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.

The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to know to be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes
(2002)

There are countless tomes of varying quality on the subject of the mixological arts, but few approach the level of authority of this volume. The Craft of the Cocktail is not just a recipe book, though as the name implies it contains a hefty number of them--definitive versions of the classics, as well modern classics and a few of Dale's own creations. Published in 2002, Dale’s book reflects his decades of experience behind the bar and his thirst (bad pun) for cocktail history. The recipes are interwoven with historical background and personal annecdotes (I should point out, as Dale does, that much of the so-called history of cocktails, at least the very early history, is suspicious at best and possibly mythological at worst. There are a lot of "most likely scenarios" but not a lot of cold hard facts. We are, after all, dealing with a subject that does not lend itself to sober record-keeping.)

The liner notes proclaim that Dale’s book is “Destined to become the bible of the bar.” I would say that this is true, except for the fact that there are so many people with bad taste out there. I mean, Dale’s book should become the bible of the bar, and I wish that it would become the bible of the bar. I don’t think it ever will though, because people are already so tragically familiar with Old Mr. Blah-ston that I would be surprised if he could be kicked off of his tired red, black and gold throne, no matter how much he deserves it.

The book consists of three parts. The first is a history of the cocktail, which includes my favorite part of that history, the RETURN to the classic cocktail, the period which we are thankfully in at this moment. The bulk of the first part of the book lays out the techniques, supplies, and ingredients involved in the classic cocktalian craft. We bought our copy of this book at a used book store, and the previous owner took it so seriously (though apparently not enough to not sell it) that he or she highlighted the pages as if it were a textbook! (Which for us it is, in a way). The middle part of the book is the recipes, which are arranged alphabetically, with some drinks being located under their broader category (ie Fizzes, Martinis). The recipe section includes all of the major classic cocktails, as well as a number of the specialty drinks DeGroff has created over the years in his roll as cocktail consultant for bars and spirits producers. The recipes are interwoven with tidbits of cocktail lore, both historical and personal, which serve to differentiate this book from those that function primarily as recipe aggregators. The last part of the book contains resources, measurements, and other information useful to the practicing bartender or the enthusiastic student.

Although we have many dozens of books on this subject, I can fairly say that this is one of those "If you had to pick just one book..." books. In other words, the best. There are other books that explore different elements of mixology in different or more elaborate ways, but this one is the MVP. (Some books, such as The Art of the Bar, are works of art in themselves) DeGroff's manual serves up history without being bogged down by it; it has a substantial number of recipes without being unmanageable; DeGroff writes with an air of authority but not with one of pretension; and the book features an in-depth section on technique and terminology for beginners, while still being functional to more advanced users. I have purchased most of the major books on mixology, anything I have been reasonably able to get my hands on, with a range published over 100 years, and this Half Price Books treasure is my favorite of them all. Though we had bought a number of cocktail books prior to finding this one, it was the discovery of this book a couple of years ago that set us irretrievably down the path of cocktail obsession.

Today I was enjoying a stroll through one of my favorite thrift shops, which I will not identify by name for fear that you will go there and buy all of the good stuff. (Okay, it was Thrift Town, which I went to because my real favorite, Thrift Land, was apparently experiencing a donation shortage or something, since all of the shelves were 75% empty). I found a book with a title so incredibly creative that I couldn't help but pick it up: The Collection: a cook book.

The book was published in 1976 by none other than the Junior League of Austin. This find is very exciting because it means that this book actually features dishes and beverages that people in Austin were making around the time that my mother and father were doing whatever it is that married people do to have beautiful babies like me (there is one other recorded incident of such behavior, the evidence being my younger sister).
My parents were pure South Austin, and my mother was certainly no Junior Leaguer, so this book is not an exact snapshot of what entertaining was like in our humble abode. But I am still thrilled to find a written record of what certain Austinites were partaking of during the time of my conception.

Not to downplay the culinary genius of 1970's upper crust Austinites, but I will move past the food recipes and straight to the chapter marked "Beverages."

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you actually attempt to make these beverages. They are listed here only for historical research purposes.

Percolater Punch
9 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
9 c. cranberry juice cocktail
4 1/2 c. water
1 c. packed brown sugar
4 1/2 t. whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks broken into pieces
1/4 t. salt
Combine juices, water, and sugar in 30 cup coffee percolator. Place cloves, cinnamon and salt in basket; plug in percolator and let it perk as you would for coffee.
Serves 30.
Mrs. Howard M. Richards (Katherine Ross)

Umm... Mrs Richards, isn't something missing, like maybe...the booze? I mean I don't want to sound like a drunk but isn't the point of punch that it makes you feel so special? Couldn't you throw in a little claret or brandy to spice it up? Your friends will love you for it.

Very Old-Fashioneds
1 qt. bourbon
1 c. light rum
1 c. sugar
1 T. Angostura bitters
1 17 oz. jar mixed salad fruits, undrained
Maraschino cherries
Combine all ingredients except cherries. Cover and refrigerate one week.
Serve over ice garnished with maraschino cherry.
For very cold days
Serves 10.
Mrs. Frank N. Beard (Carol Foster)

Light rum in an Old Fashioned? "Mixed salad fruits"--I don't even know what that is. But while I may not agree with Mrs. Beard's recipe for the Old Fashioned, I am inspired by her ambition. I mean, if you factor out this recipe to ten portions, each one has a whopping 3.6 oz of booze. A quart of bourbon?? That's serious stuff. Very cold days, indeed. And hard day's nights, too.