The Art of the Cocktail

In the Art of the Cocktail, award-winning bartender and best-selling author Ben Reed tells you all you need to know about the art of making the perfect cocktail. In Behind the Bar, he takes you back to the basics of mixology. With a whistle-stop tour of the cocktail base spirits, from vodka to rum, you'll discover what makes each drink perfect for mixing in cocktails. In Equipment and Techniques, Ben tells you how to shake or stir a martini and explains what to do with a "Muddler." There's information on the must-have tools of the trade and matching your cocktail to the correct glass. With more than 200 recipes, there's a drink to suit any taste. Start the evening with a Power Aperitif--from an Orange Daiquiri to a Gin Gimlet. Create an irresistible Champagne Cocktail from a Bellini to a James Bond and impress your guests with one of the Smashes such as a minty Mojito. For summer drinking there are refreshing cocktails in Highballs, Coolers, and Punches, including a tantalizing Mai Tai. Sip and savor the classic Cosmopolitan or shoot down an Alabama Slammer from the Slammers, Slippers, and Shooters. Round off a meal with a Vodka Espresso from the collection of Digestifs.

*More than 200 recipes to turn you into a cocktail maestro, with stunning photography by William Lingwood.

*More than 52,000 copies sold in hardcover.

Ben Reed has mixed cocktails all over the world, including stints in Hong Kong and South Africa. He has been featured in a wide range of publications--including "Vogue", "Red", and "GQ"-and is the author of Cool cocktails, Shots, Martinis, Hangover Cures, and Ben Reed's Bartender's Guide, all from Ryland Peters & Small. He lives in London.