What do you think?
Rate this book
Dry
This book is full of the very best cocktails – the most delicious flavours, the most distinctive combinations and the most adventurous recipes. And they are all made with non-alcoholic ingredients, from exciting new mixers to rich, fragrant syrups and spirits. Most can be created with ingredients found in your kitchen or garden, and all promise an exciting new way to drink dry.
These are imaginative, grown-up, non-alcoholic alternatives for the designated driver, teetotaller, or those who are pregnant, trying dry January, losing weight or just cutting back.
Whether you’re planning a Friday night in with friends, a lazy Sunday brunch or an evening huddled around a crackling fire you can find your dry drinks here.
These are imaginative, grown-up, non-alcoholic alternatives for the designated driver, teetotaller, or those who are pregnant, trying dry January, losing weight or just cutting back.
Whether you’re planning a Friday night in with friends, a lazy Sunday brunch or an evening huddled around a crackling fire you can find your dry drinks here.
144 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
41 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 3, 2019
DRY is a luscious everything-you-need guide for the new mocktail mixologist. Offers 48 recipes for elegant handcrafted cocktails and other equally delicious concoctions — all alcohol-free. From Beet Virgin Marys to Chile and Lime Margaritas, Raspberry and Lavender Shrubs to Espresso Mint Martinis, this gift-worthy handbook has you covered, including info on equipment, ingredients and simple syrup recipes. 5/5
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018
Thanks to the The Experiment and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#Dry #NetGalley
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018
Thanks to the The Experiment and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#Dry #NetGalley
September 5, 2018
I love a well-crafted cocktail (and I'll imbibe a sloppily made one, too), but not everyone in the household can share. This book comes to the rescue.
There are several really excellent cocktails in this collection, the ginger lime & Angostura fizz and the cucumber & elderflower cooler being my favorites. There's a lot of fresh fruit, fizzy water, and herbs at use here, as well as homemade syrups.
Some of the recipes feel kind of samey, but maybe that's because I haven't expanded the larder to include some of the more obscure or very-seasonal ingredients. Some elements just aren't available in Slovakia.
Still, it's fun to mix these drinks for people on hot summer days. When winter arrives, I'm sure the teas and other hot cocktails in here will be fun to brew, too.
There are several really excellent cocktails in this collection, the ginger lime & Angostura fizz and the cucumber & elderflower cooler being my favorites. There's a lot of fresh fruit, fizzy water, and herbs at use here, as well as homemade syrups.
Some of the recipes feel kind of samey, but maybe that's because I haven't expanded the larder to include some of the more obscure or very-seasonal ingredients. Some elements just aren't available in Slovakia.
Still, it's fun to mix these drinks for people on hot summer days. When winter arrives, I'm sure the teas and other hot cocktails in here will be fun to brew, too.
June 24, 2018
Everyone should have this book on their cookbook shelf. Or shelves. I have to admit, I have a whole bookcase of tombs that made the cut over four decades of moves, and shifts in my tastes. But the best have survived, and this book, "Dry," deserves its place on my shelf. The pictures of the cocktails are gorgeous. The choice of ingredients in the many drinks are trendy, but in a good way. I'm old enough to look at a recipe and know what it will taste like before I even shop for the ingredients. That's what this book is like. Scrolling from page to page, my mouth waters and I taste the drink without even lifting a finger. But then I did. I tested my favorites and yum. Some were complicated flavors, some familiar, but all were remarkable.
I intend to use this book as my canon of cocktails. "Mr. Boston's Bartender" seems out of date next to "Dry." Yes, no alcohol is required, or notated in the tomb, but if you're like me, you'll read the recipes and think, "hmm, I know the exact vodka, or gin, or tequila, or rum that will go perfect with this!" hahahahahaha FIVE STARS This book will stay on my shelf till the day I die.
I intend to use this book as my canon of cocktails. "Mr. Boston's Bartender" seems out of date next to "Dry." Yes, no alcohol is required, or notated in the tomb, but if you're like me, you'll read the recipes and think, "hmm, I know the exact vodka, or gin, or tequila, or rum that will go perfect with this!" hahahahahaha FIVE STARS This book will stay on my shelf till the day I die.
