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The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique

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The Bar Book — Bartending and mixology for the home cocktail enthusiastLearn the key techniques of bartending and mixology from a  Written by renowned bartender and cocktail blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book is the only technique-driven cocktail handbook out there. This indispensable guide breaks down bartending into essential techniques, and then applies them to building the best drinks.

Over 60 of the best drink  The Bar Book contains more than 60 recipes that employ the techniques you will learn in this bartending book. Each technique is illustrated with how-to photography to provide inspiration and guidance.

Bartending and mixology techniques include the best practices

JuicingGarnishingCarbonatingStirring and shakingChoosing the correct ice for proper chilling and dilution of a drinkAnd, much moreIf you found PTD Cocktail Book, 12 Bottle Bar, The Joy of Mixology, Death and Co., and Liquid Intelligence to be helpful among bartending books, you will find Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s The Bar Book to be an essential bartender book.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2014

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About the author

Jeffrey Morgenthaler

3 books10 followers

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5 stars
633 (59%)
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334 (31%)
3 stars
75 (7%)
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15 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for H James.
352 reviews28 followers
November 24, 2020
The Bar Book is admirably comprehensive, but its perplexing organization limits its usefulness as a reference manual. Rather than beginning with the basics, it begins with the obscure. The first third of the book is full of treatises on mislabeled tomatoes and recipes for homemade tonic syrup. The last third of the book is where everyday activities like shaking, stirring, and straining are found. It almost seems as if the book is organized in a chronological order (5 weeks out, infuse bitters; 3 days out, make raspberry syrup; 4 hours out, squeeze lemons; 2 minutes out, measure ingredients; etc.), but this doesn’t quite match the book’s order either, so it’s a bit discombobulating.

Not beginning the book with the fundamentals is a little like a first‐grade math book starting with a proof that all integers are real number. Yes, to truly understand what it means to add 2 + 2, it’s essential to understand what it means to be an integer, but fake‐it‐till‐you‐make‐it is a much better learning strategy. I doubt that Mr Morgenthaler would train a new employee how to make limoncello before showing them how to pour a shot of it.

This book is also sprinkled with just enough misinformation that I’d gently direct would‐be readers to other sources. For basic technique, I’d recommend How to Cocktail. For in‐the‐field advice, I’d recommend Meehan’s Bartender Manual. For Mr Morgethanler’s endearing kvetching on bar culture and practices, I’d recommend his more recent and admirable work Drinking Distilled.
Profile Image for Brooks.
81 reviews
Read
July 27, 2025
We say that ice is to the bartender as fire is to the chef.

As someone who generally doesn't put effort into anything remotely culinary, this book has inspired me to *gasp* actually juice fresh lemons.

Morgenthaler's experience-backed no bullshit explanations were clear and easy to understand for a mixology neophyte such as myself.

Many a myth I may have previously believed about booze have been dispelled, often by self-deprecating anecdotes Morgenthaler humorously provides.

While the chief aim of this text is practical, it doesn't mind dipping into theory, even giving a useful explanation as to the thermodynamics of ice.

I was pleasantly surprised about how making a good drink has less to do with fancy equipment and expensive ingredients then it does craft and technique.
Profile Image for Mykhailo Kozik.
16 reviews
June 13, 2017
The best bar book I've read so far.
Pragmatic, with a lot of practical examples and experiments.
When someone says you need to roll a lemon before juicing, because it produces more juice, the author performs an experiment and find out what is true and what is not.
When someone says, for a cocktail you need a half of lemon, the author shows the exact amount of mils you need for the cocktail.
He also don't hesitate to invite more proffesional people in specific area to write a chapter.
This book not only extremely useful for ones who interested in bat culture, it is the example, how others book should be written as well.
Profile Image for Melissa.
406 reviews
February 22, 2021
I enjoyed the deep dive into the more nuanced aspects of cocktail construction, but the author comes off as a bit of a pompous ass. Not everyone has access to the litany of fresh ingredients that he has deemed 'essential' for a decent or even drinkable cocktail. I understand that fresh and high quality ingredients make the best cocktail, but to say it's not even worth making otherwise?!
Profile Image for Anastasiia Kovalyshyn.
66 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2025
Не варто читати в понеділок.
Краще в пʼятницю ввечері.
Десь в барі.
Profile Image for Kevin Cannon.
5 reviews
July 27, 2019
A great book on the methodology and practical skills to make a drink. Interspersed between the techniques are excellent drink recipes and tips.
Profile Image for Julie H. Ernstein.
1,533 reviews27 followers
March 29, 2015
Morgenthaler's thesis is quite straightforward: there are three key elements to any cocktail: (1) the recipe, (2) the ingredients, and (3) the technique. It is his contention that the latter is overlooked, to the detriment of the final product, and it is this book's intention to correct that oversight.

