A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World

by Robert Simonson

A narrative history of the craft cocktail renaissance, written by a New York Times cocktail writer and one of the foremost experts on the subject.

A Proper Drink is the first-ever book to tell the full, unflinching story of the contemporary craft cocktail revival. Award-winning writer Robert Simonson interviewed more than 200 key players from around the world, and the result is a rollicking (if slightly tipsy) story of the characters—bars, bartenders, patrons, and visionaries—who in the last 25 years have changed the course of modern drink-making. The book also features a curated list of about 40 cocktails—25 modern classics, plus an additional 15 to 20 rediscovered classics and classic contenders—to emerge from the movement.

Genres: Cocktails, Nonfiction, History, Food and Drink, Food, Booze

352 pages, Hardcover

Published September 20, 2016

Reviews

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈]

Because my life be like

[Bob Schiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting as I am now able to recognize names I've come across in my foray into the world of cocktails. A bit repetitive after awhile though.

[Jimmy Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It was a hard thing to own such a hated drink. So for many years Cecchini shirked his connection to it, developing the kind of cranky attitude toward his early work that Orson Welles had for Citizen Kane late in his career. That changed, though, as bartenders' feelings toward the cocktail began to relax, and as the number of credit hogs rose."

- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink

The Cosmo is actually a decent drink, albeit nothing complex or particularly challenging. I typically defer to Dale DeGroff for this recipe, as it's less citrus-forward than Cecchini's (DeGroff calls for 1/4 oz of lime juice, while Cecchini's is a whopping ounce, which strikes me as too much, especially if you're using Absolut Citron). Cheryl Cook supposedly invented the drink in South Beach in the late 80's, but it was Cecchini's call to use Absolut Citron, which, to my mind, makes the drink. Nevertheless, the history around why this drink is so maligned, is interesting, and one that most bartenders know about. Vodka drinks pretty much had a creative monopoly on the 80's. Part of the reason drinks such as the Cosmo are so maligned is because easy vodka cocktails dominated the culture so much, while gin (a vastly more complex spirit) took a backseat. Still, when made well, I'll always defend the Cosmo as being a respectable cocktail despite its annoying popularity and simplicity.

Bartending histories/recipe books can be tedious reads at times. If you've read one history, say Straight Up by William Grimes, then you've more or less ascertained the gist of the evolution of cocktail culture in the states and in England. Simonson's A Proper Drink gets a little more into the nitty gritty of different movements and pioneers. Particularly engaging is Simonson's retelling of Petraske with Milk and Honey, Saunders' very well known Pegu Club, and the inescapable brilliance of Phil ward with Death and Co.

A Proper Drink also includes a number of good anecdotes and dispelled myths. In example, there are differing takes on Kazuo Uyeda's introduction to the American bartending world by the Slovakian Stanislav Vadrna. Fascinated by Uyeda's technique and the overall approach the Japanese took to making cocktails, Vadrna attempted to enlighten westerners by having Uyeda explain the importance of the hard shake at a time when this was known holy writ in the cocktail world. Uyeda's explanations were taken as the instructions of an arrogant nationalist. The reality was that Uyeda, in a thoroughgoing Japanese way, simply thought that this technique was what he used, and it yielded consistent results for him. He wasn't saying that any bartender who didn't utilize the drink was inferior in any way. Uyeda was not fluent in English, and it's likely that his earnest pedagogical intentions were lost in translation.

It seems no secret that most of these bartenders who made history were fascinating human beings with incredibly diverse backstories. What they all have in common is a tenacious commitment to this craft. Some were actors, some were in the tech industry, and others were simply interested in making a small fortune. All of them saw a way in which they could express themselves creatively through bartending, which afforded them the time and the money to pursue other ambitions. The knowledge of this reality is commonplace. Ask any caterer, server, or bartender what they'd rather be doing, and you'll have your answer. Simonson's ability to pace these backstories, while focusing on their relevance to cocktail culture and history, is impressive. The recipes are essential, tastefully punctuating the narrative, and some are relatively esoteric. The entire book is almost worth reading just to discover the recipe for the Ward's "Division Bell", an utterly busy, inimitable, and obscure cocktail, which is surprisingly unbelievable.

