The Cocktail Guy: Infusions, Distillations, and Innovative Combinations

Woods, director of the U.K.’s Duck & Waffle chain’s cocktail program, offers recipes that, for the most part, emphasize flavor over showmanship. Woods suggests 36 infusions that can be prepared ahead and other techniques that enable bartenders to create a terrific cocktail quickly. While some infusions border on the ridiculous (a Kobe/Wagyu whisky), others, such as Green Apple Rye, Jalapeño Tequila, Pink Peppercorn, and Pine Needle Gin, expand the flavors of the base spirit, allowing Woods to create some cocktails worth craving. Two of Woods’s most remarkable creations—the Eden, a gin-based drink that employs beetroot for color and flavor that evolves over time, and the ingenious Clarified Bloody Mary, which embodies all the flavors of the classic without the heaviness that accompanies it (a crucial step involves pouring homemade tomato consomme through a sieve)—are worth the price of the book. While Woods’s approach isn’t exactly one-step, having infusions and simple syrups on hand saves considerable time when serving up cocktails. There’s enough variety in this fun and clever cocktail book to keep both pros’ and amateurs’ creative juices running. [em](Apr.) [/em]