(Part 2) Best beverage & wine books according to redditors
We found 3,547 Reddit comments discussing the best beverage & wine books. We ranked the 886 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
![Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61bMwM1DBxL.jpg)
The diet was simple: protein, fat, and copious alcohol consumption.
>“Did you ever hear of a diet which was fun to follow?” Cameron wrote. “A diet that would let you have two martinis before lunch, and a thick steak generously spread with Sauce Bearnaise, so that you could make your sale in a relaxed atmosphere and go back to the office without worrying about having gained so much as an ounce?”
The above aludes to the famous "three-Martini lunch" (the wiki article for those unfamiliar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-martini_lunch ).
An example of an approved meal:
>A typical “Drinking Man’s” lunch might be a dry martini or whiskey and soda, two glasses of wine, broiled fish or steak or roast chicken, green beans or asparagus, lettuce and tomato salad with french or Roquefort dressing.
The bit about how the book was based on the observation of alcoholics did not come from the submitted article, it came from this one I was reading which led me to google this thing out of sheer morbid curiousity, which led to the submitted article. The quote in question:
>Back in the 1960’s there was a popular diet called the “Drinking Man’s Diet.” The idea was that a dieter would replace their sugars and starches for alcohol… It was like Atkins + wine. The diet came to be after observing heavy drinkers losing weight despite drinking thousands of alcohol calories each day!
>
>While it’s true that heavy drinkers’ bodies learn to waste alcohol calories and turn them into heat, all that heat makes the food turn into a host of chemicals that seriously affect vital organs (think cancer, liver problems, etc). The study also showed that if you’re just a moderate drinker or on a low-fat diet, you metabolize all 7 alcohol calories per gram.
I did enjoy the last line from the submitted article:
>Perhaps because of his diet, or perhaps because genetics is a crapshoot, Robert Cameron enjoyed his roast duck and Burgundy until the advanced age of 98.
lol
The book is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Mans-Diet-Robert-Cameron/dp/091868465X
I refer to the Flavor Bible frequently. It is a compendium of flavors that pair well together.
There isn't a particular book that I can think of that focuses on cocktail creation, but I enjoy Kevin Liu's discussion of balance in Craft Cocktails at Home and Gary Regan's discussion of drink families in The Joy of Mixology. I would start there and then move onto other books.
In terms of process, it's very situation-based. Modifying current recipes can be fun and a good jumping off point. Start by trying to make your own signature Last Word variation. Classically it would be equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice. I do something with equal parts rose green tea-infused gin, Liquore Strega, pear liqueur, lemon juice and chamomile-citrus bitters.
You can also think about what certain drinks have in common and try something in the same style i.e. Sidecars and Margaritas are both spirit, sweet, and sour while Manhattans and Negronis are both spirit, sweet, and bitter. The history of drink making is so long that it is highly unlikely that you'll be making something that doesn't at least slightly resemble an extant drink, whether or not you ever figure it out.
The key to a good cocktail is balance. Sweet, sour, and bitterness all help to mellow each other out. Bitters are great for this because the addition of even a small amount of bitter flavor will dull the perception of sweet and sour so that any extremes are rounded out. Sweet does the same to sour and bitter while sour does the same to the other two, though both to a lesser extent than bitterness.
Again, I highly recommend the Flavor Bible. With it you can take a spirit, see what flavors you can pick out and see what will pair well with them. Then find ingredients that can bring that flavor to the table. You can then check out the pairings for that flavor and see if the two lists have any overlap.
The more classic recipes you become familiar with, the more you'll be able to see patterns in what general drink formulas work.
Be sure to straw taste as you go to correct any issues with balance early on in the process. You should do this anyway with drinks you already know the recipes for, but it's especially important when creating so that you can tell what each ingredient is bringing to the table.
Another approach, once you have an idea of ingredients to mix, taste each on its own to get an idea of how it might play with the others and also the intensity of flavor to give you an idea of what proportions you might aim to balance intensities.
Have at least part of an idea in mind before you start pouring. Cocktails are an ephemeral art, so you won't have to live with your mistakes for long if you make a bad drink, but don't go wasting good liquor chasing after a completely unformed thought (at least not at this point).
That should be enough to get you started. Let me know if you'd like additional reading recommendations.
Source: I run the bar, train the bartenders, and write the drink menu for a successful bar/restaurant with a focus on craft cocktails.
Here's a few things I think most Coffee lovers would enjoy.
Gear
For home espresso enthusiasts
Mugs
Books
Misc.
edit: continually adding things as I think of them
Start here: /r/ramen
and here: http://www.amazon.com/Ivan-Ramen-Obsession-Recipes-Unlikely/dp/1607744465
There are several other books, that I haven't read yet.
One of the things that book explains well is that there isn't really a 'traditional' Ramen. It is a fairly recent food innovation i.e. <150years as opposed to the other Japanese food categories >1000 years.
There are some staples. When I started on this quest I gotta say, I got too inventive too fast. Concentrate on your basics first:
Noodle
Tonkotsu Broth
Menma
Chashu
Soft boiled egg.
Make a perfect bowl with that and you can improvise from there.
p.s. I'm just a hobbyist and still working on those.
Tempurature preferences in drinks tend to be based on culture. In the United States, we prefer to drink our beverages cold. This has to do with lot of different things; For example, we have access to municipal water supplies that are almost always perfectly good sources of clean water, access to electricity and refrigeration (things that are still luxuries in many parts of the world), and the fact that cold Coke and beer just plain taste better to us.
Many other parts of the world prefer their drinks hot. This stems from the origninal need to boil water to prevent disease, and has been ingrained in multitudes of cultures through traditional drinks like tea and coffee. Many cultures that prefer hot beverages hold the belief that cold drinks are not good for you.
Something that we all have in common is that we don't tend to like tepid drinks that have been left out. The exceptions to this rule are most alcoholic beverages which, notably, do not need to be heated to kill bacteria, or chilled to prevent spoiling, since the alcohol takes care of preservation.
If you're very interested in seeing the ways different cultures have been influenced by drinks, or how drinks have been influenced by cultures, you might enjoy A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. It's a very good read.
The description and ToC read like what I imagined Hops and other element books would be. (Which I found all to be a little underwhelming, except Water which I found overwhelming as hell).
I'm really looking forward to this! Your blogposts are one of the best source of information without having to read the actual research.
If you want to learn about Whiskey, read this book! Great information and really an enjoyable read. I've read it twice
This one I suppose.
I get asked this question a lot, and if you're looking for something to go from start to finish, answer a lot of beginner questions and yet also give enough info to leave you wanting more, I always recommend [The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann.] (http://www.amazon.com/The-World-Atlas-Coffee-Explained/dp/1770854703)
It also doesn't hurt that it's a beautiful ahem coffee table book - excuse the pun!
Three that come quickly to mind:
A History of the World in Six Glasses
Salt: A World History
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America
I was a fan of the Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee.
Fun, anecdotal, and very informative. Plus the hard cover looks great on a coffee table. I often have guests flip through it when they come by.
The gold standard is The Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery. Certainly more reference than prose, but never too dry to get through or enjoy. Probably my all-time favorite beer book.
Fun fact: there was a low carb diet published in 1964 called "The Drinking Man's Diet: How to Lose Weight with a Minimum of Willpower" however soon afterwards was when Ancel Keys popularised the anti-fat movement and the author became distressed that he might be hurting people.
Dude, that's fantastic news. This comment immediately got me subscribed for updates.
Some other source recommendations off the top of my head...
Tiki drinks:
General cocktails:
...that's... not a bad list to get started. Good luck! I'll be interested to follow along with development.
Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver is fantastic.
edit: thanks for the gold! :)
I like "how to brew" by John Palmer for a more textbook oriented reference, although I'm sure there are better options out there. If you're looking for a really in depth guide to specific styles, "Designing Great Beers" can't be beat.
And Finally: http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138
https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/1563054345
Available on Kindle.
Edit: 2nd edition is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/0761180834/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
A couple of years ago I read [Blue Bottle: Craft of Coffee] (http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Bottle-Craft-Coffee-Roasting/dp/1607741180/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1409583577&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=blue+bottle+craft+of+coffee+by+james+freeman). It covers growing, roasting, and drinking (including intensive info on brew methods). It was interesting and somewhat entertaining, but I can't say I read the cookbook in the back.
I really enjoyed "The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee: Growing, Roasting, and Drinking, with Recipes" :: http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Bottle-Craft-Coffee/dp/1607741180
It is kinda specific to Blue Bottle's business, but worth a read and was insightful.
Yes, this was commonplace for 10,000+ years before coffee in the 17 century. Beer/wine was safer to drink than water due to its fermentation. It's laid out pretty nicely in A History of the World in Six Glasses which I am currently reading. I highly recommend it, it is a very easy read.
