serc's Full Review: Rob Chirico - Field Guide to Cocktails: How to Ide...
I've never been much of a drinker, even though I grew up in a family that owned a liquor store. Even so, I want a cocktail every once in a while - and the appeal of having one is perhaps increased by the fact that I'm back in college again. When my husband and I received a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble for Christmas, we decided to buy a fun book that friends had just purchased and that we wanted to investigate further, Field Guide to Cocktails: How to Identify and Prepare Virtually Every Mixed Drink at the Bar by Rob Chirico.
Before I get into what the book contains, I want to point out that this is a small book, smaller than the standard mass market paperback. While it is probably a bit too large to describe it as "pocket sized," it is small enough to toss into a large purse for times when you need a reference book about cocktails.
The book starts with some good basic information, including short chapters on equipment, glassware, and stocking your home bar. There's a section called "A Short Guide to Spirits," which gives basic information on the most basic forms of booze (i.e. vodka, whiskey, gin, etc.). I was interested in reading the chapter called, "Technique: A Short Course in Mixology," since I've never mixed drinks myself. The information included is helpful, but it also didn't take long before I ran into a drink that involved layering ingredients, and there is no information included about how to do it so that the ingredients actually layer. The information is available in the book, but you have to read the text that accompanies the section on Pousse Café drinks, which means that some people are going to miss it; I think it should be included in the techniques section, as well as mentioned in the actual recipes.
The vast majority of this book is made up of major drinks arranged alphabetically, with several sections included afterward that address that drink. For example, the first entry is "Absinthe," which then goes on the following sections: General Description; Purchase - details where to purchase the drink; Areas and Time of Occurrence - the proper time of day and place for imbibing the particular drink; Season - what time of year the drink is appropriate for; Preparation - information on how it has historically been made and how you can make the drink; Flavor Affinities - what you should serve with the drink, and finally Recipes, which is self-explanatory. Many of the drinks also have a Variations section which explains how to make variations of the particular cocktail.
This book does cover a wide variety of cocktails - many of which I'd never heard of, and several of which sound truly revolting (such as the Black Lung, which is made with nicotine-infused vodka). Reading through the descriptions is interesting, and I have found a good variety of drinks I'd be interested to order or attempt to concoct myself. That being said, this book does not cover every cocktail (I guess that's why it says, "virtually" in the title), as I can think of a couple of popular drinks that aren't included in anyway. A good example of this is the Colorado Bulldog, which is a combination of Kahlua, vodka, Coke and milk, and which tastes a bit like a Coke float.
The drinks that are included are very thoroughly discussed, and the information included is very entertaining. While some of the drinks are not at all appealing, many are, and I've had fun mixing up a few of them. We've tried classic Gin and Tonics, Martinis, White Russians, Chocolate Black Russians, and the layered drink that didn't quite work, the Chocolate Covered Cherry. I have also made a list of many of the drinks that I'd like to try, including a Bay Breeze, Mexican Coffee, and a bevy of drinks with extremely suggestive names, such as Absolut Sex, Sloe Comfortable Screw, and Screaming Orgasm. Finally, I've also used this book for ideas on what to order when I'm out, beyond my usual Margarita or Bloody Mary. Next time perhaps I'll try a Lemon Drop or a Tequila Sunrise.
One final feature of the book that I should address is that, while there is not a photograph of every drink in it, there is a nice section of color plates in the center of the book. The first few pages are taken up with an icon key that you can use with the rest of the book, but after that there are small but clear color photos of 102 cocktails, 4 per page. While these photos don't affect me in the same way as, say, a photo of a moist chocolate cake might, many of them look good. I think it's also nice to get some idea of what your drink is supposed to look like before you mix it up.
I'm enjoying my copy of Rob Chirico's Field Guide to Cocktails. While it doesn't include instructions for every drink that you might want to create, it is a good starting point. It's entertainingly written, and the color plates are a nice touch. This book earns a solid 4 stars.
Here are recipes for more than 200 libations, from tried-and-true classics like the Tom Collins and the Fuzzy Navel to contemporary favorites like the...More at Cook's Books
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