The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink

by Eben Klemm

The original cocktails Eben Klemm creates as master mixologist for B.R. Guest Restaurants in New York City are the talk of the town. Now you can learn to mix like a master with The Cocktail All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink . In this mixology guide to creating both classic cocktails and modern twists, Klemm teaches people on the other side of the bar how to make drinks at home.

Klemm's philosophy is You don't need to memorize a thousand cocktail recipes; you just need to have a perfunctory knowledge of the basic families into which drinks are divided. Toss in a few bartending skills, a few simple ingredients, some classic recipes, and a few contemporary spin-offs, and you have all you need to know to make the perfect drink for any occasion.

Improve your home bar and impress your guests with The Cocktail Primer . 

Genres: Cocktails, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2009

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is what I was looking for in a cocktail book: I wanted one with a list that basically said: if you just want to have a basic setup at home, here is your list. I wanted to learn about cocktails, what parts of them are important, how they relate. I wanted a good, basic text. You have no idea how few cocktail books fit this description. Most of them have hundreds of cocktails in them and the organization is terrible. There is no learning, just long, long lists of ingredients.

But this book was just what the doctor ordered. There is a very good "Getting Started" chapter that discusses how to set up your home bar, how to pour, shake, stir and serve. There is a breakdown of the essentials of a well-stocked bar, discussing which Whiskies and Tequilas etc. are important to have on hand. There is also a list of three different lists of liquor to have on hand from "Hey, I just got a cocktail book" to a more complete setup. Klemm also walks through the list of equipment you need and gives a recipe for simple syrup and cocktail cherries.

After that comprehensive introduction, there are six more chapters each focusing on a drink and some offshoots from that drink. We begin with the chapter on the Martini's Children, and work our way to high balls. Each chapter gives us the makeup, complexity, sweetness, acidity, strength and level of refreshment of each family of drinks. There is also an explanation of when you might want to drink said drink.

All of this would have been enough, but the book is also rather droll and delights in details I, myself find important. For example, when discussing shakers, Klemm writes, "The metal-on-metal set is a little more efficient for chilling drinks and makes a nicer shaking sound, depending on whether you prefer a heckita-heckita-heckita to a shooka-shooka-shooka, but the pint glass on metal is a bit better when you're getting started because you learn how much you are pouring." He also takes a wry turn with the realities of home bartending. On one way to make the Gimlet: "It's quite nice, actually, especially if you've run out of simple syrup."

Now that I've bought the book, I will have to go about working my way through it.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this "can't-wait-to-try-one" drink book is identified as a Master Mixologist. Now, just in case you're not familiar with that designation it is one who, among other things, creates original cocktails, blends of spirits springing not only from necessary ingredients but also from imagination, experience and experimentation.

Among Master Mixologists Eben Klemm is one of the best, although that was not his original goal. A former student of biology at Cornell University he once managed a molecular biology laboratory but also learned, as many have, that there are times when one simply needs to pay the bills and bartending is one way to do it. From that introduction Klemm became a restaurant bar manager and later created the cocktail menu and signature drinks for numerous restaurant openings. He now shares his expertise with us in this brightly illustrated COCKTAIL PRIMER.

Divided into seven chapters the book opens with everything we need to know about setting up a home bar, follows with a section on Martinis and variations thereof, and then Manhattans From there Klemm sheds light on Simple and Complex Sours before tackling Muddled Drinks (Mojito, Mint Julep, Black Cherry Bounce, etc.) The concluding chapter is devoted to Highballs in which he notes that highballs can be as simple or as complex as we want to make them. (I vote for simple as Klemm tells us those are nearly infallible.)

THE COCKTAIL PRIMER will be a welcome addition to any home bar or simply enjoyed for browsing.

- Gail Cooke

[Will Herman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts off as a terrific primer for the at-home mixologist, laying out some basics that are very helpful in a way that makes the reader feel empowered to build great cocktails. The second half of the book outlines some of the specific drinks the author has created fore the restaurant chain he works for. Some of the variations of classics and some new creations. This part is certainly less interesting to read and is more reference material. The second part also deviates a bit from the start of the book in that it's more about why certain drinks are good at specific restaurants and less about the home bar. That said, there are still some good pointers and great cocktails.

I think this is a very good book for the beginner. Probably the best one I've found so far.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't think I'd like a book about cocktails this much, but I did. Author is a good writer and interestingly enough got his degree from MIT before discovering bar-tending and the "science" of mixology. Just the right mix of history, theory, and recipe.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just makes me wish I could drink more. That and the patience to make rhubarb infusion!

[Volker · Rating 5 out of 5]

learned alloootttt!