Book Review: The Mason Jar Cocktail Companion
Book Review: The Mason Jar Cocktail Companion
Am I the only one who doesn’t like drinking out of a mason jar? Yeah, it looks old-timey and all, but the fat lip and groove for the lid always seems to make things sloppy.
That said, for the kinds of cocktails in The Mason Jar Cocktail Companion, by Shane Carley, this kind of delivery mechanism should work fine. Don’t go looking for highfalutin’ gastro-tails here. It’s all Tom Collins, margaritas (seven varieties!), and Long Island iced teas as far as the eye can see.
Nothing wrong with those drinks (for the most part), but do you need a special, hardcover book to tell you to put them in a mason jar when you’re done? By and large, Carley’s recip
es are straightforward and simple, with ample color photography to keep things interesting (though lots of this is just for show — I’m sure the discussion went along the lines of: how many finished drinks sitting in mason jars would the readers want to see?).
Ultimately I have nothing specific to complain about in Carley’s guidebook, and rank novice home bartenders looking to serve up cocktails for summertime parties will find it a fun introduction to basic drinkmaking. That said, I am not sure I can devote precious shelf space to recipes I have dozens of times over in other books — just served in different glassware.
C+ / $15 / [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]