Wasn't sure at first, but has a lot more than I expected...
4 stars
Yes, a good chunk of this book is composed of drink recipes (which would be worth a look, since I haven't heard of many of them myself), but apart from that, each chapter has a wealth of information that I wasn't aware I wanted to know!
In the early chapters, there are plenty of diagrams, charts, and figures to help you find out what the tools you need look like, conversion figures, techniques, etc. Most of the first two chapters about basic bar setup is in probably every book about bartending out there, of course, but it's the layout of the alcohol categories and descriptions where this one shines. The chapters describe what makes a drink fit into a certain category (like tequila vs. mescal, or bourbon vs. other whiskeys--or whiskys), and then gives a short rundown of different brands of alcohols in said category and what makes them different …
Yes, a good chunk of this book is composed of drink recipes (which would be worth a look, since I haven't heard of many of them myself), but apart from that, each chapter has a wealth of information that I wasn't aware I wanted to know!
In the early chapters, there are plenty of diagrams, charts, and figures to help you find out what the tools you need look like, conversion figures, techniques, etc. Most of the first two chapters about basic bar setup is in probably every book about bartending out there, of course, but it's the layout of the alcohol categories and descriptions where this one shines. The chapters describe what makes a drink fit into a certain category (like tequila vs. mescal, or bourbon vs. other whiskeys--or whiskys), and then gives a short rundown of different brands of alcohols in said category and what makes them different than the others (and probably gives hints as to why prices can be so different while you browse the store on your next stock-up trip).
Worth keeping beyond the recipes. So far, this is gonna be my main "textbook" for learning to bartend in the coming weeks.