[Forest Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper Drink is a thorough summary of how the current cocktail resurgence began and the course it took in the ensuing decades, mainly in the US and the UK. Those who have been involved in the scene for some time will be familiar with the names, drinks and places and appreciate how the book pulled all this information into a concise chronology.

I've followed Simonson's writing for sometime as well as read his other drinks-related books. He's clearly a journalist with not just a passing interest but a solid knowledge of the subject. The book is well-researched and he's pulled in input and quotes from some of the industry's leading names and brains to give it further substance. It's also well-written in an accessible voice with a cool turn of phrase or two.

I did learn a few interesting bits, but I also already knew a lot of the information in here. But that didn't make it a less interesting read. In fact, it made it moreso. I imagine it took a great deal of time and work it took to pull together all the detailed recipes, bar stories, industry gossip, business dealings and more into such a coherent chronology. And, I'm very glad he took the time to do so.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing look at how a band of bartenders revived the cocktail movement and saved the civilized drinking world in the process. Robert Simonson painstakingly pieces together the top bartenders from around the world and tells how a drink here and a vintage cocktail book there helped bring about a cocktail revival that most of us take for granted. Without the ingenuity and determination of some bartenders to re-make some classic cocktails found in dusty old manuals and the willpower to track down obscure ingredients we wouldn't have the options that we currently enjoy. They brought back the classics, the sidecar, the ramos gin fizz, and in the process created new classics like the cosmopolitan and the appletini. A very comprehensive look at individual bartenders, and influential cocktail bars this book can get a little bogged down at times but is overall enlightening and will make you appreciate your drinks more. Also included are cocktail recipes at the end of every chapter.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

[roxi Net · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that this book started off in one of my favorite places to visit (New Orleans) immediately hit me right! The author seems to travel the same way I do - around food and drink at restaurants I want to try. The stories contained (with a few recipes) really made me appreciate drinks and bartenders a lot more given the history that goes behind both; it also helps that I'm studying for my 'tending certificate!

[Anne Frisbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book of cocktail recipes, though the dozen or so included are all great choices.

This book brings to life the characters that started the modern cocktail revival. Robert Simonson interviewed the key figures of the revival - namely bartenders, and bartenders turned bar owners. The book is a free flowing narrative based on those interviews. The cocktail revolution is fascinating, in part, because it is recent, modern history. The stories that make up this book run from the late 1980s through 2015 - ending with the death of Sasha Petraske, creator of Milk & Honey.

For someone who has frequented many of the bars listed in this book and who has made many of these bartenders' cocktails, this book was, especially, fun to read.

Of course, New York and New Yorkers are the main drivers of the cocktail revolution. It was fun to learn so much about the lives of all the New Yorkers: Dale DeGroff, Sasha Petraske (Milk & Honey), Julie Reiner (Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club, Leyenda), Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club), Phil Ward (hired by Reiner's partner, and who I found to have one of the most interesting backgrounds) and so many others.

New York is far and away the most influential city in creating the modern cocktail revival. But, it should be noted (especially as a San Franciscan) that San Francisco has a pretty significant influence too. New York, London (mainly, Dick Bradsell) and San Francisco are the most referenced cities in the book. Notably, Los Angeles has no influence in the cocktail revival.

As for San Francisco: "Unlike other American cities, San Francisco never completely abandoned cocktail culture." San Francisco always used fresh ingredients with fresh squeezed limes for cocktails @ Zuni Cafe, and freshly picked mint for Mojito's @ Enrico's in North Beach. Tommy's Margarita (today's version of a top shelf, fresh margarita) was invented by Julio Bermejo - son of the owners of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in the Richmond. Paul Harrington at Enrico's invented The Jasmine, and Marco Dionysus of Absinthe restaurant invented the Ginger Rogers (likely before the Gin Gin Mule in NY). Additionally, San Francisco cocktail influence was always about ingredient sourcing (in the style of Alice Waters) with Scott Beattie making 'gardens in a drink' and Thad Vogler focusing on small (not big brand name) craft spirits - something that is still relatively new.