August 25, 2022
I’d been looking for some resources for nonalcoholic elixirs recently during my mixologist partner’s pregnancy and found Dry to be a nice resource for making elaborate mixed drinks without the booze. I’d been looking for some riffs on popular cocktail types and Clare Liardet’s work fusing bright, aromatic syrups and juices for a refreshing or stimulating effect. Working with shrubs, fresh fruit and herbs, and even salt and spice mixes, Dry includes vibrant drinks in which you can hardly miss the booze (well, mostly anyway). Liardet even includes a few cocktails that focus on Seedlip or other alcohol-free spirits that have lately come on the market. With a seasonal focus, arranging her libations to complement spring through winter tastes, Liardet’s advice provides some great advice on ways to keep having fun beverages during those periods when my partner had to abstain.
I recommend other resources for crafting global cocktails at Harris' Tome Corner, here.
I recommend other resources for crafting global cocktails at Harris' Tome Corner, here.
October 22, 2021
I love that this book exists and enjoyed reading the recipes, but I probably will not make anything other than the Chile Lime Margarita or the Autumn Sangria. These both use savory syrups that I think are key to enjoyable non-alcoholic cocktails. Also learned from this book about San Pellegrino Sanbitter and Crodino, made by the company behind Aperol & Campari. Yum. Just have to figure out where to buy them, other than on Amazon for $28.
April 20, 2022
It's mostly fruit juice with extras -- flavored syrups, vinegar shrubs, tea, or even hot chilis -- plus a handful of super-rich dessert drinks (think drinkable pudding) and spiced sweet coffee. If you want non-alcoholic drinks that aren't sweet, this is not the book for you. It's definitely not for me.
I preferred the creativity and wider variety in Julia Bainbridge's Good Drinks.
I preferred the creativity and wider variety in Julia Bainbridge's Good Drinks.
July 15, 2020
I loved sifting through this collection of tasty looking alcohol-free cocktails! Some of these recipes look so classy and bougie, and would be a blast to serve at baby showers or bridal showers for those who don't drink. A great addition to any home bar!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2020
I was never huge on drinking alcohol because I didn't like the way it made me feel. Now, due to health reasons, I can't have any alcohol whatsoever. I recently came across this book at the library and it has given me some good ideas to make when I feel like I need a new drink to try out.
January 2, 2020
I have skimmed it but not made anything from it, yet. I'm excited to use it in the coming year!
January 29, 2021
Some really interesting options, mostly focused on juices, fruit and herb syrups, and teas.
June 20, 2022
Many of these look delicious.
August 29, 2022
Started a bit slow (first few recipes were basically fancy fruit juice) but some really intriguing combinations in the back 2/3rds. A lot less obscure than some other zero proof books.
October 27, 2022
A good simple starting place for N/A beverages with some interesting combinations. Low skill requirements and not obscure with difficult to acquire ingredients.
August 19, 2018
I received this book as a free digital advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love mixology books, especially the simple ones that create interesting cocktails without a lot of time consuming homemade syrups, cordials, and juices. I don’t mind odd ingredients - I recently wrote a blog post solely about a new bergamot amaro - but I do mind special equipment (juicers!). So it was with a little trepidation that I requested Dry from NetGalley. Not because I fear the non-alcoholic cocktail, but rather because I suspected each recipe would require a specialty homemade syrup, cordial, and/or juice.
The book starts innocently enough with an illustrated overview of basic equipment - shaker, strainer, muddler, etc. However, the centrifugal juicer and the soda stream were listed as a basic pieces of equipment. That didn’t bode well for me. However, the list of staple ingredients reassured me: fruit, vegetables, bitters, celery salt, fresh ginger, jasmine tea flowers, kombucha, Himalayan salt, raw honey, rose water, tamarind, turmeric, mixers, Szechuan peppercorns. I actually could find all of that in my local grocery store. And then came the recipes for the syrups and shrubs. Each recipe was well written and easy to follow; unfortunately, the smallest yield was ten ounces and the recipes are used only teaspoons at a time in the drink recipes.
After the introductory material, the book is divided into six chapters of eight drink recipes apiece. Each chapter has a particular time of day or season as its theme: new starts, Friday nights, lazy Sundays, long summers, wood smoke warmers, fireside glow. The drink recipes themselves were also well written and fairly easy to follow. The ingredients were listed down the left side of the page, with the numbered paragraph recipe steps written on the right. At times, the recipe steps did assume that the reader had some basic knowledge of mixology, as they combined activities without precise instructions. For example: “Stir well before pouring into your glass rimmed with lemon juice and Himalayan salt, and filled with ice cubes.” Rather than containing headnotes, the recipes contained additional notes afterward that focused on “Flavor,” “Adapt,” “Healthy,” “Inspiration,” and so on. The vast majority of the drink recipes were written to yield one or two servings, which was clearly indicated under the recipe title. The author stayed true to her dry theme, and never wrote a note after any recipe that recommended which alcohol to blend with the drink recipe. While I missed that extra guidance, I admired the author’s commitment to the theme.
