Let's Make Cocktails!: A Comic Book Cocktail Book

by Sarah Becan

A fun and approachable comic book cookbook introduction to the wonderful world of cocktails, with 60 recipes for classic drinks and tips for stocking your first bar cart, from co-author and illustrator of Let's Make Ramen! and Let's Make Dumplings!

Sarah Becan invites readers to wet their whistles in Let's Make Cocktails! Featuring her colorful, approachable illustrations that have become a series favorite, the book opens with insight on the proper tools, glassware, and staple ingredients such as secondary spirits, homemade syrups, and garnishes to always have in stock. With vivid, easy-to-follow graphics, Becan guides readers through basic techniques such as  shaking, stirring, muddling, and more. 

Becan walks through the origin, tradition, and popular connotation of each cocktail, with fun tidbits on drink accompaniments and occasions. With all recipes organized by spirit for easy access, readers will delight in the panelized step-by-step comic instructions for making favorites such as a Bourbon-based Paper Plane, a refreshing gin Bee's Knees, a proper Vodka or Dry Martini (and how to order one correctly), the much-needed morning Bloody Mary, and more. For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, she also includes delicious spirit-free options such as the perfect Arnold Palmer or Lemon Lime & Bitters. 

With 60 recipes for cornerstone cocktails, Let's Make Cocktails! is the perfect addition to any beginner's bar cart.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Sarah Becan has been drawing comics since she was very small. Her food-based autobiographical webcomic "I Think You're Sauceome" sparked a love of food and culinary illustration, and her work has since appeared in various publications, including Saveur Magazine, Eater.com, StarChefs, and the Chicago Reader. Her first graphic novel, The Complete Ouija Interviews, was a recipient of a Xeric award, and she illustrated The Adventures of Fat Rice (Ten Speed Press, 2016). Let's Make Ramen, her first full length illustrated cookbook, comes out July 2019.

She would be very happy to do nothing but draw food all day.

Reviews

[Pattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Sarah Becan's Let's Make! series of illustrated cookbooks. When I found out she was creating a cocktail book, I was overjoyed. The sections on the history of cocktails are so fun and the illustrations of the tools and techniques are very useful. I'm not new to cocktail making so I am always curious about whether cocktail books will teach me something new. In this one, I learned how to "float" and the drawings were instrumental to my learning.

The history of spirits and explanations of the varieties (i.e., English vs American gin) add a layer of knowledge that you don't see in most cocktail books. The illustrated history and instructions for the cocktails makes drinking them extra special. These are classic cocktails, the kind every bartender needs to learn, and you will astound your friends and family with your new abilities. There is a section on nonalcoholic drinks as well. Learn to use fruit, citrus, bitters, and shrubs to make interesting and tasty mocktails!

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the chance to give an honest review of this advanced reading copy. I know that I'm gushing, but it's just that good. I'm definitely going to pre-order a physical copy to keep on my home bar. Thanks, Sarah Becan. You rock.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. It is incredibly detailed but also nicely brief in the explanations which means that I didn’t get bogged down with extra details. There was a lot more information than I expected; there is cocktail history, tools, techniques, how to cut garnishes, how to make syrups yourself, explanations about different types of liquors, and then finally a whole bunch of recipes with detailed step by step directions. A recipe is fine and all, but having the individual steps and techniques ILLUSTRATED for you makes this significantly easier!

I think this is perfect for someone brand new to making cocktails, but also would be useful for someone with some experience under their belt. I wish that I owned this book instead of having a digital ARC copy, and I think ill probably end up buying a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely enjoyed this way more than I expected. I went in not totally sure what I’d get out of it, but I ended up learning a ton—not just about cocktails themselves, but also the history behind them, the tools you need, and how to actually put together a solid drink.

The art style is super cute and easy to follow. It makes everything feel approachable, even if you’ve never touched a cocktail shaker in your life. I’ve always found regular cookbooks kind of boring and hard to stay engaged with, but this was the opposite. The comic format kept me entertained the whole time.

The recipes are pretty simple and include a lot of the basics people typically look for, so it’s a solid starter guide. I do wish there were a few more unique or lesser-known recipes thrown in, just to mix it up a bit (no pun intended). But overall, this was fun, informative, and something I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking to up their home bar game without getting overwhelmed.

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really loved Let’s Make Cocktails. Now, I’m not a massive drinker or anything, but I did take a bartender’s course as a date night once and I’ll definitely make the odd drink here or there, and so I’ve primarily been interested in reading books like this for the unique and themed type of drinks. And while this one wasn’t super themed or anything, I really love this idea of cookbooks written via comic/graphic novel style.

