The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft

As the author of The Bartender's Bible, The Book of Bourbon and New Classic Cocktails, Regan is no stranger to spirits, and in his newest work he sets out to explain""the histories behind various cocktails and perhaps come up with some new theories, if not conclusions, along the way."" He accomplishes it all, offering a definitive and entertaining guide to the bartender' trade. Beginning with a solid history of mixed cocktails, Regan then provides an instruction manual for bartenders, asking,""do you have what it takes?"" He instructs on everything from bartender etiquette (how to treat a customer who doesn't tip, how to tell someone he's had enough) to the brass tacks of tending bar (how to arrange liquor bottles, how to rim a glass and how to pour out precise measurements). Regan misses nothing, and everything he covers is simply explained; clear illustrations identify the""families"" of cocktail glasses, while charts show the""families"" of alcohol. It isn't until three-quarters through the book that Regan begins his cocktail recipes. And by that time, readers will finally have the knowledge to prepare each one.