Signature Cocktails

Ordered this for a family member who is quite a foody and loves to research and experiment with food and drinks. She was so excited to receive it and loved the research involved with each recipe plus beautiful pictures as well. She was thrilled to receive.

I love that the history of these cocktails has been presented in chronological order. Schuster's writing about each cocktail is crisp and to the point. The photos could be a bit sharper but I'm able to see how close I come when I make my own cocktails from the recipes.

The only cocktail book worth buying. Excellent selections. Well structured. Clear instructions. Great pictures. Years from now, mine will be dogeared and stained with the juices of many delicious libations.

I’ve done 25 of these cocktails so far and every one of them are great. Some of them are the best cocktails I’ve ever made for myself! Yes, some of the recipes require a little prior planning and prep, but the journey is half the fun at least.There are a million classic cocktail books with drinks that are simple to make, but if you’re interested in the culture, history, humanity, and methods of cocktails from genesis to present day then this is book you need.

The traditional 6.5” x 9” trim size of Signature Cocktails feels good in the hands behind the bar as a recipe reference. Schuster wastes no space rehashing basic information on tools, glassware, techniques and ingredients you can find in beginner bar books to maximize the amount of space for recipes, which she sourced from historic books, top bars and bartenders from all over the world.Amanda devotes an entire two page spread to each recipe, including a full page reference photo and plenty of background information to entertain your guests with each drink’s origin story. The format rewards readers choosing to go cover to cover or use as a quick reference. As a history buff, I love the novel organization of recipes from oldest to most recent- allowing me to track the evolution of the cocktail over time.The icons at the header of each recipe: creation date, city of origin, venue of origin, author, spirt base and glassware type function like a modern day digital app, which is useful for quick reference. The creative photo styling, thoughtful page design, and decision to list recipes in ounces and ml’s makes it perfect for both American and international bartenders. 200 recipes- both old and new- feels like the perfect number of cocktails for an authoritative guide. This is a great recipe reference filled with colorful history for home and professional bartenders alike.

In her third book (and by my count, at least 500th published drink), Amanda Schuster once again stirs the boozy imagination and shakes up cocktail history. Clerically researched and with over 200 signature recipes and their origin stories, this new canon almost plays out like the perfect, holiday advent calendar for mixology fans (if said holiday is Repeal Day and you celebrate it for 200 days in a row). Pro-tip: Make the drink, then enjoy while savoring the legends. Full disclosure: I'm only mid-way through (wish my liver luck making it past page 100) but making it my 2024 goal.

This is a beautiful book with detailed recipes and photos of every drink so you can recreate them perfectly. Interesting histories & personal stories accompany each recipe. My personal favorite of all the drinks I’ve tried so far: The Perfect Pear.

From the description:"A collection of 200 iconic drinks from around the globe, each of which has changed the culture of the cocktail.""A signature cocktail is a bespoke drink that expresses the nature of the time, person, or place for which it was created."Things to know before you buy:Fully half the book contains cocktails invented in or after 2000. Most of them I am sure are known only in the bar where they are served, and are neither iconic nor did anything to change cocktail culture.Most of these cocktails also rely on extremely exotic ingredients which I am quite confident are not found in your home bar.I didn't find the stories behind these cocktails very interesting either.