Warm weather is fast approaching, making it a great time to perfect your seasonal co*cktails. Break out your shaker and jigger because you’re going to need them: These beautiful co*cktail recipe books are sure to yield equally beautiful drinks.
Few things are more refreshing on a hot day than a bubbly co*cktail. This book is dedicated to one of Italy’s favorite aperitivo drinks: the Spritz. The beautiful tome explores the history of the classic co*cktail and provides 50 different recipes for drinks and snacks to try at home. Each recipes sits beside a full color photograph and elegantly chosen typography.
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2. THE PDT co*ckTAIL BOOK; $15
Please Don’t Tell is a popular New York speakeasy known for its creative co*cktails. Mixologist and PDT operator Jim Meehan shares some of his favorite recipes and bar secrets in this book, which features more than 304 co*cktail recipes—featuring vibrantly colored illustrations by Chris Gall—as well as tips and tricks of the trade.
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Here's another quality New York City co*cktail lounge with a beautiful recipe book. Founder Sean Muldoon and bar manager Jack McGarry tell some of the bar's tales and outline its recipes for its co*cktails, each of which is accompanied by a detailed history of the drink as well as stunning photographs.
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4. THE CRAFT co*ckTAIL PARTY; $17
Author Julie Reiner is often credited with helping revive craft co*cktails. She co-owns a selection of co*cktail bars in New York and was named one of 2014's Top 10 Mixologists by Food & Wine. With credentials like these, it's no surprise that thisis one serious recipe book. With plenty of full color photographs, the tome is perfect as a coffee table book when you’re not referencing it.
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If books authored by professional mixologists intimidate you, this guide—written by Imbibe! editor Paul Clarke—might be a better fit. This book provides simple recipes that are easily replicated, and small, charming illustrations of tools and drinks are tucked into the columns to keep things interesting.
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6. PARIS co*ckTAILS; $13
Save money on airfare by creating lovely Parisian co*cktails right in your own living room. This extensive guide comes with more than 100 recipes inspired by the French capital. Along with recipes, the book also gives tips for how to throw swanky Parisian-themed parties and provides reviews of Paris and American bars. The whole thing is housed in a beautiful red book with a martini glass cut-out showing a map of Paris.
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Illustrator Elizabeth Graeber brings Orr Shtuhl's co*cktail recipes to life with playful illustrations of penguins, foxes, and more. Each recipe comes with an adorable cartoon; for example, the Sidecar recipe comes with a drawing of a man in a sidecar while the recipe for Blood and Sand has a picador and bull.
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8. co*ckTAILS OF THE MOVIES; $13
Enjoy a White Russian like The Dude or sip on a Champagne Cup like M. Gustave with this helpful guide to cinematic co*cktails. Each recipe comes with a history of the drink, some context from the movie, and a full-page illustration of the character who drank it.
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Fall back on an old classic with this reprint of an 1862 co*cktail guide, which is considered the first serious American recipe book on co*cktails and punches. The reprint from co*cktail Kings comes with a beautiful green hardcover.
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10. BEACHBUM BERRY’S POTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN; $27
Jeff “Beachbum” Berry provides some insight into some tropical drinks that capture the tiki bar aesthetic. There are 77 vintage Caribbean drink recipes inside, alongside stories of the people who created, served, and enjoyed the drinks. The fun recipe book is filled with colorful layouts, vintage illustrations, and rare historical photos.
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For new parents: Unwind with a co*cktail made after the kids are asleep. Each of the 20 recipes comes with a little nursery rhyme and an adorable ‘50s-style illustration by Eda Kaban. The clever book comes with board pages, so it can discreetly hide amongst your children’s books.
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12. A VISUAL GUIDE TO DRINK; $19
Pop Chart Lab, known for their highly detailed posters and glassware, also has a book. This visual guide offersinfographics, maps, charts, and recipes laid out in perfectly structured formats. Drinking has never been so organized!
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This literary co*cktail recipe book is perfect for any bookworm. It offers 65 different drink recipes withpunnynames like “Romeo and Julep” and “A Rum of One’s Own.” Each recipe is nicely paired with commentary about the history of the book being used as inspiration. Along with drinks, the book also details various bar snacks and drinking games to go along with your co*cktails. Best of all, there are impressive illustrations throughout the book by Lauren Mortimer.
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