On a personal note: I am sad that I never went to Milk & Honey in NY before it closed. Today, Attaboy is my favorite New York bar and has been since it opened, though Phil Ward's Mayahuel (before it closed) made the best Mezcal drinks in New York, in my opinion.

[Southern Today Gone Tomorrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Proper Drink, by Robert Simonson, is a journey through the development of the modern cocktail. Through alcoholic literature, there are more books recommended than I thought would be mentioned in this book that is a discussion of alcohol, and personal anecdotes, Simonson walks the reader through every stage of this development.

An excellent start to an alcohol book collection, this does leave a bit of a pretentious aftertaste in the reader’s mouth. While those personal anecdotes add to a story, there were times where is felt like the writer had no personality and was simply listing off what bartenders were saying in regards to one another and various drinks and bars. This book is a story of the bartenders and enthusiasts who made the mixed drink world what it is today, but I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of the author at times. While reading I was able to understand some of the hipster trends, the desire to be different and still through-back to the classics. Cocktails, today, are about refining drinks that have proven their worth based on ingredients, not their cheap price tag. Which is to say that these drinks are expensive, and it may be worth it to read a book that describes them a bit before buying them.



Be prepared to mourn your inability to go to many of these bars, be that because of location or the fact that they no longer exist. Simonson shines a light on the arguably most influential locations around the globe including Melbourne, NY, San Francisco, LLondon, and New Orleans. Most of these bars would truly fall under the “speakeasy” umbrella, if for nothing more than the size of them. These are the locations that you don’t readily ask for a beer at. How I wish I could venture there.

If you are not interested in drinks beyond “give me the cheapest,” don’t open this book. But, if you are intrigued by the speakeasy world and all those mixed drinks, this is a great place to begin. A definite must read for anyone who drinks more than beer, and any bartender. Bartenders all have their own stories, and within these pages there are a few of the more interesting.



I was given this review copy by Penguin Random House for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book nearly two months ago, but just was able to finish it. This was not because I was busy, or didn't like the book, but more because javaczuk, my ex-bartender husband, who lived in NYC for a bit, and who still holds a fascination for the art of spirits tucked it away to read. (To be fair, I knew he would, and as I had other books to occupy me, and a good bit of art as well, I was fine. My only qualm was that it delayed my thoughts on the book for Blogging for Books, and the publisher, from whom I got my copy. This review is a combination of both our thoughts: the expert and the novice.

For both the mixologist and the lover of fine cocktails, this was an interesting book. It is praiseworthy for its comprehensiveness, Simonson's ability to make the reader feel as if they are observing these pioneering mixologists with short, simple descriptions, and its ability to put the modern cocktail movement in historical context. From my point of view, I was happy it spurred Javaczuk on to try some of the recipes provided. It also was just plain interesting reading, introducing the novice (me) to some of the finer nuances in crafting a cocktail. The general index, and the index of people interviewed/corresponded with were also helpful, but made me realize this was essentially just one city, which made me wonder who else was out there, in untapped regions. It also made me realize that my personal slap-dash method of making a drink would make most people shudder.

Only thing other thing that would have been nice to have seen would be some pictures of the bartenders and bars, as some of Simonson's media articles have done, but understand that there are cost considerations in publishing a book.

This certainly will hold a place of esteem (and be a point of reference) in our collection of Mixology books.To end with Javaczuk's thoughts, for he certainly knows far more on the subject than I do; "As far as I know, this is the best book existing on the subject. Brilliant piece of research.

