Eddie Muller's Noir Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the World of Film Noir

by Eddie Muller

Eddie Muller—host of TCM's Noir Alley, one of the world's leading authorities on film noir, and cocktail connoisseur—takes film buffs and drinks enthusiasts alike on a spirited tour through the "dark city" of film noir in this stylish book packed with equal parts great cocktail recipes and noir lore.

Eddie Muller's Noir Bar pairs carefully curated classic cocktails and modern noir-inspired libations with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights on 50 film noir favorites. Some of the cocktails are drawn directly from the films: If you've seen In a Lonely Place and wondered what’s in a “Horse’s Neck”—now you’ll know. If you’re watching Pickup on South Street you’ll find out what its director, Sam Fuller, actually drank off-screen. Didn’t know that Nightmare Alley’s Joan Blondell inspired a cocktail? It may become a new favorite. Meanwhile, Rita Hayworth is toasted with a "Sailor Beware," an original concoction which, like the film that inspired it (The Lady From Shanghai), is unique, complex, and packs a wallop.

​Featuring dozens of movie stills, poster art, behind-the-scenes imagery, and stunning cocktail photography, Noir Bar is both a stylish and exciting excursion through classic cinema’s most popular genre.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Noir, Film

248 pages, Hardcover

Published May 23, 2023

About the author

EDDIE MULLER is a second generation San Franciscan, product of a lousy public school education, a couple of crazy years in art school, and too much time in newspaper offices and sporting arenas. No college, but he's compensated by always hanging around smarter people, an effortless feat typically accomplished in bars.

Despite repeated warnings, he followed in his father's footsteps, earning a living as a print journalist for sixteen years. No scoops, no big prizes, but he left behind a thoroughly abused expense account that got him into (and out of) various intriguing parts of the world.

His career as an ink-stained fourth estate wretch sidetracked Muller's early goal of becoming a filmmaker. A stint in George Kuchar's notorious "narrative filmmaking" class at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1970s resulted in the creation of a 14-minute, 16mm hommage to Raymond Chandler called Bay City Blues, one of five national finalists for the 1979 Student Academy Award. He also appeared as an actor in several Kuchar movies of the period.

Since 1998 Muller has devoted himself full-time to projects that pique his interest, ranging from the creation of a Historical Boxing Museum, to a fully illustrated history of Adults Only movies, to acting as co-writer and -producer of one of the first completely digital theatrical documentaries, Mau Mau Sex Sex. He created his own graphics firm, St. Francis Studio, which enables him to design, as well as write, his non-fiction books. He has achieved much acclaim for his three books on film noir, earning the nickname "The Czar of Noir."

His father, the original Eddie Muller (he's not a junior— long story, don't ask), was a renown sportswriter for the San Francisco Examiner who earned the nickname "Mr. Boxing" during his 52-year run. The senior Muller served as inspiration for the character of Billy Nichols, the protagonist of the younger Muller's two critically acclaimed novels, The Distance (2002) and Shadow Boxer (2003).

Eddie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Kathleen Maria Milne.

Reviews

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Wikipedia: Film noir (/nwɑːr/; French: [film nwaʁ]) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key, black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression.

This is so much more than a “coffee table” book with GORGEOUS photos from Classic Films. 🎥

It is the best book of its kind that I have seen for fans of Film Noir, Cocktails, or BOTH.

Eddie Muller of Turner Classic movies offers us a book of cocktails inspired by the World of Film Noir!

First- learn HOW to assemble a well stocked, at-home bar.
Next- find out what “tools of the trade” you will need including bar ware and glassware.
Finally-Find out the basics of making a cocktail-Chilling, Stirring, Shaking and Garnishing.

Now, that you are ready to go-enjoy a synopsis of 50 Classic movies from the genre, along with photos of scenes from the film, trivia, famous quotes and the recipe for a cocktail inspired by the film.

Did you ever wonder what was in those “Stingers” that Ray Milland keeps ordering as you watch “The Big Clock”? Look no further…

Wouldn’t it be fun to get together with friends or your significant other, regularly, until you have watched each of the films, while sipping away on the accompanying libation that you have learned to mix just prior? 🍸🥃

Don’t mind if I do!

Thank You to Hatchette for mailing me a gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer this candid review!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great concept: Film noir and cocktails! I am a fan of Eddie Muller from Noir Alley on TCM and may have to try some of these concoctions while watching the accompanying movies.

[Jeroen Scheerder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun shtick! You need to shtock up, both on Noirsh and ingredientsh. You probabllly might not shtay entirely shober, but even sho enjoy a cocktail with a noir without getting sherioushly sloshed.

Here’sh to the Merry Widow.

[Edward Amato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully produced book with great recipes for cocktails.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice little book linking noir films with their counter cocktails. I liked the great illustrations and the talk about the movie stars because I love old movies! But I picked up this book to find some great cocktail recipes. Oh boy there were recipes, but taking a quick glance at the majority of them, there’s no way I’d be making any of them. The ingredients would be too hard to find and too expensive especially just bought for one recipe. Others might find these recipes a fun challenge but I just found them daunting.

