tour in New Orleans we bought this book when we got home and used it to inform the design of our home bar.
Historical information interspersed with recipes and tips it’s honestly the sort of book someone can justifiably say ‘if you have one cocktail book, make it this one’
I’ve filled it with bookmarks and refer to it years later.
Historical information interspersed with recipes and tips it’s honestly the sort of book someone can justifiably say ‘if you have one cocktail book, make it this one’
I’ve filled it with bookmarks and refer to it years later.
December 18, 2017
There are recipe books. Generally boring. Then there are books about recipes...with some to follow. Generally pretty good, in this case quite good. How to make some decent drink for a reasonable array of bottles. well worth it.
February 26, 2018
Okay, now that my liver has finally failed me.
This book is great for anyone trying to pick up drinking as a hobby. ;)
In all seriousness though, the cocktails taste great, you don't have to spend all that much money and the book is a fun read.
This book is great for anyone trying to pick up drinking as a hobby. ;)
In all seriousness though, the cocktails taste great, you don't have to spend all that much money and the book is a fun read.
June 27, 2018
Lots of good recipes. Though I disagree strongly with some of the choices (2 chapters on rum and none on bourbon? The vermouths being claimed as 1 bottle? Mint julep recipe with rye?), I still think this is a solid choice for a home bartender with a ton of recipes that can be easily made.
April 24, 2021
So useful for a beginner!
If you’re worried about the reviews that criticize the inclusion of genever, know that it’s perfectly ok to skip that whole chapter and you still have a ton of great cocktail recipes that you can make without tons of ingredients.
If you’re worried about the reviews that criticize the inclusion of genever, know that it’s perfectly ok to skip that whole chapter and you still have a ton of great cocktail recipes that you can make without tons of ingredients.
July 18, 2021
This is a great book for anyone even mildly interested in learning about how to make a basic but good cocktail. This book will give any novice a good idea of how to make almost any cocktail out there.
July 29, 2021
This felt really pretentious at fist but the more I read I saw the simplicity of it. If you are in to old style cocktails and don't want to spend too much to build your bar this is a good place to start.
May 22, 2024
A good concept to be sure, but to me psychologically the success of this book hinges on its format: if you cut the photos out of a cookbook and print it in the shape of a paperback, it becomes a book you can read cover to cover (which is what I did before bed this month). Smart
February 12, 2018
Great way to build a bar and use drink recipes knowing that you have everything at home.
July 22, 2018
Great book to capitalize on having a moderate variety of liquor but being able to deliver a wide range of drinks. Bravo!
October 19, 2018
4.5 stars! I liked that they did 1-bottle, 3-bottle options too.
November 20, 2018
Loved this book! Would highly recommend to anyone trying to up the ante on their home bar game!
November 5, 2020
Great inspiration! Receipes for syrups and liquors included as well!
April 13, 2021
Must have for budding mixologists.
December 5, 2022
Well written and easy to follow instructions. I'll be keeping this handy for years to come!
July 27, 2024
I really wish I had had this book when I first got into mixing cocktails. A very good gateway into mixology without breaking the bank.
March 4, 2024
Disappointed by Lack of Ingredient Index
My excitement quickly turned to disappointment upon discovering the absence of an ingredient index in this book.
While the book boasts an array of intriguing cocktail recipes, the lack of a comprehensive index listing the ingredients used in each recipe severely hampers its usability. Unfortunately, without an index, navigating the book becomes an arduous task of flipping through pages in search of compatible recipes.
My excitement quickly turned to disappointment upon discovering the absence of an ingredient index in this book.
While the book boasts an array of intriguing cocktail recipes, the lack of a comprehensive index listing the ingredients used in each recipe severely hampers its usability. Unfortunately, without an index, navigating the book becomes an arduous task of flipping through pages in search of compatible recipes.
June 19, 2016
This is an awesome book for someone starting a home bar. The basic concept revolves around 12 different spirits that can be used to make a vast majority of classic cocktail recipes. The bottles include vodka, amber and white rum, rye whiskey, gin, genever, brandy, aromatic and orange bitters, orange liqueur, and dry and sweet vermouth. Each chapter goes through a quick history of the spirit, as well as signature cocktails that use these bottles. The categories in each chapter include sweet and fruit, citrus and tangy, and strong. Intermingled throughout each chapter are fun anecdotes, stories, and tips about making drinks.
There is also a variety of additional information, including hosting parties, virgin drinks, beer and ciders, and garnishes. There are two recipe indexes in the back, one of which is a basic alphabetical list, and the other puts the cocktails into different categories to find similar varieties more easily. I’m excited to build a liquor cabinet with the help of this fun book!
There is also a variety of additional information, including hosting parties, virgin drinks, beer and ciders, and garnishes. There are two recipe indexes in the back, one of which is a basic alphabetical list, and the other puts the cocktails into different categories to find similar varieties more easily. I’m excited to build a liquor cabinet with the help of this fun book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews