Freezer Door Cocktails: 75 Cocktails That Are Ready When You Are

“These batch recipes are pour-and-serve simple” promises Hirsch (Pour Me Another) in this innovative guide to cocktail making. Each recipe starts with a full 750 ml bottle of the base liquor, some of which is poured off to make room for the other ingredients; the whole thing is then shaken and stored in the freezer. After sections on the science of ensuring the drinks don’t freeze and essential tools for home bartending, the recipes are sorted by liquor. Each section contains some classics—for example, a margarita or a Moscow mule—alongside less familiar fare, including a rum-based dessert cocktail called the cinnamon nut bread and the Prohibition-era gin drink quaintly termed the “Damn the Weather.” Some recipes require a bit more innovation to work in this format, especially anything requiring a high volume of fruit juice, which risks freezing. To compensate, Hirsch favors “speed infusions,” made by combining alcohol and citrus peel in the blender and then straining through a cheesecloth, as in the bitter blood martini. This clever collection will appeal to anyone who wants the convenience of a cocktail in a can without sacrificing flavor. (July)