The Spirits

Rediscover the lost art of cocktailing.
     Of all the skills you might acquire in life, the ability to make a good cocktail is a never going to be a waste of your time. No lover will complain when you present them a well-iced Negroni as they walk through your door; no house-guest will complain at the suggestion of a round of Gin Sours. To cocktail was coined as a verb by F Scott Fitzgerald in 1928. This amateur guide to cocktailing, embodies Fitzgerald's Golden Age spirit while giving it a thoroughly modern makeover. Expressly structured for the amateur, the first chapter of this book shows how just 6 bottles are needed for 25 classic cocktails. From this simple start the book brings a wealth of cocktail recipes and knowledge, all the while reminding you of the pleasures of cocktailing chez toi. 
     From a Pean to the Spritz and a rehabilitation of the Bromx, through cocktail history and cocktailonomics, to go-to lists like 'The Top 5 Girly Drinks', The Spirits is a perfect mix. Informative recipes blended with whimsy and anecdote, are given a dash of fun, and finished with a twist of brilliantly wry humour.

RICHARD GODWIN is Features Editor and weekly columnist at the Evening Standard. He is a obsessive cocktail enthusiast but prides himself on being very much an amateur. He has a blog called 'The Spirits'. He was a co-writer of The Breakfast Bible.