[Aaron Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craft cocktails have absolutely exploded in my lifetime, if you (quite reasonably, in my mind) define "lifetime" as "my life once I turned drinking age". If it seems like liquor drinks have gotten way more complicated than a simple gin and tonic since the turn of the millennium, it's because they have: the dramatic surge in the quality, variety, complexity, and popularity of craft cocktails is a very recent phenomenon with a surprisingly international backstory. Simonson reaches all over the planet to profile the bars, drinks, ingredients, and bartenders who transformed cocktail drinking from the sullen refuge of depressed midcentury businessmen into the performative artisanal showcase for trendy young people that we know it as today. If you've wondered why there's suddenly so many Prohibition-themed bars popping up near you or why there's so many baffling variations on a French 75, look no further than this book.

While craft cocktails have only really come into their own in the 21st century, the seeds were sown in the late 80s. You won't be surprised to read that the classic Tom Cruise movie Cocktail did a lot to raise the profile of bartending, but I was shocked that TGI Friday's of all places helped incubate an entire generation of skilled drinkmakers, which eventually became crucial as mixology standards became higher and more widely spread (though I should have remember that Tom Cruise even starts the movie working in a TGI Friday's). Simonson doesn't detour into how Friday's, at one point the premier female-focused singles bar in New York, went from its formerly high standards - "To become a bartender you had to learn four hundred drinks and pass a test. Twenty-five of those drinks you had to make blindfolded, in a certain amount of time, knowing through muscle memory where each bottle was." - to the kitschy flair overload punchline it is today, but it's an object lesson in how poorly-handled popularity can transform an intimate, unique, special place into just another bar (the comparison with Southern California's tiki craze, a recurring interest of mine, is well-made). That trendiness cycle is a common theme in the book, as many of these bars - Milk and Honey, Pegu Club, Death & Co, PDT, WD-50, Aviary, Hotel Monteleone - featured genuinely talented and compelling bartenders adept at crafting interesting drinks, yet they consistently struggled to support their distinctive visions at scale once the masses started showing up, in part egged on by surprisingly influential restaurant critics.

They seem really cool while they lasted, though, and Simonson's war-story depictions of each bar's atmosphere at their peak are a real pleasure to read, as he's able to bring out the artistry and energy of the various drinking scenes, making even the most hectic night seem like just the place you'd want to be right before last call. He's also very attuned to the often-goofy philosophizing of the drinkmakers, always sympathetically presenting the diametrically opposed opinions of some very opinionated people - whether to use jiggers for precision or to free-pour for effect; if one needs to master arcane tricks like the Japanese hard shake or if it doesn't matter how you shake as long as the customers like it; if people should be able to order what they want or if the customer is always wrong; if one should use only the very freshest ingredients or if aged cocktails are where it's at; if it's best to innovate exciting new drinks or if nothing beats a well-executed classic. And most of all, he makes you want to have a drink in their bars. While his jumps back and forth between cities like NYC, London, San Francisco, Melbourne, Boston, and so on can seem haphazard, it comes off a really fun barhop in space and time, getting to talk to and about legendary bartenders like Dale DeGroff, Sasha Petraske, Dick Bradsell, David Wondrich, Audrey Saunders, and Julie Reiner. I could read bartenders rhapsodizing about why you need to use the exact right type of lime at the exact right hour of the day for a long time; you can practically taste the drinks they're describing.

My only minor complaint is that he didn't lengthen the book by including more background context, both on why the craft cocktail movement started at this specific time and not another, and how it relates to other, similar transformations. The craft beer explosion started around the same time, and it would be interesting to see what overlap if any exists between the two movements, since I'm not sure there's a comparable "craft wine" movement as a control variable. Many of the same people like to drink both craft beer and craft cocktails, but I'm not sure the same people like to make both of them. Did society simply become rich enough in the 80s to make luxury cocktails affordable for a critical mass of discerning consumers, or was it more akin to an artistic revolution that drove consumer tastes rather than the market finding the producers? The high-end restaurant scene would also be a good reference point - Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in Napa Valley and Grant Achatz's Alinea in Chicago are two restaurants he mentions which influenced craft cocktail designers in their use of fresh ingredients and innovative preparation techniques, respectively, but does the craft cocktail movement parallel similar changes in what people expect from their food, or is nightlife distinctive enough from eating out that the two are mostly unrelated? Also related is why hotels were so innovative in midcentury, both in food and drink, but seem to have lost their primary place these days: why are the Reuben sandwiches and sazeracs of today invented outside of hotels?

