Raising the Bar: A Bottle-by-Bottle Guide to Mixing Up Masterful Cocktails at Home

Home is where the cart is in this snappy guide to stocking up on essential liquors and liqueurs for do-it-yourself bars. Grier (Cocktails on Tap) and bartender Adams keep the spirit selection and recipes uncomplicated and attainable. Lemons, limes, and simple syrup are in; esoteric fruits and obscure bitters are out. Cocktail fundamentals make up the opening section, which provides lists of handy bar tools and pantry items, and analyzes the balance of sweet and acidic in classic quaffs like the old-fashioned. Given its versatility, bourbon is rated the best choice if one had to purchase just a single potent potable, with gin not far behind. Both get their own chapter and accompanying drink recipes, as do vermouth, orange liqueur, tequila, and 20 others. Easy does not necessarily translate into overly familiar or unadventurous, with many recipes showing off obscure historical roots and intriguing flavor profiles. Yes, there is a traditional Manhattan, but there is also a Los Angeles, a whiskey sour punctuated with sweet vermouth that dates to 1930. And the nearly lost practice of combining light rum and gin is celebrated in drinks like the Stan Lee, with lime juice and grenadine adding to the venture. Home mixologists are sure to be stirred. Agent: Jud Laghi, Jud Laghi Agency. (Oct.)