The Best Mixology Book

Buying Guide

During the COVID-19 pandemic, do-it-yourself bartending was an understandably popular hobby, and social media has only furthered that popularity. Flair bartending is now a great way to show off for friends and possibly even go viral. Luckily, mixology has never been easier to learn.

First, you’ll need the top tools of the trade. That starts with the right glasses, especially if you’re making martinis or stocking your bar with the world’s finest wines. You’ll need a shaker for mixing your drinks, a blender for frozen concoctions and garnishes for social media-friendly imagery. You’ll also need some tools for measuring, muddling, straining, stirring and more.

Once you have your toolkit well stocked, it’s time to learn the art of mixology. If you and your frequent guests have favorite drinks, you can easily take those on first, but you might want to impress friends and relatives by learning some new tasty beverages. That’s where a good mixology book can help.

Of course, a true pro can make drinks from memory. That takes study and practice, though, so starting with a few core drinks is helpful. You’ll want to rehearse basics like margaritas, martinis and whiskey sours. Just two ounces of liquor and a mixer of choice can make popular drinks like rum and Coke, scotch and soda and rye and ginger.

Just as a cookbook is a go-to tool for home chefs, a mixology recipe book is essential for learning how to bartend. You can find books that not only share hundreds of recipes but offer basic instruction if you’re trying to learn. An explanation of why certain liquors are combined with certain mixers can equip you with the knowledge you need to become a stronger bartender.

• Not all mixology books are made for beginners. Make sure you look for one that assumes you aren’t an expert. As you become more comfortable making drinks, you can then enhance your knowledge with a more advanced guide.
• Don’t forget non-alcoholic beverages! Learning to make mocktails will help prepare you for that person who doesn’t drink. Whether you’re making drinks at home or being paid to work behind a bar, you’ll be a hit if you can craft delicious drinks for all ages.
• Learning to make drinks can seem overwhelming at times. There are commonly-used terms that you’ll run into on your learning journey. Look for a mixology book that helps explain those terms if you don’t want to track them down online.
• It can be tough to recall every drink you learn, especially at first. Feel free to make notes for yourself that you tape to the bar. You can then refer to those. The more you make those drinks, the better the recipes will stick.
• It can be easy to underestimate the importance of illustrations in any recipe book. But having photos of how your drinks should look can help as you’re learning. It can also help you easily identify drink recipes you want to try.
• If your goal is to make visually impressive drinks, to wow friends or share on social media, you need to spend some time learning to make gorgeous garnishes. Some mixology books help with that. You can also find helpful guides online that might take your garnishes to the next level.
• Any good recipe book will have the items organized by type. Take a close look at how a mixology book is organized before you buy. If the recipes are organized by the liquor used, that might work well for your home bar, which may be limited in terms of liquor types. Some books are instead organized by drink type, which can help if you’re learning to bartend professionally.