The Martini Book Author: Sally Ann Berk | Language: English | ISBN:
1579127169 | Format: EPUB
The Martini Book Description
About the Author
Sally Ann Berk is the author of The New York Bartender's Guide,Smoothies, Shakes & Frappes, and Farmer’s Market Cooking, among others. She is the editor of Secrets of the Druids and A Reasonable Affliction: 1001 Love Poems to Read to Each Other. She lives in Northern California with her husband and son.
Zeva Oelbaum is a New York-based still life and food photographer. Her work can frequently be seen in The New York Times Magazine, House Beautiful, and many other magazines and books.
- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (May 1, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1579127169
- ISBN-13: 978-1579127169
- Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
The Martini Book is a well-illustrated, narrowly-focused *introduction to cocktails*. I would not call it "essential" - there are better guides for those who seek an exhaustive reference. As such, it serves well as a first book as well as an entertaining addition to an established cocktail library.
The manual is reasonably complete and well-organized. With the exception of The Classics (which includes only dry martinis and the Vodka Martini) the body is arranged alphabetically by drink names (called "Recipes").
After the obligatory Introduction comes Ingredients. The reader will find listed (8) widely available high end gin makers and (10) vodka makers.
Flavored vodkas are next - with no particular recommendation except to say "the best pepper vodka is homemade". Ms. Berk encourages using homemade flavored-vodkas. In addition to pepper she suggests these flavors us, which are used in the recipes:
cranberry, currant, lemon,
orange, peach, raspberry,
strawberry, vanilla
(I approve - I have yet to buy "Citron" (Absolut lemon vodka) - preferring to add lemon to unadorned vodka in the Cosmopolitan. In fact I've found that homemade cranberry juice with an added fourth part simple syrup to make an excellent, slightly tart, Cosmo)
Berk then addresses flavored gins - and recommends against them. She rounds out the discussion of spirits by saying that scotch, whiskey, and rum are required in some of the recipes.
Vermouth, mixers, and an extensive list of garnishes complete the Ingredients Section.
Equipment is addressed next. The single most-essential device is the three-piece stainless steel cocktail shaker and Berk gives this first notice.
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