Regardless, whether you're someone questing for the perfect Manhattan or willing to try any take on a Moscow Mule, Simonson's account of why you've heard about those drinks in the first place is incredibly useful. Best of all, there's plenty of famous drink recipes in the book exactly as they were originally concocted, so even if you can't have a particular drink at one of the now-closed bars which made it legendary, from the hands of the mixologists themselves, you can still enjoy them in the comfort of your own home. Even the story about how they came to be called "cocktails" in the first place is pretty great.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read and used Simonson's book on the martini, as well as his Three Ingredient Cocktails. On the strength of those, I decided to read this one.
Here is the thing. It's interesting, but I got bored about halfway through. What did it was the intermingling of the various names to the point where there were so many I couldn't keep them straight. The book could have used some serious editing in terms of considering whether this was just a fetteschrifft to a cast of thousands of bartenders, or an actual storyline of a BAND of bartenders. As it is, I think the book mostly is geared toward bartenders who want a book on their shelf in which their own name appears.
Some of the recipes he chose to feature aren't exactly those a home bartender like myself would find appealing. I picked one he raved about, The Last Word, a genuine classic cocktail, not a riff. It was awful. Maybe our palates haven't evolved enough, but it was unbalanced and tasted like rotgut. (And yes, we used good gin!) I will, however try a few more, just because his three ingredient book had some good stuff in it, and he understands that vermouth makes a martini; drinking a glass of gin and adding an olive is only pretending it's a martini.

[Nigel Ewan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatively lengthy account of the contemporary cocktail renaissance. The point of the whole book is: twenty years ago, nobody drank classic cocktails; now it is a huge international thing. This book's existence itself is evidence of that. I really can't believe I read the whole thing—not because it was boring, but it is quite long and full of detailed descriptions of bartenders and bars. The crazy thing is, these bars are iconic to me—and almost all the bartenders are celebrities in my mind—so I just kept reading. All in all, the book was sweeter and less self-indulgent than I initially expected.

[Alison Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Recommended to anyone interested in cocktails. A brilliant well written account of the rise of the cocktail that we have been lucky enough to have. Having recently really gotten into making cocktails at home and accruing quite a spirit collection, it was great to read such a comprehensive story of how cocktails have been revived.

It was good to read about familiar names and now ones. I'm a subscriber to cocktail lovers magazine which mentions the bars and people in this book so it was good to know their history.

[Valeska · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book thinking it was shorter and was something I could read while waiting on my holds. I just returned it two days late...

Still, it was an interesting read to learn about the cocktail resurgence. My now husband and I started dating in 2013 and loved trying new cocktails on our dates. We still sometimes try new creations on our own.

It was fun learning about how all the drinks and spirits that we enjoy came to be, especially Creme de Violette and Saint Germaine. It was definitely years of diligence and getting the right recipe books. I raise a glass to these bartenders!

[Yasin S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book about the second coctail renaissance. A must read for every bartender and drink enthusiast.
Idealist vision of a generation of genius bartenders have created todays elite drinking world. Thanks to them each day we have better and tastier drinks than before. By this book you will learn how it became possible and how difficult it was to teach people properly. And as a bartender I am proud to take a part in this cocktail renaissance history.

[Neil O'Rourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some good stories of the cocktail scenes in London, New York, New Orleans, and Sam Francisco. Unfortunately they’re tied together so loosely that it’s hard to put a narrative together.

I took my read in fits and starts, trying my best to carry on at least to a chapter ending. Thankfully they’re short enough.