[Nick Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 5 stars if not for the fact that it’s missing some of my favorite noir films. Still, it’s a great concept that combines two of my favorite things in film noir and cocktails. Anything by Eddie Muller is a worthwhile read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure if there could be a better #bookmail before this weekend than Eddie Muller's NOIR BAR, COCKTAILS INSPIRED BY THE WORLD OF FILM NOIR.

I am thrilled to have this gorgeous book! I have clearly already perused its many pages to find a perfect pairing for my Friday night home alone! I think my husband may join me sometime, but he barely sits still for video shorts. Once he has a few cocktails in him, he can relax and we can work our way through each recipe and movie. He will likely tend the bar for me, which is just fine!

I love old Film Noir, and I can't wait to make my choices and expand our libations in the process. The book is filled with stylish and sensual movie images and information that pairs each film with the ideal cocktail.

Thank you so much to @runningpressbooks for sharing this with me!

This stunning volume is available on May 23rd, so set a reminder!

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Presented in alphabetical order, Noir Bar features 50 different films, each with a cocktail recipe to accompany it. Muller's curation of titles is as exciting as the cocktails he picks for each. The recipes were carefully selected by Muller—who is both the Czar of Noir and an experienced mixologist—to tie into the movie. The connection between noir and cocktail can be as simple as a reference to the title, protagonist or one of the actors. Some are thematic based on elements of the story. And there are numerous Eddie Muller originals. As someone who loves both film noir and cocktails, I had fun reading how Muller ties the cocktail to the movie and his reasoning behind each choice.

https://www.outofthepastblog.com/2023...

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely drink and then mostly beer, but I love to watch Eddie Muller on TCM's Noir Alley. As a result, I got this book for Christmas. Some of the drinks were appealing, but I mainly wanted it for Muller's discussion of the Film Noir examples he chose. I've seen quite a few of them and hope to see more. One of the few areas where he and I disagree is about his praise for Barbara Stanwyck. Frankly, I am not a fan of hers, but to each her/his own.
Would love to read some more of his books as I find him erudite and entertaining.

If you like to drink cocktails, this is the book for you. It's got style and you learn about some great movies.

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting format. Written by TCM Noir Alley host Eddie Muller, this book combines write-ups of some of the authors favorite noir movies paired with some of his favorite drinks. It also has various stills and promotional posters from the individual films. It's not super in-depth, but it's entertaining and well designed. The drink recipes are excellent. I'm putting this with my cookbooks. Low 4 stars.

[Zach]

As a lover of film noir and celebrator of Dionysus, this book is a treasure chest. Muller does a fantastic job describing the films and putting the cocktail for each film in context. 


I haven’t seen all of these films, nor tried all these cocktails, so there is a lot of fun exploring ahead! 


Also, the movie posters, stills, and pictures of cocktails throughout make this a beautiful book to look at.

[Michael Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new book by TCM’s Noir Alley host Eddie Muller combines two of his life’s passions - classic films and cocktails. A selection of great examples of film noir are each accompanied by a recipe for a mixed drink. Some are featured in the movie itself, some have been selected based on an aspect of the film, and others have been created specifically by the author. I’m not a heavy imbiber, but the photos of the beverages are good enough to drink. The design of the entire book is charming and classy, matching Eddie’s insightful and entertaining commentary throughout.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic mix of cocktail recipes, synopsis/review of classic film noirs and some of Mueller's personal favorites, history, and colorful old-Hollywood anecdotes. If you are at all interested in any of those things, then you will absolutely love this book. I now have quite a few new additions to my "to see" list and several new cocktails to try out. Highly recommended!

[Greg Burrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like film noir and you like cocktails (not a stretch) then this is a fun read and has interesting recipes. Like Noir Alley on TCM, the best parts are Eddie's discussion of each film and why he chose that particular drink to pair. There are some delicious drinks that don't require esoteric ingredients.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Novel Suspects Insider Club and Hachette Book Group.
I don’t drink but I loved the summaries of all the noir films that are in this book. It was very enjoyable and I enjoyed it very much.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter describes a movie considered film noir, and stories associated with them. The author creates cocktails inspired by the films or their back stories. He is an expert on both subjects! I love the way it read like a novel, and I will be referring back to it.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully presented book with cocktail recipes and stories of the movies that showed them off.
Not a drinker myself, have never tasted a cocktail in my life, but the way the stories and the drinks are put together is delish!
A gem for old movie fans especially those of film noir.

[Gwen Kubberness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I will also enjoy making these drinks and watching the movies.

[Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously designed book allowing me to indulge in hearing an expert recommend film noir selections paired with thematic cocktails

[Eric W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a coffee table book than something one would read front to back. But any fan of film noir will enjoy flipping through it.

[Susan Liston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cool book. It even has black pages, what more could you want?

[Katy Koivastik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spending time with master raconteur Eddie Muller is always a pleasure. His tales from bartending school alone are worth the price of the book.

[Elizabeth Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and a fabulous guide to drinks and drinking.

[Howard2nd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasing mix of liquor and life

Film Noir is like dark rum. Flavors that linger on your tongue and in your memories. I enjoyed the descriptions as much as the drinks.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Eddie Muller

I'm strictly a teetotaler, so what am I doing with this book? Well, I love Eddie Muller. I've read all his other books, so I had to have this one, too. I was pleased. There were a lot of tidbits about noir films and the drinks sounded delicious. If you like to entertain, this is the book for you.