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Let's Bring Back: The Cocktail Edition: A Compendium of Impish, Romantic, Amusing, and Occasionally Appalling Potations from Bygone Eras
"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind." - Humphrey Bogart
At last, here's your excuse to catch up. Introducing Let's Bring The Cocktail Edition, a compendium of long-forgotten libations due for a revival. Culled from ancient times through the 1960s, these delectable vintage cocktails are by turns fizzy and silken, sweet and tart, lethal and prim. Some of them are absurd, several are sentimental, while others are outright scandalous. They
- Angel's Tit - Guaranteed to shock goody-goodies
- Du Barry - To get your mistress into the mood
- Green-Eyed Monster - To serve to frenemies
- Monkey Gland - An unlikely fountain of youth
- Runt's Ambition - Serve this to men with Napoleon Complex
Throughout this illustrated tome, Lesley M. M. Blume divulges colorful cocktail history and barroom wisdom alongside one hundred and forty-four recipes that will delight aperitif aficionados for years to come. Whether you're toasting to an unexpected windfall, treating a malediction, or simply need an occasion to let your hair down, Let's Bring The Cocktails Edition has the bevvy for you.
At last, here's your excuse to catch up. Introducing Let's Bring The Cocktail Edition, a compendium of long-forgotten libations due for a revival. Culled from ancient times through the 1960s, these delectable vintage cocktails are by turns fizzy and silken, sweet and tart, lethal and prim. Some of them are absurd, several are sentimental, while others are outright scandalous. They
- Angel's Tit - Guaranteed to shock goody-goodies
- Du Barry - To get your mistress into the mood
- Green-Eyed Monster - To serve to frenemies
- Monkey Gland - An unlikely fountain of youth
- Runt's Ambition - Serve this to men with Napoleon Complex
Throughout this illustrated tome, Lesley M. M. Blume divulges colorful cocktail history and barroom wisdom alongside one hundred and forty-four recipes that will delight aperitif aficionados for years to come. Whether you're toasting to an unexpected windfall, treating a malediction, or simply need an occasion to let your hair down, Let's Bring The Cocktails Edition has the bevvy for you.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2012
3 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Lesley M.M. Blume
17 books187 followersLesley M. M. Blume is an author, columnist and journalist. She did her undergraduate work at WIlliams College and Oxford University, and took her graduate degree in history from Cambridge University.
She now regularly contributes to Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal and Departures magazine.
She now regularly contributes to Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal and Departures magazine.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 17, 2014
I have to say that Let's Bring Back: The Cocktail Edition was a fun read that whet my appetite for cocktails and inspired me to make several new recipes that have already become favorites. However, it has several glaring flaws that reduced my rating:
1. Terminology: The terms Italian/Sweet and French/Dry vermouth are all used. Since sweet/dry is more standard terminology, there's no reason to use Italian/French other than pure pretentiousness. But using both sets of terms in different recipes is just confusing. There's just no reason to just pick one, and/or explain them.
2. Prioritizing whimsy over clarity and accuracy. Many recipes leave out essential directions in favor of "cute" directions such as, "Stir well with a shovel and strain into a cocktail glass." Obviously I didn't go out a procure a shovel to make the drink. But this last direction was for a drink that, in fact, should be shaken with ice, rather than merely stirred. There's a place for being cute. It isn't in the body of a recipe.
3. Inaccuracy: The recipe I mentioned above was listed as a Corpse Reviver. It is in fact a recipe for a Corpse Reviver #2, which is a completely different recipe. This bothers me because it's not a particularly obscure recipe, and anyone with a passing familiarity with bartending would know that it's an important distinction. Credibility downgraded.
In short, I find the book to be an amusing and inspiring read, but its shortcomings in clarity and reliability prevent it from being a good choice as a recipe book.
1. Terminology: The terms Italian/Sweet and French/Dry vermouth are all used. Since sweet/dry is more standard terminology, there's no reason to use Italian/French other than pure pretentiousness. But using both sets of terms in different recipes is just confusing. There's just no reason to just pick one, and/or explain them.
2. Prioritizing whimsy over clarity and accuracy. Many recipes leave out essential directions in favor of "cute" directions such as, "Stir well with a shovel and strain into a cocktail glass." Obviously I didn't go out a procure a shovel to make the drink. But this last direction was for a drink that, in fact, should be shaken with ice, rather than merely stirred. There's a place for being cute. It isn't in the body of a recipe.
3. Inaccuracy: The recipe I mentioned above was listed as a Corpse Reviver. It is in fact a recipe for a Corpse Reviver #2, which is a completely different recipe. This bothers me because it's not a particularly obscure recipe, and anyone with a passing familiarity with bartending would know that it's an important distinction. Credibility downgraded.
In short, I find the book to be an amusing and inspiring read, but its shortcomings in clarity and reliability prevent it from being a good choice as a recipe book.
September 14, 2021
This is a very fun and easy read - I read the whole thing on a plane ride one time. Great little mini histories about the cocktails included and interesting variety.
January 25, 2016
Let’s Bring Back is pretty straight forward, the author Lesley M. M. Blume shares many vintage cocktails and how to make them. The book is less about technique and types of glasses and more about looking into the old cocktail culture. She usually gives a recipe with a cute little blurb of history, or a quirky reason to have the cocktail (celebrating something? need liquid courage?) This isn’t a book you just read cover to cover, but is more about flipping the book open to a random page to read.
