Modern Classic Cocktails: 60+ Stories and Recipes from the New Golden Age in Drinks

New York Times writer Simonson (Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails) defines what it takes to be considered a modern classic cocktail and then serves up examples culled from menus of the world’s best bars. To make the cut, a drink must have a life beyond the establishment where it was created, should inspire variations yet have staying power of its own, and should ideally have been perfected during what Simonson calls the craft cocktail heyday, between 2007 to 2012. Quaffs are presented alphabetically, starting with a revived amaretto sour out of Portland, Ore., that blossomed with the addition of a quality overproof bourbon, and ending with the winchester, with its three different brands of gin, two types of juice, and a hint of ginger syrup. Origin stories are presented with recipes, with notable bars (several now defunct) name-checked including Chicago’s the Violet Hour, Manhattan’s Milk & Honey and Pegu Club, which birthed the kill-devil, a flaming beverage described as “a cross between an haute craft cocktail and a hokey mid-century tiki stunt drink.” Standbys are given due, such as the cosmopolitan and the espresso martini. Not so the classic Manhattan, but variations on it are abundant, including the Greenpoint, made with rye and yellow Chartreuse, and the Red Hook, which adds maraschino liqueur. All-star concoctions shine in this best-of-the-best collection. (Oct.)