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The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails
New York Times bestselling author Michael Ruhlman applies the principles of his innovative book Ratio— about the relationships of ingredients to each other—in this delightful back-to-basics cocktail book, sharing the simple recipes and fundamental techniques that make for delicious and satisfying libations.
Did you know that a Gimlet, a Daiquiri, and a Bee’s Knees are the same cocktail? As are a Cosmopolitan, a Margarita, and a Sidecar. When hosting a party wouldn’t you enjoy saying to your guests, “Would you care for a Boulevardier, perhaps, or a Negroni?” These, too, are the same cocktail, substituting one ingredient for another. Or if you’d like to be able to shake up a batch of whiskey sours for a party of eight in fewer than two minutes, then read on.
As Michael Ruhlman explains, our most popular cocktails are really ratios—proportions of one ingredient relative to the others. Organized around five of our best-known, beloved, classic families of cocktails, each category follows a simple ratio from which myriad variations can be The Manhattan, The Gimlet, The Margarita, The Negroni, and the most debated cocktail ever, The Martini.
A practical reference of cocktail classics, a source of inspiration for putting a new spin on the usual gin and tonic, and an affable tribute to the pleasures of the cocktail hour, The Book of Cocktail Ratios shows you how to serve up delectable drinks in no time. Cheers!
Did you know that a Gimlet, a Daiquiri, and a Bee’s Knees are the same cocktail? As are a Cosmopolitan, a Margarita, and a Sidecar. When hosting a party wouldn’t you enjoy saying to your guests, “Would you care for a Boulevardier, perhaps, or a Negroni?” These, too, are the same cocktail, substituting one ingredient for another. Or if you’d like to be able to shake up a batch of whiskey sours for a party of eight in fewer than two minutes, then read on.
As Michael Ruhlman explains, our most popular cocktails are really ratios—proportions of one ingredient relative to the others. Organized around five of our best-known, beloved, classic families of cocktails, each category follows a simple ratio from which myriad variations can be The Manhattan, The Gimlet, The Margarita, The Negroni, and the most debated cocktail ever, The Martini.
A practical reference of cocktail classics, a source of inspiration for putting a new spin on the usual gin and tonic, and an affable tribute to the pleasures of the cocktail hour, The Book of Cocktail Ratios shows you how to serve up delectable drinks in no time. Cheers!
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 23, 2023
50 people are currently reading
3325 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ruhlman
45 books354 followersMichael Ruhlman (born 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American writer. He is the author of 11 books, and is best known for his work about and in collaboration with American chefs, as well as other works of non-fiction.
Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University School (a private boys' day school in Cleveland) and at Duke University, graduating from the latter in 1985. He worked a series of odd jobs (including briefly at the New York Times) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991 to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account -- of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets -- of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
Ruhlman grew up in Cleveland and was educated at University School (a private boys' day school in Cleveland) and at Duke University, graduating from the latter in 1985. He worked a series of odd jobs (including briefly at the New York Times) and traveled before returning to his hometown in 1991 to work for a local magazine.
While working at the magazine, Ruhlman wrote an article about his old high school and its new headmaster, which he expanded into his first book, Boys Themselves: A Return to Single-Sex Education (1996).
For his second book, The Making of a Chef (1997), Ruhlman enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account -- of the techniques, personalities, and mindsets -- of culinary education at the prestigious chef's school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, The Soul of a Chef (2000) and The Reach of a Chef (2006).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 9, 2023
Michael Ruhlman’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘴 is a very informative guide to cocktail-making. Ruhlman simplifies mixology by breaking down various drinks into ratios and showing how swapping out spirits can create different alcoholic beverages. He also provides information on the spirits, mixers, bitters, syrups, garnishes, bar tools, and glassware to provide a fuller picture. While the book is helpful, I do wish there were more flourishes other than simple black-and-white illustrations. As a cookbook lover, I enjoy full-color photography of the completed recipes for inspiration.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2024
With this, I think I'll stop my current dive into cocktail books. This is the best single cocktail book for home bartenders. The introduction has a few passages that helped crystallize what I was finding unsatisfying about the books I had looked at that had been written by professional bar tenders. They were deep into the craft cocktail movement and that's not what I -- or I think many home bartenders -- are really looking for.