The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique is chock full of great advice--everything from keeping your lemons and limes refrigerated, not bothering with the rolling them on the counter technique so as to extract more juice yield, to practical advice on everything from the "MacQuyver Centrifuge Method" for processing pulpy fruits in the absence of a $600 juice extractor, to his tried-but-true method for getting your seemingly forever sealed mixing glass unstuck from the Boston Shaker. (I cannot count how many times I have fallen victim to that third dilemma, so find that tip alone well worth the price of this book.)

I learned quite a lot here about how to improve things I already knew. The book has inspired me to further explore the world of complex syrups and, as noted above, I am not likely to have to repeat any of the several lame things I have previously attempted in order to unstick a mixing glass. His discussion of garnishes was quite interesting and I'm not sure I'll ever look at the items perched aside, astride, or dumped within my cocktail--esp. one served me by someone else--without thinking of his "caveman me" a little skeptical of where and what is being placed in front of him.

This is a super resource and a great reference for any bar. I love his bartending equivalent of the "food hacks" many home cooks have developed and shared over the years, and am sure I'll be making use of several of his suggestions in the happy hours to come.
Profile Image for Kas.
25 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2021
As a cocktail novice, this book really helped me understand more about this profession. I completely read it front to back because there was a lot of fun information to process. Unfortunately due to being quite unknown in the bar business and being only someone making cocktails at home every once in a while, I can't really say if this is sufficient information for everybody.

However, I do think it has a nice combination of beginner & intermediate info (perhaps some advanced info sprinkled in between?). It goes from explaining how to cut and juice citrus to how long you could keep the juice if you were in a bar setting (or having a fun cocktail party at home!). It also included a great chapter about carbonation.. which I never would've thought to find interesting.

The book includes many cocktails, among many classics, as examples for their chapters. Example, Chapter 2 is about juices, and includes a cocktail for apple, pineapple juice and a cocktail for fruit purees. Which I think is very nice so you not only learn about an ingredient or subject, but also immediately learn how you could apply it.
Do note that the real beginner info (Measuring, How to shake a cocktail, the tools of the bar et cetera) are all at the back. Which confused me at first but now makes total sense. It's logical to learn about the ingredients before you try shoving stuff together and see if it works

Imagery is beautiful too. Makes me jealous that my cocktails never end up looking like that but practice makes perfect I suppose! The step-by-step pictures are also much appreciated.

Overall a great read, learned a lot of stuff!
Profile Image for Dimitris.
2 reviews
September 29, 2020
A must-read for the professional and the home bartender. The book explores all the techniques needed to mix a great cocktail, starting from the basics like citrus juices all the way to advanced garnishing. In-between the pages filled with guides to the techniques are recipes that highlight the technique of the particular section. The entire book is beautifully illustrated with still frames of the mixing processes or photos of the cocktails, making the entire read more understandable.

This is one of those books that you read cover to cover, then re-read it and fill it with post-its that point to recipes and specific processes you want to try out. Definitely worth a second and even a third read.
Profile Image for Gary   Allen.
Author 10 books15 followers
January 4, 2020
Well-organized, practical and logical... not the sort of qualities I would associate with making drinks at home!

Seriously, Morgethaler has the kind of mind that tests conventional wisdom and always comes up with sensible answers that are bound to improve the reader's products... whether the drinks are being made at home of in a professional setting. He writes with good humor... and always acknowledges the contributions of great bartenders he has known... and tells us where to get all the best equipment.