The full color photography was striking. Each recipe was accompanied by at least one well styled full color photograph of the drink that illustrated what the final product looked like and how it should be served. I really appreciated seeing the final product because it gave me a sense of the color, viscosity, garnish, and glassware of the recipe. Interspersed throughout the book are full color photographs of the ingredients and other appropriate accent photographs.
I actually would buy this book for myself and for my friends who don’t drink alcohol. The dreaded juicer only appeared in less than five of the forty-eight recipes and, by the end of the book, I didn’t recall any recipes requiring the soda stream. The ingredients for each cocktail were reasonably obtainable. Although many of the recipes required a homemade syrup or shrub or other recipe, for some reason, it didn’t seem all the daunting. It could be because all the recipes in the introduction were extremely simple, or it could be that there just weren’t that many recipes requiring them. Either way, it seemed like there were more than a few recipes that I would like to try.
I have yet to prepare any of the drink recipes in this book. When I do, I will update this review.
I love mixology books, especially the simple ones that create interesting cocktails without a lot of time consuming homemade syrups, cordials, and juices. I don’t mind odd ingredients - I recently wrote a blog post solely about a new bergamot amaro - but I do mind special equipment (juicers!). So it was with a little trepidation that I requested Dry from NetGalley. Not because I fear the non-alcoholic cocktail, but rather because I suspected each recipe would require a specialty homemade syrup, cordial, and/or juice.
The book starts innocently enough with an illustrated overview of basic equipment - shaker, strainer, muddler, etc. However, the centrifugal juicer and the soda stream were listed as a basic pieces of equipment. That didn’t bode well for me. However, the list of staple ingredients reassured me: fruit, vegetables, bitters, celery salt, fresh ginger, jasmine tea flowers, kombucha, Himalayan salt, raw honey, rose water, tamarind, turmeric, mixers, Szechuan peppercorns. I actually could find all of that in my local grocery store. And then came the recipes for the syrups and shrubs. Each recipe was well written and easy to follow; unfortunately, the smallest yield was ten ounces and the recipes are used only teaspoons at a time in the drink recipes.
After the introductory material, the book is divided into six chapters of eight drink recipes apiece. Each chapter has a particular time of day or season as its theme: new starts, Friday nights, lazy Sundays, long summers, wood smoke warmers, fireside glow. The drink recipes themselves were also well written and fairly easy to follow. The ingredients were listed down the left side of the page, with the numbered paragraph recipe steps written on the right. At times, the recipe steps did assume that the reader had some basic knowledge of mixology, as they combined activities without precise instructions. For example: “Stir well before pouring into your glass rimmed with lemon juice and Himalayan salt, and filled with ice cubes.” Rather than containing headnotes, the recipes contained additional notes afterward that focused on “Flavor,” “Adapt,” “Healthy,” “Inspiration,” and so on. The vast majority of the drink recipes were written to yield one or two servings, which was clearly indicated under the recipe title. The author stayed true to her dry theme, and never wrote a note after any recipe that recommended which alcohol to blend with the drink recipe. While I missed that extra guidance, I admired the author’s commitment to the theme.
The full color photography was striking. Each recipe was accompanied by at least one well styled full color photograph of the drink that illustrated what the final product looked like and how it should be served. I really appreciated seeing the final product because it gave me a sense of the color, viscosity, garnish, and glassware of the recipe. Interspersed throughout the book are full color photographs of the ingredients and other appropriate accent photographs.
I actually would buy this book for myself and for my friends who don’t drink alcohol. The dreaded juicer only appeared in less than five of the forty-eight recipes and, by the end of the book, I didn’t recall any recipes requiring the soda stream. The ingredients for each cocktail were reasonably obtainable. Although many of the recipes required a homemade syrup or shrub or other recipe, for some reason, it didn’t seem all the daunting. It could be because all the recipes in the introduction were extremely simple, or it could be that there just weren’t that many recipes requiring them. Either way, it seemed like there were more than a few recipes that I would like to try.
I have yet to prepare any of the drink recipes in this book. When I do, I will update this review.