This book has three great strengths compared to the volumes I've checked out. One, the focus on classic cocktails. Not some modern spin on the martini or an old-fashioned that calls for fat-washed whiskey and some hand-made bitters.
But better than that, it has a framework that ties them together via ratios. Many cocktails have a fundamental ratio, which is often obscured by the crazy Imperial measurements used. But by focusing on ratios it becomes easier to remember the recipes without having to crack open a book. And it is a lot easier to scale them up when you're making them for three or four people at once.
For example, the first chapter is about 2 parts alcohol, 1 part sweet vermouth, and bitters. Remember that and you can make a Manhattan (bourbon or rye), Rob Roy (blended scotch), Palmetto (rum), Star (applejack), Distrito Federal (tequila), Martinez (gin), Little Italy (rye plus a dash of Cynar).
The second chapter is 1 part alcohol, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part Campari gets you Negroni (gin), Boulevardier (bourbon or rye), Sbagliato (prosecco), Kingston Negroni (rum), and so on.
Knowledgeable cocktail drinkers will notice that there can be something a bit forced or artificial about these ratios. In the recipe for the Boulevardier he notes that 1:1:1 is the "traditional" recipe but "contemporary" recipes make it with a "2:1:1" ratio.
So I understand where the complaint is coming from because there is some truth to it. But 1) purely as a pedagogical instrument I still really like the ratios, 2) Ruhlman both implicitly (when talking about the history of the cocktail) and explicitly tells you these ratios should mostly be seen as a starting/learning point, and 3) it's wrong to get hung up on the "right" ratios for cocktails because they are ever changing.
Two further notes: This book has a lot of text and not just recipes. It contains a nice mixture of cocktail history, author's personal preferences, and notes from interviews with prominent bartenders. This kind of thing is great and something I look for in a cocktail book. It provide some grist for your personal inspiration as you explore these ratios.
Finally, the vast majority of these recipes are "unfussy". He just calls for regular gin and regular tonic and regular bitters. There are very few strange or obscure ingredients. This is a cocktail book that mostly calls for regular off-the-shelf stuff you'll be able to find at most stores. It just feels very approachable to a home bartender. Sure, you won't get 1,000 recipes but you will get 30-40 recipes that you can make without needing to crack open a cocktail book.
Some honorable mentions that I probably won't bother writing full reviews of are 3-Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon and How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks. 3-Ingredient Cocktails is great because it limits itself to just three ingredients. But sometimes those ingredients can be a bit obscure. The second recipe in the book calls for Plantation Trinidad Old Reserve rum, Wood's Boiled Cider Syrup, and St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram. So it loses some marks for usefulness at home because you'll be left with tons of bottles you'll probably never use up.
The America's Test Kitchen volume is surprisingly good (given their focus is usually on food). They talk through what variations they tried and what they liked and didn't. But it is also fussy in a way that is simultaneously charming and somewhat off-putting. It contains recipes for making your own orgeat syrup, tonic syrup (to replace tonic water), bitters, cocktail onions & cherries, dry & sweet vermouth, and more. Most of those, while interesting, feel like far more work than most people are looking for.
But this book is not about craft cocktails, for which I have an abiding love. My intent here is to simplify and demystify.
...
Craft cocktails are best suited to the bars that serve them, rather than the home bar. They often contain small amounts of expensive liqueurs or homemade cordials.
...
I know I’m never going to use enough crème de violette at home to warrant a purchase of this liqueur. Craft cocktail bars are set up to serve exactly these kinds of cocktails. I guarantee you, if I forked over thirty-five bucks for a bottle of Bénédictine, the herb-infused liqueur, just so I could try my hand at making a classic Vieux Carré at home, you would find that same bottle, all but full and covered in dust in the back of my liquor cabinet ten years later.
This book has three great strengths compared to the volumes I've checked out. One, the focus on classic cocktails. Not some modern spin on the martini or an old-fashioned that calls for fat-washed whiskey and some hand-made bitters.