What makes the book weird is that it walks a fine line of expecting you to make drinks from the book, and doesn’t. Many ingredients are left with their old name swedish punsch, vichy water, and cake of ice, things that aren’t so easily googled. There also isn’t an index which can be a bummer. If I have some absinthe and are looking specifically for cocktails that use it, I would have to search through the whole book, rather than to look it up in the index.
What is nice about the book is the variety of cocktails. So many! You can try and mix and match all the various liquors you have in your house. The drinks also don’t use that much alcohol so you can drink more often. I do know I have a heavy hand with the bottle, but I do think cocktail culture today is a little too much booze. You don’t need to be hammered each time you drink, and the smaller size lets the drinker actually enjoy a cocktail. My only complaint would be that there need to be less vermouth. Goodness did people love to drink vermouth! It is pretty much the only liquor that is hard to store since it is suppose to stay in the refrigerator.
If you have a friend who is into vintage clothing, antiques, and historical novels, I would highly recommend buying them this book. The cocktails vary greatly from time periods, and gives people authentic drinks. I might consider buying this book for myself to refer to for making drinks on the fly at parties.
What makes the book weird is that it walks a fine line of expecting you to make drinks from the book, and doesn’t. Many ingredients are left with their old name swedish punsch, vichy water, and cake of ice, things that aren’t so easily googled. There also isn’t an index which can be a bummer. If I have some absinthe and are looking specifically for cocktails that use it, I would have to search through the whole book, rather than to look it up in the index.
What is nice about the book is the variety of cocktails. So many! You can try and mix and match all the various liquors you have in your house. The drinks also don’t use that much alcohol so you can drink more often. I do know I have a heavy hand with the bottle, but I do think cocktail culture today is a little too much booze. You don’t need to be hammered each time you drink, and the smaller size lets the drinker actually enjoy a cocktail. My only complaint would be that there need to be less vermouth. Goodness did people love to drink vermouth! It is pretty much the only liquor that is hard to store since it is suppose to stay in the refrigerator.
If you have a friend who is into vintage clothing, antiques, and historical novels, I would highly recommend buying them this book. The cocktails vary greatly from time periods, and gives people authentic drinks. I might consider buying this book for myself to refer to for making drinks on the fly at parties.
August 14, 2013
I found only one decent sounding cocktail that I might like to try, (the maiden's blush), and a couple of cute quotes.
All-in-all, too many gin-based drinks, and too many drinks that involve egg.
Page 145
"Martinis are like a woman's breasts: one is not enough. Two: perfect, and three is too many."
Hahaha, how true!
Page 59
"The cocktail is a pleasant drink,
It's mild and harmless, I don't think.
When you've had one, you call for two,
And then you don't care what you do.
Last night I hoisted twenty-three
Of these arrangements into me;
My wealth increased, I swelled with pride;
I was pickled, primed, and ossified.
R-E-M-O-R-S-E!
Those dry Martinis did the work for me;
Last night at twelve I felt immense;
To-day I feel like thirty cents.
At four I sought my whirling bed,
At eight I woke with such a head!
It's no time for mirth or laughter---
The cold grey dawn of the morning after.
A poem from the stag's handbook (1918)"
All-in-all, too many gin-based drinks, and too many drinks that involve egg.
Page 145
"Martinis are like a woman's breasts: one is not enough. Two: perfect, and three is too many."
Hahaha, how true!
Page 59
"The cocktail is a pleasant drink,
It's mild and harmless, I don't think.
When you've had one, you call for two,
And then you don't care what you do.
Last night I hoisted twenty-three
Of these arrangements into me;
My wealth increased, I swelled with pride;
I was pickled, primed, and ossified.
R-E-M-O-R-S-E!
Those dry Martinis did the work for me;
Last night at twelve I felt immense;
To-day I feel like thirty cents.
At four I sought my whirling bed,
At eight I woke with such a head!
It's no time for mirth or laughter---
The cold grey dawn of the morning after.
A poem from the stag's handbook (1918)"
March 7, 2014
Entertaining and whimsical - I love it!
If you are looking for a recipe book to use for making exact drinks this probably isn't for you, but if you're looking for a beautiful, hardcover book to display and that you can also get an entertaining and informative light read out of (not to mention an introduction to some interesting drinks!), then this is it! Personally I like this for what it is. It's easy enough to find a cocktail recipe online these days! :b
If you are looking for a recipe book to use for making exact drinks this probably isn't for you, but if you're looking for a beautiful, hardcover book to display and that you can also get an entertaining and informative light read out of (not to mention an introduction to some interesting drinks!), then this is it! Personally I like this for what it is. It's easy enough to find a cocktail recipe online these days! :b
November 5, 2012
Witty and gorgeous, the next book in the Let's Bring Back series is the perfect gift for the stylish sot on your list. As a drinks book, well, it's not meant to be a compendium so we can't judge it that way. It's just a sweet little drinks book with a generous shot of liquor lore.
November 19, 2013
The book is beautifully presented, has lots of witty and funny quotes and is overall a nice book to own. However, there are very few appetising cocktails - at least, for me.
January 5, 2013
Clever and useful.
Want to read
January 5, 2013As heard on the NPR Books podcast.
August 1, 2014
It's fun. A light-hearted tome on prohibition era spontaneous cocktail party entertaining. A bit of a short fast read. Some of the hors d'oeuvres seem hilarious to today's palate.
July 9, 2015
Love these books! I am not a drinker, but I do appreciate all that goes into a fine cocktail. This book is loaded with info, and would make a nice gift.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews