Classic Cocktails

by Salvatore Calabrese

"[C]atch a whiff of...old-fashioned American style in a...volume, nearly square, which, like the drinks it describes, a little of this combined with a little of that and presented with a flourish...cleverly chosen period posters and illustrations...A witty, well-presented cocktail manual...from one of London's most respected bartenders. A...must-have."-- The New York Times  "Need a shot of knowledge to keep up with the current cocktail revival? Classic Cocktails ...can help. It has all the time-honored recipes, plus lots of interesting celebrity-laced cocktail lore and abundant illustrations."-- Bon Appetit

Genres: Cookbooks, Cocktails, Food and Drink

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do solemnly swear that I do not understand why I was recently gifted with multiple books on mixed drinks. I do not average even a single mixed drink a month. And, I can’t believe it is a vote by my friends that I quit serving them wine or beer. I will do my best to put reviews of all of these books up simultaneously for your consumption and would appreciate any thoughts you might care to offer on the subject.

I reviewed this book previously but in the interests of consistency, I am giving it a fresh look. Calabrese is a well-known bartender who likes to write as well. Each recipe is beautifully photographed and, in addition, contains some commentary about the drink. The book provides only a bit over 100 recipes and there is nothing that hasn’t been around for a good long while. Calabrese provides a good discussion of bar equipment and the index at the back allows you to select recipes based on the alcohol/mixer you have in the house or the bottle you need to buy. Thus, there are six drinks containing Galliano and only one containing Coca-Cola. If you are fond of Angostura bitters there are ten recipes available.

Previous review.

Let's see if we can start on the same page: I call a cocktail some alcoholic drink consisting of one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice, bitters, cream etc. Though possible at home, the great cocktails are the realm of bartenders or "mixologists."


Salvatore Calabrese of London, England fame is reputed to be one of the best. I am one of those people that a cocktail can render senseless, so I look more than I drink. Calabrese has crafted a book that is a delight to the eye; helpful for "drink historians," and useful in the preparation of cocktails that have endured the test of time.

Not only are the drinks pictured in beautiful glassware, but there is wonderful artwork from the first part of the 20th Century that helps to set the mood. Each drink is described in great detail which includes the "how to," the glass to be used, the ingredients and a description of its place and/or time of invention. There is a very long section devoted to the history of the martini.

A lovely little book that provides what it says in great style.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not an aficionado of alcoholic beverages. My issue is that I am far too much of a lightweight, the medications that I take interfere with my consumption of alcohol, and make me far too susceptible to alcoholic beverages. When I go out for a drink, which is not often, I try to limit myself to one drink. All of the drinks I get are sweet. If I am going to drink a beverage, I don’t want to be overpowered by bitter or sour flavors. So in the spirit of finding out about Spirits, I picked up this book from the bookstore.

Classic Cocktails is a book about Cocktails written by Salvatore “The Maestro” Calabrese. It delves into the history of the Cocktail, especially with its heyday in the 1920s during Prohibition. The main portion of the book is devoted to Cocktail recipes. So the book includes a list of all the materials you would need to make your own home bar. The book talks about what to look for in each situation and with each ingredient. Take the base liquor for example; you could have Absinthe, Gin, Brandy, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, or Whiskey.

At its heart, the book is for recipes and techniques to make Cocktails, but it also has information on famous Bartenders, famous barflies, different types of glassware, the history of ice, and so on.

This book is extremely informative. All of my questions were answered and more. If you plan to make your own drinks or open a bar, this book would make an excellent addition to your library.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most interesting cocktail book I've ever read! It's also got very nice high gloss pictures, so sit back, make a highball & read! LOL

[Emilia Greendevald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will definitely give you a new perspective on classic cocktails, a must-read. I'm one of those people who prefers cocktails over pure alcohol, but there are exceptions to everything. I ordered this sour plum vodka for a birthday celebration, and everyone asked where it came from. The taste is unique and stands out from regular flavored vodkas. It pairs nicely with light snacks and Asian-style dishes.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of the best books I've read on spirits. Whenever possible, Salvatore Calabrese provides us with the original recipe and the origin story that goes along with the cocktail. I'll be making a few of these to compare with the modern twists that I'm used to.

Great book! Highly recommended.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a great book for the historical chapters up front. Recipes are pretty standard stuff. The layout is nice despite the small form factor.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the cocktail and its history though it only provides an in-depth look at the Martini and its development. There is a very good selection of drink recipes but they suffer (at least from a U.S. point-of-view) from using centiliter versus oz. proportions. This makes all of the recipes non-standard for jigger sizes and creates a lot of need for conversion on-the-fly. Also, several of the recipes have been altered by the author in proportions or ingredients enough to make them slightly off-kilter.

It gets bonus points for the print and binding quality as well as the intersting classic liquor artwork and photography reprinted throughout. It makes a poor 'behind the bar' book but will be a handy reference book from time-to-time.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great mix of history and drinks recipes. Plus the illustrations are fab.

[Simon Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does exactly what it says on the cover: a guide with recipes to classic cocktails, with archive illustrations.