All in all, a very useful book. My only complaint was about the book's production; there are wonderful photos, throughout, but they would have benefitted by explanatory captions.
Profile Image for Alison.
527 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2016
As someone who was SUPER into cocktails a couple years ago, but kind of got distracted, I was tickled to find this book. It has rekindled my interest and inspired me to try some things I haven't done before. In particular, I am excited to try his quinine tincture method for gin and tonics rather than making a tonic syrup. My only complaint is there isn't a Manhattan recipe, which doesn't really matter because mine is the best, but that's the cocktail I use for the sake of comparison. Off to the liquor store!
Profile Image for James Foster.
158 reviews17 followers
June 7, 2021
Great reference for cocktail hobbyists. Morgenthaler explains in detail what tools one should have behind the bar. Describes and shows in detail how to make essential ingredients such as juices, syrups, tinctures, and infusions and how to choose and use dairy, eggs, and ice. The chapter on techiniques is extensive and helpful—though was surprised it didn’t include throwing or rolling a cocktail. Beautiful pictures. The focus of the book is on techniques and incredients, not recipes. But each item discussed includes a yummy cocktail recipe to illustrate the point.
1 review
September 6, 2018
I wanted to start making cocktails at home just as a hobby, and this book provides not only a pretty good introduction to the topic but it also appears to serve a more professional audience: it is suitable for beginners, as it doesn't require prior knowledge, and at the same time it goes into complex matter and exotic stuff you actually won't find at many bars. It has great illustrations and it is pleasant to read. It is not pretentious (like you would expect from similar books about wine and cooking) and the writing style is down-to-earth. I learned so much from this relatively short read that now I am a bit spoiled going to bars and in many cases leaving unhappy because of getting the level below the stuff found book (and it may boost your confidence about the stuff you can make at home as surprisingly you may end up making better stuff at home than in many venues).
However, to me as a beginner and aspiring home-bartender the book has some shortcomings and some topics are overlooked:
- For background knowledge, it would be nice to know how gin, rum, vodka and other prominent alcoholic ingredients are made.
- It doesn't cover the topic of glassware at all. Each recipe in the book has a recommended glass, but it's not motivated why, nor a list of all types of glasses is given. That would be a great additional chapter.
- How to store liquor? That's not included, unlike how to store citrus juice. Some people keep gin and others at room temperature, while some keep liquor in the fridge and freezer.
- As much as it's cool to see the complex stuff that you can make only in a professional setting, in many aspects the book is not geared towards running a home bar. Most of the recipes require exotic ingredients that normally you wouldn't keep at home because it's not feasible. Therefore there are only several recipes that you can actually make at home. A possibly unpopular opinion: it would be nice to have recommended substitutes for some ingredients that are hard to source or that make no sense to keep at home (because they are used by only a single cocktail recipe, unlike stuff such as gin).
- Recipes for common cocktails such as whiskey sour, cosmopolitan, manhattan are missing. I understand that the book is based on taste and experience which may vary from person to person, but I wouldn't overlook popular cocktails, especially those that are relatively simple to make with ingredients that are shared by many other cocktails.
In conclusion, this is a very good book that will teach you lots of stuff, especially if you are a beginner like me, but further reading might be needed.
59 reviews
January 6, 2022
This is an essential book for anyone looking to up their cocktail mixing game. In fact, if I had it to do over, I would have gotten this book first and then supplemented it with a few cocktail recipe books and books on bitters-making. Morgenthaler’s prose is engaging and concise, so by the end (assuming you’ve made his demonstration drinks) you should have a really good handle on making any drink you fancy. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the section on cherries. I’m not sure why he thinks sour cherries are so rare, but they’re readily available where I live, in Western New York. Also, his recipe for brandied cherries is concerning. He never indicates if he had it tested for safety. And worse, he has you can them for 5 fewer minutes than Ball’s recommendation. I’m not sure why, because if he canned for at least 10 minutes he could forgo the sterilization process (which is poorly described anyway). He also fails to give you instructions to ensure a good seal, such as running a knife or canning tool along the inside of the jars to remove air bubbles (instead recommending you tap the jars on the counter) or cleaning the top of the jars before putting the lids on. Maybe consulting a canning expert would make this section more user-friendly and safe. Aside from that, I think the book is stellar!
Profile Image for Hanna Anderson.
625 reviews5 followers
February 14, 2025
I like that this one is, as the title suggests, more about technique than ingredients; it's grouped by technical aspects to master (juicing, mixing, garnishing, etc.) rather than liquor type. I've read a few books grouped by liquor type, and those are great! It's just nice to have a book that does something differently. I also liked that he goes into the science of bartending (infusion through osmosis v. dissolution, how shaking vs. stirring breaks up the ice molecules differently, etc.). I think that elevates the book and gives it something unique. I'm very much of the mindset that explaining *how and why* we do something is better than just explaining *what* we do, because with the former you are learning and applying what you learned, whereas with the latter you are simply memorizing something without fully understanding it. I got a fair amount of good notes out of reading this, and it also helped confirm a lot of things I already know, which is good too.
2,934 reviews261 followers
May 2, 2018
"Making your own spiced rum gives you great control over the flavors in your cocktail than simply purchasing spiced rum off the shelf."

This was a useful dive into the cocktail world that was around 3.5 stars for me.

