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(as of Dec 21, 2024 08:57:14 UTC - Details)

The newly updated edition of David Wondrich’s definitive guide to classic American cocktails.

Cocktail writer and historian David Wondrich presents the colorful, little-known history of classic American drinks--and the ultimate mixologist's guide--in this engaging homage to Jerry Thomas, father of the American bar.

Wondrich reveals never-before-published details and stories about this larger-than-life nineteenth-century figure, along with definitive recipes for more than 100 punches, cocktails, sours, fizzes, toddies, slings, and other essential drinks, along with detailed historical and mixological notes.
 
The first edition, published in 2007, won a James Beard Award. Now updated with newly discovered recipes and historical information, this new edition includes the origins of the first American drink, the Mint Julep (which Wondrich places before the American Revolution), and those of the Cocktail itself. It also provides more detail about 19th century spirits, many new and colorful anecdotes and details about Thomas's life, and a number of particularly notable, delicious, and influential cocktails not covered in the original edition, rounding out the picture of pre-Prohibition tippling.

This colorful and good-humored volume is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the timeless appeal of a well-made drink-and the uniquely American history behind it.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ TarcherPerigee; Revised edition (April 7, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399172610
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399172618
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 1.26 x 8.53 inches
Reviewer: Peter A. Haan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: perfect book and good value
Review: Very fun book, very well-made and informative

Reviewer: Andrea F
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Really well designed
Review: The writing looks good, according to the gift recipient. The drawings are neat and the actual content appears helpful and well done. Would definitely buy again!

Reviewer: Megan Campbell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Incredibly informative, somewhat heavy reading, not great for quick reference
Review: Wow.  Just, wow...  what a book.  Imbibe! by David Wondrich is the winner of the James Beard Award and generally considered one of the most in depth cocktail books available and for very good reason.  The amount of research, work, and passion that went into this project is evident in every single page and it makes me excited to read Mr.Wondrich's other book, Punch.  That said, I'm not sure I can fully recommend this to the at-home or beginner bartender.  It took me several weeks to make it fully through this book, partially because I have a poor attention span, but also because the sheer amount of information is overwhelming.  I am currently in the process of re-reading Imbibe and taking notes as I go to ensure that I fully understood and remember the material... I'm on page 3 of notes and I'm not even halfway through.  The only other book I've done that with (so far) is Proof: The Science of Booze.  That said, lets get down to it!I purchased the hard cover copy of Imbibe as I do with all my 'work' books, since they are intended as reference material and that translates poorly to Kindle.  Also they will most likely be kept in a bar so I prefer to have the sturdier option as opposed to a soft cover.  The picture on the front of the book is exemplary of what you will find within it's pages: it features an old illustration of a bartender pouring a flaming drink back and forth to the amazement of his customer.  This does come with a half size book jacket that adds to it's aesthetic, though I personally hate book jackets.  Fortunately it isn't one of those books where the jacket is essential.As for organization, the book can essentially be broken up into two categories: context and recipes.  I found the "context" section to be the most engaging;  it spans the first two chapters and about 100 pages wherein Wondrich explains who Jerry Thomas was and how his book became so influential in bartending.  He also delves into American drinking culture, a segment has been instrumental in helping me to visualize and immerse myself in the time period Wondrich describes.  You cannot possibly overstate how much culture Americans lost to prohibition.  As someone who grew up in a relatively alcohol-free home, the world that Imbibe describes is as utterly foreign to me as my world would be to a 18th century bartender.  That's not to say that the learning and context stops with the recipe section however!In most cocktail books, when you get to the recipes section you might get a small blurb about the origins of the cocktail or serving suggestions and the like.  Not so with Imbibe; it treats you to an in depth explanation of the cocktails historical context, it's most likely origin, common myths shrouding the drink and then also the recipe along with variations.  For every question it answers it leaves you with five more.  Now, I'm all about having more information all the time but Mr. Wondrich really pushes the boundary with this.  As a learning material, this makes perfect sense.  Even the recipes are formatted in an informative way.  As a reference guide? Not so much... When I was recently attempting to recreate some of the eggnog recipes from the book it took upwards of 20 minutes to translate the information given into a usable recipe.  On the one hand, it was very useful to me (a non-eggnog drinker) to see what the basic tenements were, but if someone is searching for a recipe book, look elsewhere.  Probably the most egregious example is the Morning Glory Fizz.  After giving the recipe and the likely spirits used in it Mr.Wondrich goes on to give a slight variation:"For the equally effective Saratoga Brace Up,... use a whole egg, replace the scotch with brandy, lose the lime juice, cut the absinthe down to 2 dashes, and add a couple of dashes of Angostura"  (p.137, Imbibe)... straightforward enough, but when it's every recipe it can become somewhat strenuous.There is certainly one place where Imbibe stands far and above all other cocktail books I've read thus far: Notable Quotes.  Perhaps people just don't talk about drinking the way they used to before prohibition... perhaps in all respects our descriptions have become less 'colorful' and 'evocative'.  It's a terrible loss in my opinion.  No other book have I set down frequently to just take in a delightfully sassy review of someone's cocktail or untimely demise."He spent page after page dissecting the literary, theatrical, and political celebrities whom he served, from Sullivan and Morgan to Edwin Booth, Oscar Wilde, and Tomb Thumb... This is the world that Prohibition destroyed, a world where you could pop into a bar for a glass of something cool and find yourself standing next to, and soon conversing with, a senator, a playwright, and a sculptor of renown.  The culture was convivial and the barrier to acceptance was low."  (p.110, Imbibe)