February 21, 2019
I enjoy a good cocktail. But sometimes I love to get the fruity, fizzy, refreshing experience I like without having alcohol. I know plenty of other people who feel the same, and that’s why I was excited to get a copy of Dry: Delicious Handcrafted Cocktails and Other Clever Concoctions by Clare Liardet. The subhead of the book lets you know what you’re in for: “Seasonal. Refreshing. Alcohol-Free.” Sometimes that’s just what I need.
I really like that the book starts out with a list of equipment necessary to make the recipes as well as a depiction of types of cocktail glasses. I have to admit that while I have indulged in cocktails all my adult life, I never have been sure of the names of some of the glasses they’re served in. Highball, tumbler, flute…the illustrations make it easy to know what you’re pouring into and sipping from.
There’s also a list of ingredients that go into the cocktail recipes, which includes flowers, spices, fruit, sugar, herbs, and more. It’s easy to stock the pantry and spice rack with many of the ingredients, which means you can whip up something on a whim without worrying about going to the store.
With the intro complete, Dry launches into recipes under categories such as, Friday Nights, Lazy Sundays, Long Summers and Fireside Glow. That makes it simple to find things to fit your mood and the time of year. But truly it’s fun just to thumb through the collection and find something that suits your fancy and make it on the spur of the moment. One of my favorites was the Fiery Ginger and Apple Boost. Like the author, I love ginger beer but not necessarily the calories that come in the drink. This recipe gives that fizzy tang without so much sugar.
I also like the author’s comments that go with each recipe, letting readers know at a glance if something is healthy, flavorful, can be adapted, or is inspiring. I found Dry to be a handy-sized book that’s easy to use at home or take on vacation. I expect to use it often for years to come.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really like that the book starts out with a list of equipment necessary to make the recipes as well as a depiction of types of cocktail glasses. I have to admit that while I have indulged in cocktails all my adult life, I never have been sure of the names of some of the glasses they’re served in. Highball, tumbler, flute…the illustrations make it easy to know what you’re pouring into and sipping from.
There’s also a list of ingredients that go into the cocktail recipes, which includes flowers, spices, fruit, sugar, herbs, and more. It’s easy to stock the pantry and spice rack with many of the ingredients, which means you can whip up something on a whim without worrying about going to the store.
With the intro complete, Dry launches into recipes under categories such as, Friday Nights, Lazy Sundays, Long Summers and Fireside Glow. That makes it simple to find things to fit your mood and the time of year. But truly it’s fun just to thumb through the collection and find something that suits your fancy and make it on the spur of the moment. One of my favorites was the Fiery Ginger and Apple Boost. Like the author, I love ginger beer but not necessarily the calories that come in the drink. This recipe gives that fizzy tang without so much sugar.
I also like the author’s comments that go with each recipe, letting readers know at a glance if something is healthy, flavorful, can be adapted, or is inspiring. I found Dry to be a handy-sized book that’s easy to use at home or take on vacation. I expect to use it often for years to come.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 21, 2018
"Dry" is filled with drinkable and sipable recipes for any time of day and any time of year. The book starts with a good reference for stocking your kitchen with ingredients and supplies to be able to create all sorts of tasty beverages that provide a cocktail or other experience without including any alcohol. So many great flavor pairings are included through the recipes and so many different ways of serving up a tasty concoction. I anticipate the Blueberry Julep is going to be a favorite summer sipper as I utilize a locally made ginger beer and blueberries from the local farmers market. The Ginger, Tumeric & Chile Tea looks like just the warming toddy to ward of the feeling of cold/flu approaching.
Free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Book is available October 2nd.
Free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Book is available October 2nd.
July 27, 2018
A delicious and thirst-inducing collection of alcohol-free cocktails (though if you were so inclined, you could add alcohol to any of these drinks). The recipes are all divided by seasons, with plenty of refreshing summer drinks, and nice warm wintery drinks (I especially like the sound of that espresso mint martini).
Definitely recommend if you're looking for a collection of drink recipes that will appeal to everyone at the party, or if you just don't want to have any alcohol.
Definitely recommend if you're looking for a collection of drink recipes that will appeal to everyone at the party, or if you just don't want to have any alcohol.
August 31, 2018
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from The Experiment for my unbiased opinion of the book. What a refreshing change in a mixology book! I fell head over heels in love with this alcohol-free book. I tried blood orange sunrise, beet virgin mary, ginger fever, autumn sangria, and loved them all. It will part of my every day entertaining reference book!
June 17, 2018
I love that this book has some great recipes that are non-alcoholic drinks. I can't wait to try several of them.
June 25, 2018
I love that this book has some great recipes that are non-alcoholic drinks. I can't wait to try several of them.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews