There are a number of different ways in which I measure the worth of a mixology manual. Is it authoritative, or does it offer up unique or historiographic insight into the craft? (Dale DeGroff's The Craft of the Cocktail and Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails are examples of this type of book.) Does the book have features that are unique to it, or does it otherwise organize the information in such a way that it provides the mixologist a new way of understanding the construction of cocktails? Of this sort of work, Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology is a perfect example. Other books are entertaining, and others are encyclopedic in scope. Written by globe-trotting cocktail enthusiast (and former publisher of SauceGuides) Simon Difford, DiffordsGuide Cocktails #6 offers something of all of these characteristics.

The book is sexily laid out and illustrated, beginning with a brief section on basic bartending technique and supplies, an outline of essential ingredients, cocktail recipes A-Z (each with its own photo, which though not necessary, serve to prevent ennui from setting in as you scroll through 2k+reciptes), an ingredients index, and finishing up with an overview of the great cocktail bars of the world--a subject which would make a great book of its own.

The cocktail recipes, over 2000 of them (with even more in the upcoming 7th edition), are arranged alphabetically, which is most logical and helpful to the working bartender--more useful, in this application, than organizing by main ingredient. Difford's assortment of cocktails is unique in that it includes a smart mix of classics, updated classics, and modern classics, gathered from Difford's global travels. I am not aware of another cocktail curator who has travelled as extensively as Difford and crew in search of the best cocktail recipes; is it a stretch to wonder if he may be the Charles H. Baker Jr. of the current era, his Guide the modern-day Gentleman's Companion?

One feature that is (as far as I know) unique to the Diffords Guide is the rating system, which ranks every drink on a scale of one to five from "disgusting" to "outstanding/exceptional." Though I haven't found any one-star cocktails yet, it gives his book credibility that the Dry Martini #1 (with the substantial vermouth component and the optional orange bitters) recieves the rare outstanding/exceptional ranking. I like the rating system because it informs the novice mixologist for the unhandsome reality that just because a drink has entered itself into the cocktail canon does not necessarily mean that it is actually good (Slippery Nipple, anyone? Difford's rating: Best Avoided).
Most recipes also include a brief "Comment" on the flavor profile of the drink, and many include notes on the origin of the drink. I also like the book's ingredients appendix, which is a great way of cross-referencing and figuring out "what all can I make with...?"

My criticisms of this book are few. First, and this is really just a minor annoyance more than a serious defect, Difford refers to several spirits by brand name throughout the book. This implies that a proprietary spirit is required where it is not. A Rusty Nail may require Drambuie, but does a Screwdriver really need to be made with Ketel One? Does a Margarita require Sauza Hornitos? Specifying spirits by name conflates the issue of when a proprietary spirit is necessary and when it is not. As a Texan and native-born Margarita enthusiast, I know that a good Margarita should be made with 100% agave reposado Tequila, of which Sauza Hornitos is just one of many. But someone who is not in margarita country may not realize this. The constant name-brand dropping also has a scent of sponsorship and product placement, and detracts from the unbiased authority of a work such as this one. (Although if Difford has received any dough from the liqour companies, more power to him. If somebody wanted to give me money I would be a name-dropping FOOL.)

I also think that the book can be at times somewhat Euro-centric, which is understandable since Difford is British. For example, the book's recipe for a Mexican Martini is for a drink discovered in Scotland, consisting of Tequila, creme de cassis and pineapple juice. It is probably good, but in a restaurant or bar in Texas when you order a Mexican Martini you get a top-shelf Margarita, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass, garnished with jalapeno-stuffed olives . I think this is the type of thing that will correct itself as the project carries on, and as more information from more regions is gathered.

Overall I think that Diffordsguide Cocktails #6 is a great addition to the cocktail library. It is full of classics, and yet it is more up-to-date than any book I've seen. It provides historical background, but not to the point of making the book unwieldy. Using Difford's rating system on himself, I give him 5 stars--Outstanding/Exceptional.