Most of the ones you see are simply recipe books with admittedly too much fluff, sometimes, that rely heavily on photographs. It was really cool to see this done in a unique way as a graphic novel. I really loved the artwork in this and would definitely be interested in seeing more books like this in the future, perhaps with food next time!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of Sarah's "Let's Make Ramen!" cookbook, so seeing a cocktail book by her was an amazing surprise! I love this book because it's beautiful with the gorgeous illustrations, explanations of the drinks themselves, and a little bit of history into cocktails themselves. There are even some non-alcoholic selections in here that I enjoy, showing that anyone can enjoy a good cocktail. There are classics as well as new drinks included.

I have to say, my favorite part is learning about the history of these drinks through Sarah's bright illustrations. Comics are a wonderful medium that sometimes doesn't get enough love, so I'm very excited for this book to come out for others to enjoy and try out some recipes!

Thank you NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

An excellent introduction to cocktail making in a story-telling graphic novel format. It starts with the history of cocktails, then gets into the basics of types of glasses, tools, alcohols, fruits and syrups - and even the different types of ices used! Very thorough. Then coverage on how, with illustrations, to properly pour, shake, stir, muddle, float, and salt or sugar the rim.

The recipes are by type of alcohol. Each section gives you a fun history of that type of alcohol, and each recipe also includes the history - or legend! - behind it, as well as great illustrations on how exactly to mix it up.

A great collection of cocktail recipes made easy for anyone to make.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love comic books, and I love cocktails! What a fun way to learn new recipes and follow along. The illustrations are just great, and the book is so informative. I was not expecting a lesson in cocktails, but I am here for it! The facts I learned I will 100% be teaching my spouse. I loved the basics, such as simple syrup, being included, as well as instructions like how to muddle and how to perform proper cocktail “floating”. Great recipes, my personal favorite is the Caipirinha.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Becan for the ARC!

[Nev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been really into cocktail books lately so I was very excited to come across this ARC. I love the ramen book in the series and I've heard good things about the dumpling one too so I am a big fan of this series.

I like Sarah Becan's art style. The visuals are fun and clear. I love that there is a bit of info about the history of coctails. The tools and ingredients are well explained.

Overall, this was a fun read and I am excited to try the recipes and see how I like them. I'll probably buy a physical copy when it comes out too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for the ARC!

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Sarah Becan’s work so far except her Let’s Make Bread book.
Like the other books in her arsenal, Let’s Make Cocktails is beautifully drawn and exceptionally informative. The recipes are detailed and sound delicious!
There was so much more information than I expected! The history of cocktails, tools, techniques, how to cut garnishes, how to make syrups yourself, and explanations about different types of liquors!

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC.

[Lumie]

I am avid cocktail drinker and mixer when I’m at home with my family so having a full book telling me how to do it, with tips and tricks and also many recipes really brings me joy. From what glasses to use, to the different types of ice and how to garnish properly, it teaches us not only the ingredients to cocktails but also the little details to make them like a pro. I cannot wait to use these tips and recipes to my own cocktail making.

[Teodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

"Let's Make Cocktails" is a very welcome refresh in the book industry, with fun, beautiful and approachable drawings and explanations. It consists of 60 recipes for classic drinks, from their beginnings and history to their making from the scratch. I will definitely try all of them and I can't wait for it!

Overall I give this book 5 stars.

[Riri is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to reference for any bartending bf enthusiast! I firstly loved the illustrations. The graphics made it a lot easier to understand the information given. It gave all the necessary information for someone who has just started making drinks or needs a refresher! Along with essential recipes it gives fun facts about the birthplace of many famous cocktails! Lots of knowledge packed in this book that can be referenced with ease! Would love a second volume with more drinks!

[Sarah Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Let’s Make Ramen, Let’s Make Bread, and Let’s Make Dumplings (I’m still thinking about those sesame chicken dumplings!), so I grabbed this one the moment I saw it on NetGalley. The series’ signature mix of lively illustrations, storytelling, and fun historical context around classic cocktails really shines here. Highly recommend.

[Roberta Godoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the combination of comic book and learning about and how to make drinks!

It seems like a great gift for someone who just turned 18, learning about drinks in a fun and illustrated way!

I liked the division between the different types of drinks and how they are applied in different cocktails; it's also interesting to see their history.

[Icywolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little cocktail book done in the graphic novel style. It combines a bit of history for each cocktail with the recipe. As a big plus, the graphic style gives you a quick visual lesson in how to make the cocktail.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Ten Speed Press for early access to this book. It will be available on a bookshelf near you anytime after April 2026.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the art style, it was so informative, cool and cute. I enjoyed the stories, origins, descriptives of the tools needed, what are the key differences between each spirit, what goes into each cocktail/spirit laden drink, and non-spirit alternatives available.