But better than that, it has a framework that ties them together via ratios. Many cocktails have a fundamental ratio, which is often obscured by the crazy Imperial measurements used. But by focusing on ratios it becomes easier to remember the recipes without having to crack open a book. And it is a lot easier to scale them up when you're making them for three or four people at once.
For example, the first chapter is about 2 parts alcohol, 1 part sweet vermouth, and bitters. Remember that and you can make a Manhattan (bourbon or rye), Rob Roy (blended scotch), Palmetto (rum), Star (applejack), Distrito Federal (tequila), Martinez (gin), Little Italy (rye plus a dash of Cynar).
The second chapter is 1 part alcohol, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part Campari gets you Negroni (gin), Boulevardier (bourbon or rye), Sbagliato (prosecco), Kingston Negroni (rum), and so on.
Knowledgeable cocktail drinkers will notice that there can be something a bit forced or artificial about these ratios. In the recipe for the Boulevardier he notes that 1:1:1 is the "traditional" recipe but "contemporary" recipes make it with a "2:1:1" ratio.
So I understand where the complaint is coming from because there is some truth to it. But 1) purely as a pedagogical instrument I still really like the ratios, 2) Ruhlman both implicitly (when talking about the history of the cocktail) and explicitly tells you these ratios should mostly be seen as a starting/learning point, and 3) it's wrong to get hung up on the "right" ratios for cocktails because they are ever changing.
Two further notes: This book has a lot of text and not just recipes. It contains a nice mixture of cocktail history, author's personal preferences, and notes from interviews with prominent bartenders. This kind of thing is great and something I look for in a cocktail book. It provide some grist for your personal inspiration as you explore these ratios.
That said, I sometimes prefer equal parts spirit and soda, like equal parts rum and ginger beer for a Dark and Stormy—first, because I want to taste the spirit and second, because these cocktails are served on the rocks, so there’s almost always a lot of dilution going on while you’re drinking it. That said, 1:1 makes for a strong drink, whereas 2 parts soda to 1 part spirit is more refreshing. It depends on your taste and the occasion.
Finally, the vast majority of these recipes are "unfussy". He just calls for regular gin and regular tonic and regular bitters. There are very few strange or obscure ingredients. This is a cocktail book that mostly calls for regular off-the-shelf stuff you'll be able to find at most stores. It just feels very approachable to a home bartender. Sure, you won't get 1,000 recipes but you will get 30-40 recipes that you can make without needing to crack open a cocktail book.
Some honorable mentions that I probably won't bother writing full reviews of are 3-Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon and How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks. 3-Ingredient Cocktails is great because it limits itself to just three ingredients. But sometimes those ingredients can be a bit obscure. The second recipe in the book calls for Plantation Trinidad Old Reserve rum, Wood's Boiled Cider Syrup, and St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram. So it loses some marks for usefulness at home because you'll be left with tons of bottles you'll probably never use up.
The America's Test Kitchen volume is surprisingly good (given their focus is usually on food). They talk through what variations they tried and what they liked and didn't. But it is also fussy in a way that is simultaneously charming and somewhat off-putting. It contains recipes for making your own orgeat syrup, tonic syrup (to replace tonic water), bitters, cocktail onions & cherries, dry & sweet vermouth, and more. Most of those, while interesting, feel like far more work than most people are looking for.
January 31, 2023
Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good cocktail book!
This one not only delivered delicious recipes but also broke down how to alter and tweak those recipes. Michael Ruhlman is a legend in cocktails so I knew any advice he had would be golden.
I personally can’t wait to purchase a hard copy of this book for my kitchen!
This one not only delivered delicious recipes but also broke down how to alter and tweak those recipes. Michael Ruhlman is a legend in cocktails so I knew any advice he had would be golden.
I personally can’t wait to purchase a hard copy of this book for my kitchen!
2023
October 16, 2025Non-fiction November TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner
May 23, 2023
As both a reference book and how-to, this book was stellar. I entered it not knowing much about cocktails and being consistently overwhelmed by the spirits and liqueurs aisles in a liquor store. This book made cocktails feel approachable, achievable and even easy.
