The Bartender's Manifesto: How to Think, Drink, and Create Cocktails Like a Pro

by Toby Maloney, Emma Janzen, The Bartenders of the Violet Hour

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • Offering a foundational approach to cocktails, this manual from a James Beard Award-winning trailblazer will have you understanding and creating original drinks like a seasoned barkeep.

Take a raucous romp through the essential stages of fashioning cocktails and learn the hows and whys of bartending with acclaimed mixologist Toby Maloney and the team from The Violet Hour. When the pioneering cocktail bar opened in Chicago in 2007, it set a high standard with an innovative training program that teaches not just how to replicate classic cocktail recipes flawlessly, but how to embrace ingenuity, make smart decisions, and create original, inspired recipes from rote. Like cooks who can peer into their pantry and whip up dinner on the fly, no recipe needed, those who follow the methods in The Bartender's Manifesto will have the technical foundation and confidence to take their cocktail skills to the next level and fabricate a drink from any ingredients at hand.
 
First, dive deep into the mechanics of creating cocktails with the right balance, texture, aroma, and temperature. From there, Toby goes well beyond the fine-tuned mechanics of the craft, covering how to kickstart the creative process and bring professional-level complexity and sophistication to drinks. Additional essays offer insider intel on how to offer top-notch hospitality (at the bar and at home), find comfort in the everyday rituals of the craft, and spark surprise and curiosity in the process. With detailed insights into The Violet Hour’s greatest recipes, expert tips from bar alumni, and helpful step-by-step illustrations and photographs, readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what makes the bar’s training program so legendary, plus the superpower of creating imaginative cocktails that reflect their personal style and creativity.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cocktails, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Cooking, Alcohol

320 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Cristhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have for any bar library.

[Maria Cloos · Rating 4 out of 5]

If works like “The Bar Book” and “Joy of Mixology” are cocktails 101, and “The Drunken Botanist” and “Bitters” are a 301 level read, then this hits at about 601, IMO. I think that even if you never make any of the cocktails exactly the way described (because you don’t have thousands of dollars to invest in 12 rums and 20 amaros, etc.), the book will still be well worthwhile for the guidelines on how to make all of your drinks worthy of 5 stars. There were a few oddities. I’m not sure where he got the idea that kölsch is served at Oktoberfest. No one brews that style in Bavaria. The beers available at the actual festival in Munich are helles, dunkel, Oktoberfest, and Hefeweizen (my understanding is that the last must be drunk while on a carousel - I haven’t seen it for myself). The other odd thing was how he kept saying in the syrups section to make sure things were SMALL enough to get caught in the strainer. Obviously he meant LARGE enough. Really strange.

[margiben · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favorite cocktail book. Toby's writing is witty and approachable, and he is incredible about explaining nuances to make you feel like you could be a true bartending pro. It's so impressive how down to earth he seems in the way he writes, and how much creative it must have taken through decades to get to this level of creating craft cocktails. I've read it cover to cover twice at this point, and have tried out several drinks, and I genuinely love this. I have gifted this book as a present to multiple people, and it's been a true hit.

[Hunter G · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the pure volume of information and opening my eyes to the incredible possibilities of the world of cocktails, this is an easy 5/5. My one and only complaint is that the writing can be kind of cringe; the author talks like a 12 year-old who just learned the word "fuck" and is out-of-earshot of their mom. Other than the sometimes-cringe prose, this book is absurdly informative, and will be serving as a reference guide as I continue to make many, many cocktails!

[Mohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

For sure as somebody looking to learn the art of making cocktails, this is an advanced book. It builds on the basics which have been well documented. However for a novice it is also an entertaining book introducing and bring people into the world or artists who work at a bar. Amazing read. TVH is definitely on my list to go.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I thought this book was pretentious at first but the maturity grew on me. I think if you want to be a professional bartender this is the book for you but for those such as myself (regular dweeb that wants to make cocktails to impress people I invite over) some of the rules don't really apply. Overall I would recommend this if you view cocktails as an art form, though.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me of a combo of one of the Death and Co. books and the PDT one. It also reminds me of why we have high-end cocktail bars…almost none of these recipes do me much good…just based on the wealth of ingredients.

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the very serious booze hound.

[db · Rating 4 out of 5]

His writing style is so much fun! I think I would enjoy hearing him talk about almost anything. The book is comprehensive for the basics, but it also has recipes from his own bar.

[Alex Sobtzak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun view on the service industry.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great drink recipes. I saved some for later.

[Daniel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its always a pleasure when you can feel someone's enthusiasm about a topic. Its also wonderful when someone doesn't gate keep, or try and impress you with their knowledge of a subject. Highly accessible and geared to encourage and excite you to get involved. It is also written to be consumed by everyone who has an interest and there is a guide to read in a different order based on your interest. Recommend as a a staple reference book.

[Fabien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great choice for all bartenders