Well chosen cocktails and a lot of recipes for ingredients, solid technique, and thought provoking material. A must have in your collection to really learn about cocktails and all their aspects.

Title : Shake, Stir, Pour
Subtitle : Fresh Homegrown Cocktails
Author : Katie M. Loeb
Publisher: Quarry
Type: Recipes
Binding: Hardcover and Spiral Wire Bound, 160 pages,ills.

Notes:  Not just a compilation of cocktail recipes , Katie takes the opposite approach, a small carefully selected group ( 50 ) of cocktails the making of which is lovingly detailed in photos, instructions and techniques of every aspect to handcraft the culmination of your efforts into the form of a sublime cocktail. She starts off  with the simple stuff with basic explanations of spirits, store bought ingredients, staples, kitchen tools, and before you know it you are making art. There are a whole series of recipes on how to make all those infusions, syrups, bitters and other ingredients that separate the mundane from the spectacular in easy to follow steps. Another point is a peek into the creative process and how to think about or approach the making of a cocktail. Like any great teacher, Katie not only teaches what she knows but inspires and teaches you how to think on your own providing a useful grounding or foundation to build upon on your own.
Laid out in the now familiar hard cover and lay flat wire binding with reasonably spill proof (at least wipeable) binding and format that Quarry books issues its cocktail books.The binding lies flat, the paper is a decent finish and weight and the print is fairly easy to read by those over 30 years old – all pluses in my mind. For those who are looking for a giant compendium of cocktails please look elsewhere. For those who are looking to learn, polish their skills  and  for how to distinguish themselves either at home or at a bar buy this book. Katie is fast becoming a cross between  Julia Child  and Jaques Pepin of cocktails – just maybe not quite as tall.

Final Thoughts: A must have cocktail book for everyone who is serious about the art whether a beginner or  professional. A serious body of work (on  cocktails)  full of solid technique, inspiration, and a more than few touches of magic.

Website: www.quarrybooks.com