I think the best nonfiction reads like you are having some of the most key secrets revealed to you and this felt just like that. Ruhlman keeps chapters short but scientifically and conveniently summarizes most major cocktails into their 3 or 4 key parts. It includes helpful sections on what you would NEED to buy, but also with just as simple work arounds you can find in any kitchen.
Thanks to this book, I’m hoping to start a heavy, and hopefully, life-long phase of cocktail making.
Thanks to Scribner and Net Galley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review!
I think the best nonfiction reads like you are having some of the most key secrets revealed to you and this felt just like that. Ruhlman keeps chapters short but scientifically and conveniently summarizes most major cocktails into their 3 or 4 key parts. It includes helpful sections on what you would NEED to buy, but also with just as simple work arounds you can find in any kitchen.
Thanks to this book, I’m hoping to start a heavy, and hopefully, life-long phase of cocktail making.
Thanks to Scribner and Net Galley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review!
May 24, 2023
“The Book of Cocktail Ratios” by Michael Ruhlman is the fourth book about cocktails I have read in the past 12 months. Ruhlman’s book has the strong advantage that, while it includes detailed instructions on how to make a wide variety of cocktails, it also includes variations, history, and explanations that help the reader understand the why’s in addition to the how’s.
The book contains three sections, a high level introduction, a foundation that teaches the reader about the tools, techniques, and ingredients used to make fine cocktails, and 7 chapters that provide information on how to make over 60 cocktails along with many variations and useful tips. I was quite pleased with every cocktail I have tried so far. (Margarita, Mai Tai, Sidecar, Martini, and Pegu Club) The “target wheels” in each chapter are an excellent visual reference of the commonalities and differences between the various traditional cocktails. They would are excellent references suitable for framing and displaying.
I thank the author and publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work. (I liked this book enough that I just bought my own copy.)
The book contains three sections, a high level introduction, a foundation that teaches the reader about the tools, techniques, and ingredients used to make fine cocktails, and 7 chapters that provide information on how to make over 60 cocktails along with many variations and useful tips. I was quite pleased with every cocktail I have tried so far. (Margarita, Mai Tai, Sidecar, Martini, and Pegu Club) The “target wheels” in each chapter are an excellent visual reference of the commonalities and differences between the various traditional cocktails. They would are excellent references suitable for framing and displaying.
I thank the author and publisher for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work. (I liked this book enough that I just bought my own copy.)
March 9, 2023
I never realized how many drinks are actually the same with just switching out the main alcohol! Mr Ruhlman does a great job of making the drinks easy to understand and detailing that really its all about the proportions that change one drink to another! a great read to have on any home bar!
June 3, 2023
Two things made “The Book of Cocktail Ratios” a book that I needed to preorder as soon as I found out about it. The author, Michael Ruhlman, is one of my favorite writers (on numerous topics) whose books are always a pleasure to read and educational to boot, and…I enjoy cocktails. The theme of the book, grouping cocktails into their common ratios, helped me realize that since I like Manhattans and I like gin that I could just as easily make a Martinez with the Manhattan ratio (2:1) but using gin. Also, with the ratio for a Negroni (1:1:1), another my go-tos, I could expand my cocktail horizon by substituting other spirits—like bourbon, rum, mezcal—using the same ratio. I enjoyed his inclusion of the historical background and changes for the drinks, along with some noted variations used by prominent bartenders. I also appreciated the inclusion his (and his wife, Ann’s) preferences. In doing so he emphasizes repeatedly that you can and should tweak the ratio of a cocktail to your own taste—start with the base ratio, taste, modify to your preferences until it’s to your liking. Ruhlman did a fine job pointing out the refinements in technique that can improve a cocktail. Though the cocktails I make at home are generally good he seamlessly integrates what can be done to make them better with attention to technique or adding “seasonings”—like a teaspoon of Luxardo or a dash or two of absinthe—just as you might do in cooking to add nuance. This book more than met my expectations and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys cocktails.
