Meehan's bartender manual

In 2007, Meehan opened one of Manhattan's least-secret speakeasies, the acclaimed PDT, and here he divulges the recipes for 100 classic and fanciful cocktails and gives away intel that is vital not only for would-be bartenders but for anyone who dreams of owning and operating their own establishment. He begins with a 20-page history of mixology from punch of the 18th century to the rise of the tiki bar to the current craft-cocktail renaissance. Next Lahey presents a comprehensive exploration of bar design complete with best practices for branding and floor plans of several stylish bars. A chapter on tools and techniques includes descriptions of mixing glasses and absinthe fountains and pointers on shaking, straining, and muddling. Beyond the ingredient list, each drink recipe is broken out into three sections: origin, logic, and hacks. Thus, for the caipirinha, he explains that the drink dates back to 1856, that the proper strategy for creating one involves a debate over preparing it in the glass versus in a shaker, and that replacing the cachaça with vodka results in a caipiroska. Brooklyn photographer Doron Gild provides the full or quarter-page photos of each drink in close-up. Less captivating are the more than 50 of Meehan's friends and colleagues who drop in with half-page, generally lackluster words of wisdom such as "There's something really important about happiness." (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Any student of the craft cocktail movement is aware of Meehan; besides owning the New York City-based lounge PDT and stints at the Pegu Club and Gramercy Tavern, he has written several books and articles on cocktails. His latest work is more than a manual to making drinks, however. It is a guide to the business of bartending as a profession. With detailed, informative sections on bar layout and decor (using real-life examples), menu construction, drinks development, service advice, and hospitality theory, this invaluable volume will appeal to any food or beverage professional. The history and evolution of cocktail culture is covered, along with sections on each of the base liquors. There are 100 beautifully photographed cocktail recipes, with tasting notes and suggestions for various substitutions. Rounding out the text are sidebars by 50 other professionals, including bar operators, distillers, and blenders, as well as artists and publishers. VERDICT A must-have for anyone in the beverage business. Amateur mixologists will also find plenty to enjoy, but this is not a primer; Meehan is writing for an experienced audience.-Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the spirit of Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book , my first book, The PDT Cocktail Book , was a snapshot of what I hope many will fondly recall as a seminal moment in cocktail history. It's a recipe book first and foremost, documenting the popular ingredients and proportions used to make classic and contemporary cocktails at the time of its publication.  In this book, instead of focusing on a particular time and place, I've panned back to address a much more layered subject: bartending itself. I'll begin with a chapter on the history of the American cocktail, from seventeenth-and eighteenth-century punch to the neoclassical cocktails we drink today. From there, I move onto chapters on bar design, tools and techniques, service, and hospitality. This book does include cocktail recipes--one hundred total, which include classics and my own signatures--plus spirits primers to help stock your bar. Each recipe includes information on the origin of the drink, the "logic" behind why it works, and "hacks" for the curious bartender.  Throughout the book you'll find insights from more than fifty friends, colleagues, and mentors who've shaped my views of the craft of bartending. I've included quotes from my former employers, Audrey Saunders and Jimmy Bradley, colleagues like Jeff Bell and Don Lee, icons like Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich, lifelong friends like Brian Bartels and my brother Peter, and spirits producers like Hans Reisetbauer and Beppe Musso. I hope that you'll be as inspired by them as I have been.  I didn't learn how to tend bar from reading books. Tending bar is mastered through thousands of hours spent watching, listening, and learning from your colleagues and guests. That said, I hope this book will foster dialogue about how and why we tend bar. Some of my most respected colleagues and friends (even those featured in the book's portraits) may disagree with the philosophy and practices I've outlined here--so I'm sincerely eager for them to weigh in on the conversation. There are many ways to succeed in the bar business; this is mine. Excerpted from Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.