Mardee Haidin Regan’s tome of recipes arrives ready for action. The softbound book is clad in a presumably water-resistant plasticized shell, and a built-in bookmark ensures you won’t lose your place. 850+ recipes are included, and Regan makes the shrewd move to include both the classics and plenty of recently developed material too, with credit given to the creators and the bars where they work. How good does the Death at Dusk (sparkling wine, crème de violette, absinthe float, brandied cherry) sound? For the drinker who just wants to flip through a book to find something delicious to tipple on, The Bartender’s Best Friend is an excellent choice.

I’m less thrilled with Regan’s decision to sort the book purely alphabetically. Oktoberfest Punch follows the Oatmeal Cookie, which in turn follows something that should have easily been edited out called Nyquil. Still, with a high enough proportion of hits to misses, this book is a worthwhile, and imminently flippable, read.

B+ / $13 / [BUY IT FROM AMAZON]

The Bartender’s Best Friend

$13

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

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