cover image Hola Tequila!: Ninety Creative Cocktails and Inspired Shooters

Hola Tequila!: Ninety Creative Cocktails and Inspired Shooters

Colleen Graham. Sellers (www.rsvp.com), $15.95 (128p) ISBN 978-1-41620691-0

Though the book's amateurish layout doesn't do her any favors, cocktail expert Graham's love letter to tequila is a sound guide to a flavorful spirit often relegated to overly sweet drinks and shot contests. Graham does a terrific job of educating readers on the many facets of tequila, covering territory such as its primary types, the myth of the worm (found in mezcal, not tequila), bar-stocking and tasting tips, creating one's infusions, and how to recognize counterfeit tequilas. Though Graham's knowledge of and passion for the subject is endearing, readers will likely get the most out of her recipes, which range from classics like the Margarita and its many variations, the Tequila Sunrise, and the quick-and-easy Paloma (a mix of tequila, fresh lime juice, and grapefruit soda), to more inventive fare like the Verde Fizz (tequila, simple syrup, an egg white, limeade, club soda, and sliced kiwis) and the Mint Madre, a mix of torn mint, pineapple, orange bitters, agave nectar, and blanco tequila that's begging for a turn on the porch on a hot summer day. Thankfully, novelty recipes (like the Firecracker, a stomach-churning shot combining tequila, Goldschl%C3%A4ger, and cr%C3%A8me de menthe) are kept to a minimum; this is serious stuff for the most part. Though not an essential tome for the serious mixologist, this is a nice accompaniment to a gift of top-shelf tequila for agave initiates. Color photos. (Mar.)