The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles

Interesting read.

This is a good book. I picked it up on a whim because I already had most of the bottles listed. The title is a little misleading at first glance. The 12 bottles are just the core spirits. You will still need things like simple syrup, bitters, citrus juices, egg, some liqueurs, etc. but they're relatively basic and inexpensive items. It avoids complex drinks that want you to spend x50+ on a fancy French syrup or liqueur that you'll use a splash of once and then it will sit in your cabinet forever. Just be aware that there's more to it than meets the eye. On the plus(?) side, it shamed me into juicing my own citrus instead of buying concentrates at the store.I appreciate how light and engaging the writing style is. It's a book that you want/need to actually read, at least in the beginning, to understand the reasons for their picks, their methods, fun cocktail history etc. It's not just a boring recipe book, nor should it be treated as such. The recipes evolve too. It literally starts with 1 bottle cocktails that are simple to make, then they add a second bottle in the next chapter and tell you 1 bottle recipes for that spirit, as well as multiple bottle cocktails for it and the previous bottles. That adds a fun factor to it and eases you in as you accumulate more of the ingredients if you're building your bar as you go. At any point you can skip to the index and look up drinks by name, ingredient, or even occasion, so once you get confident or just want to explore or recap you have quick access. I have given a couple copies of this book as gifts and they were well received.

This is a fantastic book. I'm not a serious drinker, but ever since getting into a culinary program I've become more interested in cocktail-making (and drinking).Pros:- Keeps things real and economical by limiting to just 12 bottles. So far I'm doing just the 8 bottle bar and am getting a lot of practice (vodka, gin, rye whiskey, brandy, sweet & dry vermouth, orange liqueur, and aromatic bitter).- There are "extras" you need to make like simple syrup, honey syrup, etc., but it's simple. For example honey syrup is just "honey + warm water". I bought my grenadine since I live in an area with locally made cocktail ingredients.- Fun stories littered throughout the book.- Book tells you that recipes asking for martini glasses are for 4.5 oz glasses (so I bought 5 oz glasses).- Each recipe recommends what glass container to use, the ice, and how many people it's for.- There is an extra chapter (ch 14) focused on beer, wine, and cider mixes which is super cool.- There is a section on the back that suggests drinks based on themed night (i.e. poker night, Christmas, etc.)Cons:- It doesn't really say how to scale a cocktail drink for 2-3 people. If drinking alone that's fine. But if I have 1-2 guests over I guess I would have to start all the way at the beginning to make a drink for each person, rather than mix enough for more and just pour multiple glasses. However, there are some recipes in the book which are batch, party-sized.- When the books ask for fruit slices it doesn't specify how to slice it or if you need to peel it (except for pineapple which says skin removed).- It would be super cool if there was a section in the back that lists the syrups in the book and then all the recipes that ask for that syrup. For example, if I have an extra batch of honey syrup in the fridge I would have to search the book for a recipe that uses it.************This is a win for the home bartender or wannabe mixologist. I don't want to become a professional bartender, I just want to try out flavors and impress friends/girls. This book is a great starting point because it focuses on starting with a small bar.

If you are clueless (like me) about cocktails, then this is your book. I have gifted multiple copies of this to friends. It is designed to be a starting point for knowledge and practice. It can even be a final stop if it suits you and you will be just fine. I have used it for 10 years plus. I just made a Fedora for the first time tonight! Yummy!! If you buy this for the brandy milk punch alone (Christmas in a glass), it is worth it. My cocktails are now better than most any bar tender I come across. I want a hardbound to be made available.

I learned a lot from this book, including lots of great recipes. I followed the authors' recommendation on which liquor to buy and loved each of them-well, maybe not the Geneve! I have given this book as a gift to several friends and recommend it without hesitation. It has saved me hundreds (no, thousands) of dollars knowing that "premium" liquors don't have to cost an arm and a leg. As a recovering Southern Baptist, this book was a Godsend!

Great little book for not that much money. An essential for new (and old) bartenders. Not just for the recipes - I love the anecdotes and stories. One drawback: I'm sad how little attention Rye gets despite being a full fledged bottle of of the bar. It's understandable not every drink can get some love since the whole point is a 12 bottle bar. But if you're going to include a drink, why put only a few recipes in its 3 or 4 page section when other sections are 50+ pages long? Another slight criticism is that the book leans very heavily on egg white recipes which I cannot try because of allergies - I've read online some substitutes (Fee Foam or Aquafaba), but probably should have been mentioned in the book. Overall very good.

My husband bought me this for my birthday with a bar-tending kit, since I've always dreamed of being one of those glamorous hostesses from the fifties who mix drinks in their pearls.This book has been fantastic! Love the variety of drinks included, and I love the suggested bottles for each alcohol type. I've followed their recommendations for the most part and haven't been disappointed.Personally, I'm a nerd, and I love how they include little fun fact tidbits about the different drinks they've included as well.Great book to get you started in your mixology journey!

First and foremost, this is a great introduction to cocktail making for beginners like us. It takes a little bit of investment to get the basics but we've had a lot of fun picking a bottle and experimenting over the last few months. Rum and Whiskey cocktails have not disappointed so far and I fully expect the gin, vodka, genever etc ones will be equally delicious.

It’s a good book but somehow doesn’t quite get to the Great level. I would suggest a book for someone who has a couple of entry level cocktail books and wants to progress a bit.

Very good book divided up into sprit based chapters with advise on what to buy also has wine based cocktails. Index very good no pictures of cocktails. Best book on cocktails I have read so far

For a serious home mixologist, this isn't going to do much. Would be good for a novice...however some intregal bottles are missing from the 12 (Campari, tequila, etc).

Great book plenty of detail, pictures are not great. But definitely worth buying. Recommended