Cocktail Codex

July 2, 2018
Bar mavens Kaplan and Day reunite with writer Fauchald in this excellent follow-up to their 2014 guide, Death & Co. Here they offer a deconstructionist deep dive into the crafting of cocktails, complete with flowcharts and attention paid to each element of the process, from the balancing of flavors to the temperature of the glassware. They begin with the concept that there are six root cocktails from which all others descend: the old-fashioned, the martini, the daiquiri, the sidecar, the whisky highball, and the flip (“a drink comprised of booze, sugar, and whole egg”). Each of these gets its own chapter wherein the classic version is analyzed and followed by variations. For example, the old fashioned, at its essence, is defined as “booze that’s been sweetened with sugar and seasoned with bitters.” Proceeding ingredient by ingredient, as if adjusting the levels on a sound board, the drink’s components are manipulated. Bourbon is replaced by raisin-infused scotch in a Golden Boy; maraschino liqueur becomes the sweetener in a Fancy-free; and toasted pecan bitters replace the traditional aromatic in a Night Owl. The classic martini, meanwhile, becomes the Dean Martin with addition of brandy and two types of vermouth. Experienced cocktail makers looking to take a deeper dive into mixology will find this to be a wonderfully detailed volume.