Worth a read if you’re curious about the scene. The book on Sasha Petraske is more worthwhile.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This book details the revival of cocktail culture, in the United States and across the globe, beginning in the 1980s. It details the key players and establishments that brought the cocktail back into vogue. The book contains recipes that relate to each chapter and show the evolution and diversity of cocktails. Although the book bogs down in the details at times, it provides an interesting look at the culture and evolution of bartending.

[Michael Baum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

The book was full of great information. I wish that it had a more chronological approach overall but it was a great read nonetheless. The addition of some visuals would’ve also been a nice touch; which bartenders started where and where they went who they influenced and where they continued on to. Something like that would’ve been interesting to see.

[Arimathea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of the most recent renaissance of the cocktail, with a number of recipes provided for at-home bartenders. A glossary of characters would have been useful, perhaps as an extra column for the long list of persons interviewed and dates of interviews. I'd also be interested to know how many of these establishments survived the COVID related closures of bars and restaurants.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the tendency to become list like in calling out bartenders and bars, this book does a better job than anything else I've read in pulling all of the pieces together. Especially the pre-Rainbow Room pieces which never seem to be discussed.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a cocktail enthusiast, this book was delightful. The details of how the industry emerged from a place where most of it's history and rigor had been forgotten to the era we are in today, it provides a great look at where we were and the path to where we are

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great and interesting history of the cocktail movement, both in America and around the world. If you love going to bars and watching great bartenders work, then you have to read this. It'll definite fill up your travel wishlist with fun bars to try all over the place!

[Todd Landrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit on the dry side -- Bartender X worked at Y where he created Z. Not a lot of insider or entertaining stories. It was kind of fascinating to read how recently all of this cocktail culture has sprung up - 1990s through 2000s.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of the modern cocktail movement.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history and drink recipes in this. A must read for classic/craft cocktail enthusiasts.

[Paul Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable and well researched. Highly recommended for anyone in the industry.

[Belz · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn't what i was looking for. i didn't care much for these bartenders and wanted to know about the drinks more.

[Josh Freund · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative, enjoyable, and occasionally surprising tour through the names, places, and drinks that played a part in the modern craft cocktail revival

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5…This is an encyclopedic (maybe too encyclopedic of the bartenders, owners, places, spaces, and legendary drinks of the modern classic cocktail Renaissance. So many good stories!

[Bill Marsano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is based on a pre-publication version of the book. By Bill Marsano. In these the high days of America’s Cocktail Culture, it is reasonable to ask the question ‘How all of a sudden did our drinks and drinking spots become so good?’ Well ‘sudden’ isn’t the word; it’s more the case of an overnight success that was 20 years in the making. An equally good question is ‘How did American drinking become so awful?’ I can answer the second question. First, National Prohibition largely destroyed bartending as a profession (and at the same time it created the illicit booze trade that provided the financial underpinnings of organized crime). Then World War II diverted most alcohol production from beverage to wartime applications. Finally, at war’s end the Vodka Tsunami largely reduced cocktails to a shot of vodka plus some juice and ice. In this book Robert Simonson, a well-established and widely published expert in the field, answers the first question, and he does it in high style. He seems to have interviewed everyone involved in the cocktail renaissance—the lonely pioneers, working in isolation, the explorers who scoured libraries and bookstores for ancient bar manuals, the innovators who created new drinks and the traditionalists devoted to martinis, Manhattans and other classics, the mentors, the mavericks. And yet this is no tape-recorder book; Simonson wisely relies on their pithy and insightful comments far more than long-winded rants, and he flows the trail of cocktail pollination and cross pollination as the small but growing band of true believers try, fail, succeed, spread and teach. Frankly, it reads rather like a thriller; you can feel cocktail culture coming alive from about the early 1990s to the present. Just about all of the great bars and great bartenders find their way into Simonson’s narrative, as do some terrific recipes, some of which you ought to try as accompaniments to the reading of this excellent book.—Bill Marsano won a James Beard medal for drinks writing and was for a decade the wine-and-spirits editor of Hemispheres magazine.