Behind the Bar: 50 Cocktail Recipes from the World’s Most Iconic Hotels

Journalist Akkam debuts with a dazzling collection of cocktail recipes from famous hotel bars around the world. Each hotel gets a brief history covering its “distinctive and colorful” legacy, and the descriptions and recipes will help scratch the travel itch for those stuck in armchair travel mode due to the pandemic. There are classics, such as the pisco sour from Country Club Lima Hotel in Peru and the Singapore Sling as poured at the Raffles Singapore. However, the recipes for more obscure drinks are the most enticing, such as the peach liqueur–infused Moods of Love from Shanghai’s Waldorf Astoria or Little Match Girl from Copenhagen’s Nimb Hotel (tequila, ruby port and Lillet Rouge). Simple instructions make the recipes doable for home bartenders, though it may take some effort to ferret out the more obscure ingredients (Faude beetroot spirit, apricot distillate). If there’s a disappointing note, it’s that the venues themselves are only rendered in two-color illustrations. Nonetheless, this sparkling treat would make a luxe start to any holiday, real or imagined. (Oct.)