Going through what makes cocktails work (mixing, temperature, ice, etc.) this is a helpful guide to making good drinks at home. It tells you ratios to use and what kinds of flavors go with what. More pictures would have been helpful and more variety but it's a solid place to start to learn to make drinks.
Profile Image for Mari Rydings.
39 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2020
Like so many people, the pandemic caused our household to explore cocktail making at home. I read an article (possibly in Imbibe magazine) reviewing different bartending books, and randomly decided to try this one. It is everything you could want in a bar book and so much more (like a few recipes and entertaining writing). I borrowed the book from the library, but when my husband saw how much I nerded out reading it, he bought a copy for me as a Christmas present. It's my go-to guide. Well done!
59 reviews
February 14, 2022
The book is attractively packaged and has nice pictures inside. However, it is short on cocktail recipes. Instead, it spends a lot more time on the ingredients and how to source them in the most authentic way possible. That is great for a professional barman, but for home use, much of this is not usable as most will not go to such great lengths to get such a large variety of ingredients to make the occasional cocktail. A good book for the shelf, but not of much practical value to the casual mixologist.
Profile Image for sarah.
216 reviews20 followers
January 26, 2024
skimmed thru, it’s so bad. I know I am not the greatest mixologist & there are techniques I have never used, but this information is so weak. bar manager in our company got this for me to expand my experience… but I know a thing or two about tinctures & this dude just glosses over EVERYTHING. he’s like yeah just get the ice, pick it & then you have spherical ice cubes for cocktails, see? I’ve taken better bartending classes than this book. he also lists ingredients, then doesn’t tell you how to use them. I’d rather learn from a person.
Profile Image for Dio Moore.
106 reviews
November 15, 2022
Recommended to me - it's definitely not something I'd have picked up by myself. But I am foolish, and would be nothing without recommendations.

Really interesting mix of technique, history, and humour. Lots of delightful, involved recipes to try out - and the drinks/etc I've had from this book have been wonderful! Lots of advice, definitely one for anyone interested in cocktails. But, like, actual cocktails.
Profile Image for Diogo.
1 review
August 24, 2023
I truly enjoyed this book. As a experienced Bartender, I can say that this book gives knowledge to both experienced and newcomers in this beautiful world of bartending. Full with detailed information on how to do things, imagines to guide you and some cocktails recipes. Be prepared for a more American directional bartending way and for some cockiness from the author ( I mean, which Bartender isn't cocky or pretentious right? )
Profile Image for Yasin S..
125 reviews18 followers
December 30, 2017
Güzel yemek yapmak sizi iyi bir aşçı yapmadığı gibi güzel kokteyl yapabilmek de sizi asla iyi bir barmen/barmeid yapmaz. Bu kitap hobi seviyesinin ötesinde profesyonel düzeyde bir bar çalışanı iseniz okumanız gereken bir kitap. O yüzden çok hoşuma gitti. Zira bu kitap size kokteyl yapmayı değil bir barda daha efektif olarak nasıl çalışacağınızı gösteren bir eser.
Profile Image for Daniel Benevides.
277 reviews40 followers
January 24, 2020
Não é um livro de receitas, mas sim de técnicas de preparo. O mais importante é que ensina a fazer vários ingredientes secundários, muitos dos quais é difícil encontrar nas lojas do ramo. Enfim, bastante recomendável para amadores (como eu) e profissionais em início de carreira (mesmo para alguns com alguma experiência).
1 review
July 19, 2020
The Bar Book takes an awesome, in depth look at building a cocktail and details the techniques in the order you build the cocktail, which is a fantastic way to organize the information.

It’s super approachable and has a high level of detail on technique which, unlike many bar books which just have recipes, is quite refreshing to see. I learned a lot and I’m sure you will too :)
Profile Image for Tanner Agle.
100 reviews
June 18, 2021
A book that sparked my interest and love for mixology. An excellent overview of all the basics you need to know, and why you need to know it. My cocktails went from borderline undrinkable to upscale bar quality by the end of this book. I wish more bartenders would read this, maybe I'd stop getting lukewarm old fashioneds with a layer of granulated sugar at the bottom.
Profile Image for Alex Robertson.
1 review
July 1, 2023
The first bartending book I’d read

Good basic overview on tools and techniques of bartending. This book helps understand the skeletal structure of the art, without emphasis on specific spirits or styles of drinks. This is not primarily a recipe book. It is a great place for beginning bartenders to start their self-guided studies.
Profile Image for Aran Yapperton.
2 reviews
April 1, 2024
Absolutely a necessary book for any bartender wanting to add additional talents to their well reserve. Tons of solid experience being shared in a very reduced down to the essentials fashion. I'll be making my own syrups and perfecting my routine because of the advice between these pages. 5/5 I will reiterate it's an absolute treasure trove of information and knowledge.
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