A couple months back we stumbled on an article about the best cocktail books to own and it got us thinking a few things. The first thing we realized was it’s been a while since we added any books to our collection and it’s probably because we’ve moved on from the recreating recipes phase of Intoxicology and into the creating drinks from scratch journey of our obsession. But the other thing that stuck out to us about the list was its a bit intimidating for the novice, home bartender, and even for some “experienced” mixologists. And that’s the case with a lot of cocktail books. As fate should have it, we received a copy of a newer cocktail book aimed at the home bartender that is both refreshing and necessary. Rad Cocktails is a book by Amanda Greenbaum, a Certified Sommelier, Certified Mixologist, winemaker, and adult beverage enthusiast. Here’s what we thought…
First Impression: The book itself is well designed, a simple yet noticeable cover, a perfect mix of recipes and pictures to keep you engaged, and an executable length that’s not too big and not too small.
Content: This book has a great breakdown of content. It’s 138 pages which when you consider the categories it covers (a combination of cocktails, equipment, glassware, and accessories) it’s enough to make it worthwhile without being overloaded and intimidating. I think what I love most is that she breaks it down into the classics, and then her own recipes while still giving space to glassware, ingredients, supplies etc. Oh and did we mention there are pictures both photographed and drawn to keep your attention and guide you along the way? This make the book attractive to a broad audience. It’s perfect for those of us that just want what we would order at any bar without the big price tag, and others who may want to venture out and try something different. But keep in mind, different doesn’t mean complicated. Every recipe uses simple, easy to find ingredients that allow you to be creative in your drinking without killing yourself looking for that random fruit no one sells and you’ll never use again.
Price: $24.99
Final Word: We loved it. And maybe it’s that we’ve had “stuffy” cocktail book overload from some of the releases in the last few years. But there’s a great formula here. Simple recipes, beautiful pictures to give you inspiration as your recreate them at home, and good mixture of diverse recipes and content in general. Rad Cocktails is aimed at the very same person that Intoxicology was created for. We weren’t bartenders, we were enthusiasts with a passion that simply wanted to make drinking at home or on the go simple and achievable. As Amanda puts it, this book is to help complete your home bar, and that’s exactly what we think it does. If you’re a fan of entertaining at home, or you and your wife just like to dabble behind the bar at home, this book needs to be in your collection. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we pick through some of her recipes and share here on Intoxicology.
Cheers!
For More Information on Rad Cocktail, or its author Amanda feel free to visit her website at Sommethingrad.com