February 5, 2025
I really liked the graphics, and it’s helpful to learn ratios of classic cocktail families in order to build and grow your own. I think this is a good introductory book, and it helped that I had already read Wondrich’s Imbibe! because Ruhlman mentions it a lot. My biggest issue is that Ruhlman is clearly very opinionated about how he thinks cocktails should be made, and he’s very liberal in his inclusion of his opinions. Which is fine, and actually rather interesting to know where he agrees and disagrees with what other bartenders are doing. My issue is that he wouldn’t always explain his opinions; he just stated them. I’m reading this book because I want to know theory behind building cocktails, so I want to learn the *why* of choosing one thing over another. Therefore it’s not helpful for me to know “oh Ruhlman doesn’t like doing this” without knowing *why* he prefers one way over another.
But overall it has a lot of info and the charts were written excellent!!
But overall it has a lot of info and the charts were written excellent!!
April 11, 2023
I'm going to be honest, I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. I went into this book thinking it was going to be very dry. Ruhlman did an amazing job providing recipes with interesting history, and personal stories.
I am an admitted amateur in the realm of cocktails. This book holds true to its title, keeping every recipe simple, reducing them down to their original ratios. From there, Ruhlman gives variations on every drink, giving popular opinions, as well as his own on each recipe. This book has actually helped me understand the reasoning and history behind every concoction. I am currently working my way through the different Manhattan recipes to see what I personally enjoy.
If you are not familiar with the cocktail world like myself, I would highly recommend this book. If you are familiar, I would still recommend it.
I am an admitted amateur in the realm of cocktails. This book holds true to its title, keeping every recipe simple, reducing them down to their original ratios. From there, Ruhlman gives variations on every drink, giving popular opinions, as well as his own on each recipe. This book has actually helped me understand the reasoning and history behind every concoction. I am currently working my way through the different Manhattan recipes to see what I personally enjoy.
If you are not familiar with the cocktail world like myself, I would highly recommend this book. If you are familiar, I would still recommend it.
December 27, 2024
Thank you to Scribner Books for a free copy of The Book of Cocktail Ratios by Michael Ruhlman.
This book would make a great gift for any of your amateur cocktail making friends and family. My husband has been making me cocktails from this book for a few weeks now and I am loving it.🍸🍹
It has a really cool setup with each section starting with a wheel (see cover photo) and the area between the spokes labelled with cocktails that have different ingredients with the same ratios. It breaks down all the complication into a simple, efficient process. And it has a pretty cover and sturdy feel. Inside you’ll find all sorts of tips and recommendations for a fun adventure in making cocktails. I recommend both the book and the cocktail! Kurt has made the Manhattan for me twice. It’s my favorite so far, but there's so many more to explore.
This book would make a great gift for any of your amateur cocktail making friends and family. My husband has been making me cocktails from this book for a few weeks now and I am loving it.🍸🍹
It has a really cool setup with each section starting with a wheel (see cover photo) and the area between the spokes labelled with cocktails that have different ingredients with the same ratios. It breaks down all the complication into a simple, efficient process. And it has a pretty cover and sturdy feel. Inside you’ll find all sorts of tips and recommendations for a fun adventure in making cocktails. I recommend both the book and the cocktail! Kurt has made the Manhattan for me twice. It’s my favorite so far, but there's so many more to explore.
May 5, 2023
Did you know that a Gimlet, a Daiquiri, and a Bee’s Knees are the same cocktail? As are a Cosmopolitan, a Margarita, and a Sidecar. When hosting a party wouldn’t you enjoy saying to your guests, “Would you care for a Boulevardier, perhaps, or a Negroni?” These, too, are the same cocktail, substituting one ingredient for another. Or if you’d like to be able to shake up a batch of whiskey sours for a party of eight in fewer than two minutes.
This is a very interesting book that you can substitute one ingredient for another and come up with a totally different drink. I don’t really drink alcoholic drinks but I found this book and was amazed at how many drinks there are. This book would be an excellent book for a person getting ready to have a party. You could keep it handy as a reference book to refer to as you make your drinks. If you like to throw parties and have different drinks available for your guests, then you would love this book.
