My single favorite bar recipe book is The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff (Clarkson N. Potter, $35). DeGroff was the bartender at the Rainbow Room in New York. His book is a bit fussy and old-fashioned, but the information is exactly right.
If you are looking for a larger compendium, The Ultimate A-to-Z Bar Guide by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst (Broadway Books, $15, paper) wins based on its huge number of recipes and its extensive cross-indexing.
Anachronists can get some fashionably old-fashioned fun from the Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s and Party Guide by Renee Cooper and Chris Morris (Warner Books, $10.95). During the dog days of cocktails, the Mr. Boston guide kept the faith. Now 60 years old, the book still has plenty of useful information.
Cosmopolitan
Paraphrased from The Craft of the Cocktail:1 & 1/2 oz. citron vodka
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. cranberry juice
Flamed orange peel for garnish
Shake all the ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the flamed orange peel. Note: The process DeGroff uses for flaming an orange peel is to slice a piece of skin about the size of two quarters, light a lighter over the drink, and squeeze the peel over the flame. The oils will catch fire as they fall on the surface of the drink.
The Final Result
If you take a little time to buy superior ingredients, find a good recipe, and mix your drink carefully, you will be rewarded with one of humanity’s great inventions. Take pleasure in the joy of doing something carefully and with pride. Most of all, enjoy it with someone you love. Whether you are watching the sunset or an episode of Sex and the City, a good cocktail is an exquisite and sophisticated pleasure.This article appears in June 27 • 2003.