Reviewer: Robert Hess
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Required Reading for any Cocktailian
Review: The cocktail has had a glorious 200 year history, much of which unfortunately has gone unheralded for far too long. Thankfully, one of the most diligent cocktail historians of today's milieu has taken it upon himself to rectify this problem.Using the illustrious "Jerry Thomas" (famous bartender from the mid 1800's and author of the first known bartenders guide) as a focal point, Mr. Wondrich introduces us to the birth and evolution of the cocktail as well as a variety of other categories of "mixed drinks" from that era. With insightful, and often witty explanations he steps carefully through both the drinks and the attitudes of the time which formed the foundation for all that was to follow.Cocktail recipe books, which cram as many recipes as possible within their pages, are a dime a dozen. To truly understand the cocktail, whether you are a bartender or bar-attender, requires that you have a grasp of the history which preceded our current landscape. For this reason, this book is perhaps the most important book of its kind, and fills a huge void which has surrounded this topic for virtually its entire history.

Reviewer: Tristan A. Jayol
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Worth reading although a bit too long.
Review: A treasure trove of bartenders' trivial for the era before the civil war through to prohibition.Warning: this book is very long and the author uses very obscure vocabulary words to make minor points. This book is heavy on both bombast and substance.4 stars (instead of 5) for the bombastic word choice and the fact that it is 200 pages longer than it needs to be. The same information could be conveyed using 200 pages less. The weird, hyper-literate vocabulary slows down the reading significantly.This book is heavy on pomp and fluff. On the other hand, it represents some of the best scholarship on the topic of American Mixology between 1801 and prohibition.Worth reading, but a hell of a slow read.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Christmas gift
Review: Should love it

Reviewer: Sturmly
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: History of classic cocktails
Review: Such a good book! Love the history of these cocktails and methods to adapt them to modern measurements.

Reviewer: Cheyenne Autumn
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Maybe one of the Best writers of this generation.
Review: This has some great recipes, but it is Wondrich's writing that sets him apart from other cocktail books. Great background on some of your most favorite recipes and a wonderful historic jaunt through American history. Could not recommend more, if you get the chance, check out his annotated version of the Bon Vivant's Companion for free (web search, you'll find it), there is a great demonstration of the Blue Blazer by Wondrich.

Reviewer: Daxx
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Es un libro recomendable para cualquier persona que aspire a ser bartender o mixólogo. La colección de recetas es muy interesante al igual que la historia.

Reviewer: Tomi'sAmazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Amazing book for anyone wanting to know a bit of history surrounding the bar industry

Reviewer: natalie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Really happy about delivery! On time and great reading!

Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Libro must del genere. Ben suddiviso tra ricette e storia del settore. Con alcuni tecnicismi in inglese non sempre facili da comprendere ma ne vale la pena.

Reviewer: Stefan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: tolle geschichten und viel wissenswertes, recht lustig mit gutem witzda macht trinken spass, so wie es sein soll. punkt.