This is largely true, and furthermore, because the information is densely packed, you'll likely miss most of it upon first reading. The writing is straightforward and articulate, the photos are gorgeous, and the whole package is beautiful! Since then, we have evolved and changed from an intimate bar in NYC to an ever-growing family of bars in NYC, Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington, D. I bartended on and off throughout university to make ends meet and mostly fumbled my way through various cocktails. Includes both technical details and tricks, explanations of why recipes work and how to categorize them, plus just the right set of specs to make plenty of drinks.

More than just a collection of recipes - this explains the frameworks and how the different ingredient categories interact, with examples. The book also went into great detail articulating different bottle favorites and flavor profiles for the experts out there. I quickly made a couple cocktails from this book on new year's eve with the sherry, and it was surprisingly wonderful. The concept of the six root cocktails is so interesting and they explain each of these root cocktails so well and extensive. And, unlike every other book you’ll read this year, Cocktail Codex is packed with actual knowledge you can use in the real world.I am a novice and enjoyed learning about how to make cocktails based on 6 core cocktails and then being able to develop it.

I've looked over a far amount of cocktail books and this one is definitely the most informative and interesting, enough so that I purchased a copy for myself. Some of it I think it out of reach for the typical home bartender (carbonating rigs, centrifuges, immersion circulators to make infused syrups), but it's still interesting to me to see their creativity and artistry. Around a year ago when I picked up their second book, the Cocktail Codex, I naturally had high expectations. the book is organized around 6 archetypal cocktails, with detailed explanations of how to riff on those cocktails. However like all Death and Co books it relies on specific brands of spirits and liqueurs instead of base spirits, liqueurs, and modifiers that are interchangeable.e. think of a Manhattan as a Martini with the gin swapped for whisky and the white vermouth for red, or a Margarita as a tequila Sidecar).

Cocktail Codex simplifies the complex cocktail universe, declaring that there are truly only six fundamental recipes at the root of them all: the Old-Fashioned, Martini, Daiquiri, Sidecar, Whisky Highball, and the Flip. I strongly recommend picking this book up and flipping through the pages with your favorite cocktail in hand.I am a casual home bartender (at best) but also a home chef, and felt that the authors’ description of what makes a cocktail (core, balance, seasoning) helped me both mix and cook better.