This is a very interesting book that you can substitute one ingredient for another and come up with a totally different drink. I don’t really drink alcoholic drinks but I found this book and was amazed at how many drinks there are. This book would be an excellent book for a person getting ready to have a party. You could keep it handy as a reference book to refer to as you make your drinks. If you like to throw parties and have different drinks available for your guests, then you would love this book.
September 12, 2023
In THE BOOK OF COCKTAIL RATIOS, Michael Ruhlman seeks to remove the mystery around a range of cocktails; although there are a plethora of concoctions, Ruhlman boils them down to their essence, how a slight adjustment to the ratios creates a new drink.
Ruhlman offers a brief history of the cocktail, covers basics to stock, and then delves into margaritas, martinis, highballs, and more.
While I received this as an ebook, this is the sort of book I prefer to have on hand to physically refer to, having it splayed open on my counter while I explore various cocktails and remind myself of the key ratios.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
Ruhlman offers a brief history of the cocktail, covers basics to stock, and then delves into margaritas, martinis, highballs, and more.
While I received this as an ebook, this is the sort of book I prefer to have on hand to physically refer to, having it splayed open on my counter while I explore various cocktails and remind myself of the key ratios.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
January 19, 2024
Not only is The Book of Cocktail Ratios interesting and informative, but also beautiful to look at too, thanks to Marcella Kriebel's lovely illustrations. As someone who likes to dabble at cocktail making, Michael Ruhlman's book will now be my go-to manual.
I had no idea as I read this book, that simply substituting one ingredient for another can change the whole makeup of a cocktail. I appreciated Ruhlman's historical anecdotes as well as his own personal history and cocktail preferences that showed up throughout the book.
A good source for those interested in cocktail making. Thank you to #NetGally and Scribner for providing me with this ARC of #TheBookofCocktailRatios.
I had no idea as I read this book, that simply substituting one ingredient for another can change the whole makeup of a cocktail. I appreciated Ruhlman's historical anecdotes as well as his own personal history and cocktail preferences that showed up throughout the book.
A good source for those interested in cocktail making. Thank you to #NetGally and Scribner for providing me with this ARC of #TheBookofCocktailRatios.
December 29, 2023
Equal parts cocktail journalism and recipes, this book is a must have for the bar. I’ll be recommending it to any friends who say they enjoy mixing drinks. With legends like Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Dale DeGroff adding their two cents your cocktail game can’t help but improve!
The most helpful part about this book is of course the ratios. Understanding the templates of all the classic drinks makes improvising and experimenting that much easier, plus Ruhlman makes all sorts of suggestions for spirits to try and adjustments one could make. 5 stars and cheers!
The most helpful part about this book is of course the ratios. Understanding the templates of all the classic drinks makes improvising and experimenting that much easier, plus Ruhlman makes all sorts of suggestions for spirits to try and adjustments one could make. 5 stars and cheers!
January 13, 2023
Who doesn’t love a good cocktail or high ball? This book will help you understand the similarities between some drinks and how to make a whole bunch of classic and popular cocktails.
What I like most about this book is how the rations lead to helping you mix your own creations by understanding the rations and how the addition, or subtraction, of ingredients can change them. It’s a great resource for the budding mixologist or really anyone interested in mixing up the best drinks!
What I like most about this book is how the rations lead to helping you mix your own creations by understanding the rations and how the addition, or subtraction, of ingredients can change them. It’s a great resource for the budding mixologist or really anyone interested in mixing up the best drinks!
November 29, 2024
If you have family in town, drinking may be part of your celebrations during the holidays. This book is a must have for anyone looking to make all of the classic cocktails like Negronis, Daiquiris, and Martinis. From cocktail history, to bar basics and beyond, this volume will keep your drinks flowing and the party going!! Thank you to Scribner Books for a copy of this. Now off to my liquor cabinet.
January 29, 2023
Just as you'd expect from Michael Ruhlman this is a book filled with background information and detail and an enormous host of cocktails with the magic recipes you need to make a beautiful version of each. Well presented - great attention to specifics and prep as well as explanations of anything you might wonder about this topic
January 30, 2023
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a nice book. It's a coffee table-esque book about cocktails. There's lots of information and some history about cocktails. There's a lot of standard recipes and while the book is beautiful, there's nothing that really jumped out at me in this.
This is a nice book. It's a coffee table-esque book about cocktails. There's lots of information and some history about cocktails. There's a lot of standard recipes and while the book is beautiful, there's nothing that really jumped out at me in this.
September 5, 2024
Part history book, part no-nonsense cocktail guide. I never thought I’d write a review for a cocktail book but this one is hands down a must-have for anyone interested in cocktails. I learned so much in such an approachable way, and Ruhlman’s anecdotes about different figures in the craft cocktail scene bring life to the recipes.
Want to read
June 19, 2023I would love to have a drink with this author just to listen to him talk. My favorite part of this book isn’t the recipes. It’s the lead up to the recipes. The way the author sets the scene if you will. Very cool book.
July 18, 2023
Read this in July... you know I was bored... and Um... it's good? Somehow? Like really I actually feel confident in making a few cocktails now.
If you're someone who's into mixology, or likes to learn things outside your comfort zone like me, get it! It's a pleasant and golly book!
If you're someone who's into mixology, or likes to learn things outside your comfort zone like me, get it! It's a pleasant and golly book!
February 23, 2024
What a fantastic look at mixing drinks with history and how they are related to each other. The illustration in this book are beautiful and the family wheels are incredible. I definitely am buying my own copy of this book.
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November 27, 2024
Easy to follow instructions, lots of tips and tricks, and a simple organization system makes this a great reference book for drink making enthusiasts.
Thank you Scribner Books for the gifted copy.
Thank you Scribner Books for the gifted copy.
June 1, 2023
Love this great little guide, filled with lots of recipes and great tips! Will definitely be keeping this one handy!
June 21, 2023
This is a great little book that gets back to the basics and takes me back to my parent's era and their drinking days (40's, 50's, and 60's). Makes me wish I was still drinking.
July 30, 2023
Quite interesting, learned a few things
October 2, 2023
Lots of cocktails, but no Old Fashioned.
Very similar to Cocktail Codex, but in a smaller, simpler scale.
Very similar to Cocktail Codex, but in a smaller, simpler scale.
November 24, 2025
This book fills a great role….grouping families of cocktails that share usually an almost identical ratio. Of course that just makes it a more street-level Cocktail Codex. A good methodology for how learning bartenders can keep a lot of the basic classics straight.
Also…cool watercolor illustrations!
Also…cool watercolor illustrations!
August 24, 2024
Mr Ruhlman’s approach to cocktail organization hews closely to the taxonomy I have long favored, and I remain glad this attempt was made, but it’s hard not to be disappointed with this ostentatiously inexpert work. Mr Ruhlman presents himself (honestly by all appearances) as totally lacking in bar experience and able to offer this collection only because he is chummy with a few titans of the industry (Phil Ward, David Wondrich, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler). I certainly don’t object to a non-bartender writing a bar book (
How to Cocktail
is one of the best bar books, after all), but the overtness of Mr Ruhlman’s naïveté is sometimes overwhelming, such as when he puckishly states that he can’t taste the difference between drink that has had its ingredients poured in one order or another, missing the point that ingredient ordering is done to minimize mistakes (and minimize costs of mistakes), not to affect flavor.
The greatest weakness of Ratios, however, is Mr Rhulman’s warping of recipes to more neatly fit them into his theory of ratios. The result is wildly differing volumes and more than one questionable departure from creator-recommended proportions (Little Italy, I’m looking at you).
The book itself is assembled with no great care, with common ingredient names differing arbitrarily across recipes and some cross-references pointing to the wrong chapters, but the typography is decent and the illustrations quite lovely.
The greatest weakness of Ratios, however, is Mr Rhulman’s warping of recipes to more neatly fit them into his theory of ratios. The result is wildly differing volumes and more than one questionable departure from creator-recommended proportions (Little Italy, I’m looking at you).
The book itself is assembled with no great care, with common ingredient names differing arbitrarily across recipes and some cross-references pointing to the wrong chapters, but the typography is decent and the illustrations quite lovely.
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