Book Review: Claridge’s – The Cocktail Book
When stepping into the bar at Claridge’s, the art deco design isn’t just a half-baked attempt or superfluous fly-by-night trendy imitation of the golden age, it’s the genuine article. The aesthetic and care to detail are something to be respected, the entire experience classy from start to finish. So, it makes sense that Director of Bars Denis Broci and Director of Mixology Nathan McCarley-O’Neill team up to fashion a cocktail book worthy of the establishment’s venerable history.
The result is a sleek compendium of greatest hits, twists on time-tested standards, and contributions from like-minded aesthetes from around the globe. At well over 400 cocktail recipes and clocking in at just under 200 very mint green pages, there are plenty of cocktail parties to be hosted just from the contents of this book. From the Champagne and sparkling cocktails and classics with a twist to no- and low-alcohol content drinks for those in abstention, the book leaves no ground uncovered in its attempt to be comprehensive. A bit of a heads up though: While it tries its best to spread the recipes around the skill spectrum, there are more than a few that could require the skilled hand of an advanced mixologist or professional to be executed correctly. So, if you’re up for an adventure without knowing the end results, this certainly provides them with ample supply.
Decades ago, I was privileged enough to spend an evening posted up at Claridge’s, delighting in whatever the wizard behind the counter felt fit to conjure up on a whim. While it is certainly not a substitute for the real deal, Broci and McCarley-O’Neill deliver a proper essence capturing the establishment’s soul.
A- / $30 / [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]
Claridge’s – The Cocktail Book
$30
