Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist

by A.J. Rathbun

In Good Spirits, A.J. Rathbun has collected 450 of the best cocktail recipes, featuring an incredible variety of spirits, mixers, and garnishes. With its stunning, full-color photographs and fresh, lively tone, this is the definitive guide to both classic and contemporary drinks for anyone who appreciates the art of the cocktail. The recipes in Good Spirits are organized by theme, so it's easy to find the perfect drink for every mood and occasion. The 12 chapters include "Cool It Down" (summer drinks, such as the Bellini and the Gin Fizz), "Gold Standards" (classics such as the Manhattan and the Sidecar), and "Fresh Faces" (creative new drinks, such as the Dublin 8 and Urban Bourbon). Hosting a party? Mix up a bowl of Champagne Punch. Preparing a romantic evening for two? Opt for the Cupid Cocktail or a couple of Silk Stockings. For anyone who wants to go beyond mixing a few new cocktails and become a home bartender, a thorough introduction provides information on all the different varieties of liquors and mixers, glassware, and essential equipment. Throughout the book, Rathbun's unabashed passion for and knowledge of his subject are clear in engaging headnotes and sidebars such as "Four Drinks to Induce Dancing," "Top Five Movie Star Mixes," and "Four Drinks Not to Serve the In-laws." Good Spirits is like the perfect party: the drinks go down easy and everyone, from the casual cocktail drinker to the connoisseur, will have a great time.

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Anne Frisbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

For what I want (at this point) in a cocktail book - namely unique modern cocktail recipes or entertaining cocktail history - this book does not have either.

To be fair, as a main cocktail reference book (if early in your cocktail making life and if you aren't obsessed with bitters or amari), this book is likely a 3/4 star book. This book is huge, beautifully organized and filled with so many cocktail recipes that it could serve as a go-to cocktail reference book - especially if you need a book that includes all the basic drink recipes (think Bloody Mary, Manhattan, Margarita but even a Sazerac etc) and lots of martini and daiquiri variations. Personally, I like Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with More than 500 Recipes for that purpose, because I don't need a blender section nor an Appletini recipe.

What I am looking for in my cocktail recipe books (at this point) are ones that have unique modern cocktail recipes that are ideally worth making & drinking many times. This book will not give you that. For that purpose (so far), I recommend The Canon Cocktail Book: Recipes from the Award-Winning Bar with its Oaxaccan Scaffa, Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with More than 500 Recipes which is a good reference book but also has awesome cocktail recipes including the Jalisco Swizzle and Manhattan Transfer, Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki especially if you are interested in rum though I like a tequila drink from that book called the Ernesto, and a few other ones like The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual: Secret Recipes and Barroom Tales from Two Belfast Boys Who Conquered the Cocktail World.

I am also enjoying cocktail history books, but this book only has a little bit of that, and I would not recommend it for that reason either. Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas and Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas - both by Brad Thomas Parsons - had lots of entertaining history.

[Brian Ackerley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best drink book I have found. Love to find new things to make. It's also a great reference for the basics.