We have a couple great cocktail bars and high-profile bartenders (Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Jacob Grier come to mind), and a lot more underrated ones, but PDT is world-class; Meehan's PDT cocktail book is a best-seller in the genre and highly regarded among cocktail makers.
Notably, Meehan may not even be the highest-profile east-to-west cocktail bartender move this month. John Gertsen of Boston's Drink, which won so many Tales of the Cocktail awards that it got retired out of the awards process, is moving to San Francisco.
I'm curious whether the PDT/east coast-style cocktail bar will work on the west coast, though, and especially in Portland, because there's too much competition from things like beers and ciders and straight spirits (and coffee!) that the east coast doesn't have. Even places like Clyde Common and Teardrop and Metrovino, which all have cocktail programs that would work well on the east coast, do presentation, service, and hospitality a little (and sometimes a lot) differently.
And people here get wonky over other food and drink things here--we have green coffee bean shops and tons of homebrew shops, while the east coast has more dedicated boutiques for home bars and high-end liquor stores with hand-picked selections. The culture isn't there; you don't have as many cocktail snobs in Portland because everyone's put all their snob points in coffee and beer and scotch and hiking boots or whatever.
General
Bourbon
Scotch/Malt
The Oxford Companion to Beer is really cool and Amazon just listed it at 60% off.
I need that book asap.
Here are a few must haves-
The two books should help you get started:
Bang for your buck bottles:
One Recipe for you to try:
The Scofflaw
Shake over ice and strain. Garnish with lemon peel.
Here's a list of some good General Books on beer.
I'm fond of Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. It does a great job of introducing the history of beer, the different styles, and other great info. I recommend it to everybody who wants to learn about beer. http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894
If you're interested in the history of American beer, Ambitious Brew is a great read. It's limited in scope to just the history of American beer, but that proves to be a rich subject. http://www.amazon.com/Ambitious-Brew-Story-American-Beer/dp/0156033593
Beer is Proof That God Loves Us, It's not the greatest book, but for free on Kindle, it's worth checking out. The guy knows his beer, he just is a big time Macro brewing apologist, and his constant praise for the big brewers, and his disdain for hops make it not my favorite book. There are some good anecdotes, and history of beer. http://www.amazon.com/Beer-Is-Proof-God-Loves/dp/0137065078
And I've heard good things about the Oxford Companion to Beer, though I haven't read it myself. http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z
A book called "A History of the World in Six Glasses" explores the roles that beer, wine, distilled spirits, tea, coffee, and water played throughout history.
In the chapter on coffee, the author describes a period when Muslims were debating whether or not coffee should be outlawed due to the mind-altering effect of caffeine (as with alcohol). They literally had a trial in which they placed a vessel of coffee on the "stand" to be judged. Eventually, it was decided that coffee was innocent as its effect on the body could be comparable to that of spicy food.
Side note: From an interview on NPR with another author, apparently it has been common throughout history for animals and inanimate objects to be tried for crimes. For instance, a man was being tried for bestiality with a pig. They judged whether or not the pig should be punished for immorality but ultimately decided that it was innocent and let it go.
The author's book is "The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O.J. Simpson". I haven't read it, but it sounded interesting from the interview.
Resident drunk checking in...
Yes and no, mostly depending on how much you have to lose.
I had 20kg/40lbs to shed, 75% of that came off in 2-3 months effortlessly, the whole time I was drinking excessively on an almost daily basis.
Hit a plateau a month or so ago, I'm content with my weight, but will be contenter with another 5kg/10lbs gone. Having said that - I last broke the plateau by not drinking for two days, then having a massive bender weekend on all kinds of carby drinks and snacks.
Edit to add TL;DR - The Drinking Man's Diet - 1964 - basically the original low-carb/keto drunk lifestyle
Principles of Brewing Science is excellent and extremely scientific. The other recommendations on this page have varying levels of scientific knowledge woven into them, while all attempting to be accessible to the common homebrewer with a high school education. If you want to really go down the rabbit hole, this is the only choice for homebrewers. I'm talking about molecular diagrams of the various sugars and compounds from malts and hops, the chemical reactions that actually explain mashing enzyme functions, and the metabolic pathways of yeast during fermentation. You want to know how diacetal forms? He doesn't stop with some basic pointers about yeast health and temperature, he dives into the chemical reactions and provides graphs and charts. Every flavor and off-flavor is described by it's discrete chemical causes, with no stone left unturned and no topic glossed over with simple suggestions.
Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this book for the faint of heart, and you probably should have a decent understanding of chemistry and biology before picking it up, but no other resource compares if you really want to dive in to the science of brewing.
edit: spelling
Maybe you're looking for something more exhaustive, but I really appreciated The Wine Bible, by Karen MacNeil. If I recall correctly, she was a travel writer before discovering wine, so her approach to the book was to go region-by-region and describe the place, the people, the food, the local grapes and then the local wine itself. So, she provides a lot of great context.
I actually read the book cover to cover and it made me want to try every varietal and style in the book. Didn't succeed but had a damn good time trying.
Edit: I gave too many damns.
It all depends on what you're looking for. If I had to go for one general book to start out with it'd probably be The Essential Bartender's Guide - great intro with some history, as well as discussion on what different types of drinks are, etc. Good Jack-of-all-trades book. As you get a little deeper, the standouts for me are Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Bitters, Imbibe!, and Punch. Vintage is a great resource to get an idea of what's been done (and lost) over the years, and is a great place to learn about what types of flavors work well together, plus there's a great blurb about the history of the drink with each recipe. Bitters is pretty self explanatory, but it has a nice intro to cocktail history, and s ton of great recipes, both new and old. Really interesting to see how slight tweaks in the bitters used (Fourth Regiment vs a Manhattan, for example) makes a huge difference in the ultimate product. Imbibe and Punch are simply brilliant history lessons, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. Cheers!
With these elements in place, plus some groceries like fresh fruit (limes, lemons, orange, etc), sugar (remember simple syrup is 1 part water 1 part sugar), and soda water, you'll be able to make old fashioneds, rickeys, collinses, manhattans, and dozens of other cocktails.
Hey there. I'll give you a little summary of what I think most people on here will tell you in response to your questions.
Books: Blue Bottle ,Coffee Comprehensive and Uncommon Grounds are all good books to cover most of coffee and its processes.
This Capresso Infinity is considered a pretty decent burr grinder for the price. It will not do espresso but will be good enough for most other coffee brewing methods.
Getting a set up that is acceptable for "real" espresso is kind of expensive. A Gaggia classic is considered the bare minimum espresso machine for a "real" espresso. A Baratza Virtuoso is considered bare minimum for a decent espresso grinder. Now, you can (and many people do) find these items used, which obviously reduces the cost greatly. But depending on your area, finding these items up on craigslist or similar sites can be pretty rare.
I'm not from Rhode Island, but googling local roasters will provide some results. As for online ordering, tonx, blue bottle and stumptown are favorites around here for their price and quality. Beans are broken down on what region they came from, how they were processed and how dark they are roasted. Each region has different flavor profiles in their beans. African beans are known for being more fruity than other beans, for example. A little warning, most people on this subreddit believe Starbuck's espresso roast coffee to be too dark. However, many of Starbuck's light/Medium roast coffees have been reviewed as pretty decent. Most websites that sell the beans will list a flavor profile of the beans. The basic saying on this subreddit is that if you have crappy beans, no matter what, your coffee will be crappy. If you are going to overspend anywhere in the process, overspend on quality beans.
The espresso machines that you will be using at starbucks are machines that will basically produce espresso at the push of a button. They will grind, tamp and extract the espresso without any input from you. You should just know right off the bat that there is a whole other world to espresso making that is the exact opposite, with people grinding the beans to the right size, tamping by hand, and extracting shots with a lever that controls pressure. Neither way is right or wrong, you should just know that there are many different types of espresso machines and baristas.
I'll share a little bit of advise, take from it what you will. I was an ambitious college student coffee drinker just like you. I asked for a Breville espresso machine as my first real coffee making device (even before a grinder, how silly of me). I just wanted an espresso machine because that was all I was getting from these coffee shops. Since then I've gotten a nice grinder, a melitta pour over, french press, gooseneck kettle, aeropress, V60, moka pot, and chemex. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't turned on my espresso machine in over a year. There is so much more to coffee than espresso. There are so many methods to brew coffee that are cheaper, more complex and more interesting. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd buy the burr grinder I linked, and an Aeropress or any french press (Starbucks sells some pretty nice ones. You could get one with an employee discount) and just learn to love coffee on its own, without frothed milk and flavorings.
There is a ton of info on this subreddit if you stick around for awhile. Questions like yours are posted all the time and answered by very knowledgable people. Your enthusiasm for coffee is extremely exciting to see. Please don't let any of my advise subtract from your enthusiasm. Everyone takes a different path while exploring coffee. That's part of the excitement. You will learn a lot at Starbucks and you will learn a lot if you stay here. Enjoy your stay.
I've read Designing Great Beers and it's a great resource as a style guide, but it leans much more towards the empirical side when it comes to explaining things. If you're looking for something a little more scientific and data-driven there are some other really good options.
Suggestions:
/ Yeast
/ Malt
/ Hops - Very specific and science driven focus on each element.
James Hoffman's World Atlas of Coffee.
Also Google.
Sure do.
For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus is a very good read. That book is about the most comprehensive bunch of information you'll find without doing the work yourself. It's not the most in depth or technical, but it's an awesome read and still full of tons of good information. Besides that there is a lot of knowledge to be found, you just need to do the research.
The Brewing Elements series is great.
Ivan Ramen
The Story of Tea is, from my readings, one of the most thorough and well-researched books on the subject. While it places a heavy emphasis on history and cultivation, it delves deep into specific growing regions, the teas they produce, and the tea cultures of those regions. My only gripe is that they didn't mention samovars in their brief section on Russian tea culture, but a) it's forgivable, and b) now you know.
For similar breadth but (slightly) less thoroughness, Tea is an excellent choice. In fact, this is the book that I would recommend to anyone starting their tea journey. Of course, you can always read both. ;)
Happy reading!
I really like Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties. It's an overview focusing on the qualities of different kinds of tea and doesn't really focus too deeply on any one thing.
The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann
I got my girlfriend the water book in this series because we've started to get into homebrewing (and we have a longstanding joke/feud about the most important ingredient in beer - water, duh). It's a great, in depth look, the water one is very scientific, but also very fun. Here's the hops version.
On my bookshelf:
Blue Bottle's coffee table book about coffee is a nice introduction. It's a great prop to give to guests while you labor over serving them coffee. http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Bottle-Craft-Coffee/dp/1607741180
Depends what you're looking for.
For the classic, you can't do better than anything by Michael Jackson. This one is very good, as is this. For a more contemporary approach, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery both have very good books. Sam's book focuses mostly on contemporary beers and breweries, and is light of actual process and history. Garrett's does a better job of covering those things; if you get his book and like it, keep an eye out for The Oxford Companion to Beer, of which he is the editor, and which is coming out in 2011.
The Oxford Beer Companion > http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138
960pgs, 160 experts, 1000+ subjects!
The best thing to do is to set a standard and then communicate with the guest if they want something different. 90% of customers say "up" (shaken and strained into a cocktail shell) when they mean "neat" (no ice) and are then confused when I followed their directions. Older customers who were drinking in the dark days of the 1980's are really tough to understand because they picked up weird ordering habits because everything was terrible.
For a serious beginner I recommend The Craft of the Cocktail.
When I was learning (in a similar environment that OP described), I had a mentor teach me. I believe that is by far the best way to learn in any industry whether it be in the kitchen, behind the bar, on a construction site, etc.
In lieu of a mentor, there are several books worth picking up to bring up your knowledge, with the combination of internet research:
-Craft of the Cocktail
-Death & Co.
-Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails
-Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique
-Imbibe!
-The Drunken Botanist
-The Curious Bartender
-The Joy of Mixology
Some helpful links:
-Kindred Cocktails
-The Spirits Business
-Good Spirit News
-Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Blog
-Jamie Boudreau's Blog: not updated but still has good info.
Do yourself a favor and buy these books, they've got some very good basic stuff.
The Craft of the Cocktail - Dale Degroff
The Joy of Mixology - Gary Reagan
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails - Ted Haigh
The Dale Degroff book isn't huge but it has some super solid information (and Degroff is just about the most down to earth but still crazy knowledgeable dudes that's around.)
The Gary Reagan book has a great section that breaks down a ton of different drinks by drink families and can really help you understand why things are constructed the way they are. IE - A sidecar and a margarita are both daisies, except a sidecar is cognac and lemon juice whereas a margarita uses tequila and lime. Or, basically how using the base of a spirit, a sweet, and a sour gives you a ton of different cocktails (Rum, lime, simple - Daiquiri. Whiskey, lemon, simple - whiskey sour. Gin, lime, simple - gimlet. Switch out the lime for lemon, put it in a tall glass and add soda water, and you get at tom collins. etc...) Basically its all super useful information and once you understand the whys and hows of construction it can allow you to either make shit on the fly, or more easily remember common proportions.
The Ted Haigh book is just kind of neat to have and has some weirder, not-so-standardized cocktails that some people may sometimes ask for. Think Singapore Sling, Blood and Sand, Vieux Carre, Fogcutter, French 75, etc. There's also a heap of neat old cocktails that NO ONE asks for anymore, and a couple of the recipes are out of date (The Aviation recipe is an old one, there was a period where creme de violette wasn't available and this book was published before it became available again BUT I DIGRESS that's more than you're probably looking for anyway.)
I could post some more if you really get down into nitty gritty neat stuff, but I'm a nerd for using historical knowledge to round out my skills, so I could actually go on for pages with recommendations.
Edit: All that said, if you just get one, get the Joy of Mixology. Its got a chart, it'll tell you what you need if anything weird comes up, but honestly, if its a pub you're probably not going to have that many issues.
Dear Refined Chef,
The drinks on your site are disgusting. Please read some David Embury or Gary Regan and then get back to us. We want to like you, and we applaud you for your efforts, but you are trying to get us to drink equal parts of grenadine, peppermint schnapps, and vodka. Your instructions for making a Pimm's Cup neglects to mention the cucumber and lemon wheels, (though they are pictured) and the addition of soda. Your fourth of July drink was just a disaster.
Your other drinks range from the cloying [blackberry martini] (http://www.refinedchef.com/recipes/drinks-and-cocktails/a-blackberry-martini.php) to the surreal wild blueberry daquiri, in which you suggest rimming a glass with egg white and fine table salt before filling it with blended soda water, blueberries, and coconut cream, rum optional.
I will admit, it's not all bad, as I was able to find the classic Mary Pickford, though I found your instructions to be lacking. You list "house-made grenadine" among the ingredients, but you don't bother to specify how one would go about making grenadine. You could at least link to Morgenthaler or something. It is obvious that you copied the ingredient list from a bar menu without even bothering to consider its nuances.
In short, please strive to become more refined before you go cheffin' around here.
Love,
Joe
I recommend A History of the World in Six Glasses. It's generally interesting and entertaining, and also talks about the history of both beer and bread (which are quite similar).
What /u/str8jkt said, or https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Brewing-Science-Serious-Issues/dp/0937381748/
Both books cover fermentation. IIRC Yeast goes more into detail about, well, yeast, while Fix is more general brewing science.
Buy The Wine Bible
It's a cross between an Encyclopedia and a Novel. It's a great read, and its extremely thorough and informative. After reading cover to cover, you're ready to take your Level One Sommelier exam.
Ivan Ramen became famous for his shio ramen.
Try this book: Ivan Ramen
It's part cookbook, part autobiographical story of a New York deli owner who moves to Tokyo and opens up a very popular ramen shop.
I recommend reading Death & Co and The Bar Book.
The author of The Bar Book has this website you can check.
I picked up this book about 2 months ago. Nice little read that explains what 'fresh' flavors and flavor profiles can be expected to change into over time. Excellent read if this article didn't have enough detail for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X
Cheers!
I heard a guy speak about cellaring beer, and he even wrote a book on it (http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X).
He spoke about how the best beers to age have one of the three S's - Smoked, Sour, or Strong. I typically go for Barleywine's or anything Barrel-Aged to cellar, and I always get two so I can drink one now and "compare" the other one later.
How deep do you want to go? On one end you have text books on tea production:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0412338505/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1397106420&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=SY200_QL40
On the other you have good survey style, coffee table books like:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1770853197/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1397106527&amp;sr=8-2&amp;pi=SY200_QL40
This is another standard book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/9789578962?pc_redir=1396503919&amp;robot_redir=1
"The Classic of Tea" is an ancient Chinese book often cited. I'm not sure what translations are available:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Classic_of_Tea
Wikipedia also has a good list of classic tea literature:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_classics
This question has come up before so make side to search the sub so you can get all our previous discussions.
Throw hops at it.
Like absurd amounts.
Think of ludicrous amounts and triple that. Then every single addition but a small bit of clean bitterness FWA, is made at the flame out or later. Your fermenation hop schedule is three times what your flame out schedule was, and you dry hop it twice.
I'm being sarcastic. But hop usage these days are insane on certain styles.
This series:
Water
Hops
Malt
Yeast
Oh, remember to enjoy it.
I'm a bit of a cookbook junkie, so I have a bunch to recommend. I'm interpreting this as "good cookbooks from cuisines in Asia" so there are some that are native and others that are from specific restaurants in the US, but I would consider these legit both in terms of the food and the recipes/techniques. Here are a few of my favorites:
Pan-Asian
Burmese
Cambodian
Chinese
Indian
Indonesia
Japanese
Korean
Malaysian
Middle Eastern
Philippine
Russian
Sri Lankan
Taiwanese
Thailand
Turkish
Vietnamese
(edit: screwed up a couple links)
It comes from the amount of pressure produced by the old Italian spring pressure machines.
Source: This amazing book
The World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing -- Coffees Explored, Explained and Enjoyed https://www.amazon.com/dp/1770854703/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Y.ILAbHXGCR0Q
Designing Great Beers
Water
Hops
Malt
Yeast
If there are red flags I'm doing in these pictures, please let me know.
edit:
1st batch: Craft-A-Brew APA Kit
2nd batch: Northern Brewer's 1 Gallon Bavarian Hefe Kit
3rd batch: DrinkinSurfer's Milk Oatmeal Stout Recipe @HBT
If I could start over I would go straight to the 3-gallon batches. I hovered around them but I think it's the perfect batch size for beginners -- 1) Most people have a stockpot lying around the kitchen big enough to hold three gallons, 2) The batches are small enough so you don't have to drink two cases of bad brew, but big enough so if you enjoy it [which I'm thoroughly enjoying my first APA], you'll have plenty to taste and rate the evolution of the flavors over various weeks of priming and give out to family friends who are interested to try out what you made, 3) I ordered 3 Gallon Better Bottles for several reasons including worrying about shattering a glass carboy as a newbie. They also qualify for free shipping on MoreBeer's website with purchases above a certain price. 4) Even though I brewed a 5 gallon batch, and since I'm brewing solo, I'm already not looking forward to bottling the whole batch at once so I plan on breaking up bottling between two days.
For resources, I lurk this sub like a crazy stalker. The Daily Q&A is full of information both crucial and minute. I listen to James Spencer's Basic Brewing Radio podcast and practically substituted it for all music recently. It's family friendly and entertaining [I heard the other podcasts aren't so much]. I read Charles Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 2nd ed. and For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus to get a better understanding of the hops varieties and characteristics. I plan on reading John Palmer's How to Brew and Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers in the future, as well as Brew Like a Monk. Also, the HomeBrewTalk stickies in the forums provide good picture tutorials for several different styles of brewing.
I got into homebrewing so I can brew the, then, only beer style I liked: Imperial Stouts. But as I learned more about the balance and flavors of beer I surprised myself by branching out to enjoying other beers [even the odd IPA every so often]. My narrow scope of beer has broadened more vast that I ever would've imagined it. My brother got me this beer tasting tool kit used for blind taste tests so I try to keep good records and actively taste and appreciate craft beers. I even keep a couple in my wallet for tasting beers on draft.
I really wish I had an immersion wort chiller, a bigger boil kettle, a mash tun, and a propane burner. Those few equipment pieces hinder me from exploring more advanced style of homebrew. I intend to upgrade to all-grain but making the switch is really expensive. I'm still in the look-to-see-what-I-have-lying-around-the-house phase equipment-wise.
Which leads me to: don't be scared to spend money while DIY-ing. Many of you have probably seen my (and many others', most likely) shitty stir plate. DIY should be a balance of doing things on the cheap, but still making it work and function well. There's no point in DIYing if you're not going to be happy with it and just end up buying the commercial equivalent anyway. That's where I am right now.. I'm currently trying to salvage a cooler [no-spigot] I found in my garage and turn it into a mash tun instead of just buying a new cooler with a plastic, removable spigot. I'm certain it would make DIY easier but slightly more expensive.
But the suckiest thing for me about homebrewing is that I don't have a car so getting local, fresh ingredients and supporting my LHBSs is a piece of PITA bread.
The malt book comes out soon as well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1938469127?pc_redir=1410690504&amp;robot_redir=1
Two really good web references to get you started with beer/food pairings:
https://www.craftbeer.com/tasting-tools/beer-food-chart
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-pair-beer-and-food-article
If you really want to dive into the world of beer/food pairings and possibly hosting your own tastings, I recommend Garrett Oliver's The Brewmaster's Table: https://www.amazon.com/Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures-Real/dp/0060005718
The Oxford Companion to Beer
It's basically an encyclopedia of beer and terminology with deep definitions and history behind just about everything. Very well done and edited by the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery.
Principles Of Brewing Science
Yeast and also Water, Malt and Hops, a very informative series.
Also Oxford Companion to Beer is a great reference to look up general questions or terms.
For anyone looking to up their brewing game, I always recommend Brewing Better Beer. It's all about fine tuning your process and simplifying your recipes to only include what you need. It's a sort of zen approach that seems applicable to abbey ales.
Although it's getting a bit out into the weeds, if you're more interested in the farmhouse/wild side of brewing, you might want to have a look at The Drunken Botanist and Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. It gets into using things that aren't hops in your fermentations. Even though Belgian brewing only grazes herbs and spices, you might find some value there.
Best to read a bunch.
Learn from the best:
Brewing Better Beer
Tasting Beer
Spending copius amounts of time on the BJCP website
Specifically I would look at how to complete a score sheet, and read the "how to study" portion of the website, as well as volunteer to steward or judge a local competition! If you do that please ask EVERY question you can think of.
There might be more technical readings but those work to start.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/03/17/the-first-wort-hop-beer-brewing-techniques/
> Sources vary, but most testing indicates that first wort hopping will increase the number of International Bitterness Units (IBUs) by as much as 10%. Given the hop shortage I wrote about earlier, increased utilization is an added bonus. However, taste perception is different. In blind taste testing across a number of articles, the overall flavor of first wort hops is perceived as smoother, less sharp, and had a more pleasing aroma. Hop bitterness was perceived as harmonic and uniformly bitter. In blind taste tests, the FWH were preferred by 11 of 12 test subjects.
Which then links to http://www.brewery.org/library/1stwort.html
>Tasting panel results: the FWH beers were overwhelmingly preferred over the reference beers in triangular taste tests (i.e., each taster was given three beers, two of either the reference beer or the FWH beer, and one of the other, and had to correctly identify which two were alike before their preference results were incorporated in the database). 11 of 12 tasters of each beer preferred the FWH beer. The main reasons given for the preference: "a fine, unobtrusive hop aroma; a more harmonic beer; a more uniform bitterness."
> Analytical results -- bitterness: The FWH beers had more IBUs than did the reference beers. Brew A: Ref beer was 37.9 IBU, FWH beer was 39.6 IBU. Brew B: Ref beer was 27.2 IBU, FWH beer was 32.8 IBU. This should come as no surprise, since more hops were in the kettle for the boil in the FWH beers than in the Reference beers. Prior to fermentation, the worts from both breweries showed the following features: the FWH wort had substantially more isomerized alpha acids, but less non-isomerized alphas. This was particularly true of Brew B, which had a higher proportion of first-wort hops. Nevertheless, the bitterness of the FWH beers was described as more pleasing than the (slightly weaker) bitterness of the reference beers.
> Analytical results -- aroma: For the aroma compounds, very distinct differences were measured (gas chromatography) in both the identities and concentrations of the various aromatic compounds between the FWH beers and the reference beers. Because the precise nature of the effects of aromatic compounds on beer flavor are very complicated, it cannot be said with certainty just why the various measurements resulted in the overwhelming tasting preference, but clearly something is going on here. Even though the reference beers had higher absolute amounts of most of the aroma compounds, again the FWH beers got higher ratings for overall pleasure.
And I believe Gordon Strong covers it in Brewing Better Beer. I haven't read it, but he came to a LHBC meeting and spoke about it.
I got the Water book, Modern Homebrew Recipes, Brewing Better Beer, and a new copy of How To Brew...my dog chewed up my last copy.
Congratulations.
Web: Check out the links in our FAQ thread. Most of the better wine sites have learning sections that teach the basics. Or, for that matter the Wine Wiki is a good springboard to learning about things like the classifications of wine and an intro to tasting, etc.
Books:
Drink This - Wine Made Simple - Great book for beginners
The Wine Bible
The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert - Seems like it's a joke, and it sooort of is, but there's some good information there, and the scratch and sniff thing is actually quite useful.
The World Atlas of Wine - Pretty much the ultimate wine book. If you don't want to spend that much on it, consider buying a used copy of the older edition. You can get it for just a few bucks. Obviously it won't be as up to date, but it's still extremely useful.
Pairing Food and Wine for Dummies - John Szabo is legit
Great Wine Made Simple
Up until recently I worked at a book store, these were the books I recommended most frequently to people. If you want ones about specific regions, there are some good ones out there too. These are all more general.
First resource is Tasting Beer. Here's a little piece about pairing by another industry writer (he has a full book on it too).
You can always check out the Draught Beer Quality manuals too (Short / Long)
And if you're really dedicated, and the place will fund you, you can always go through the Certified Beer Sever exam from Cicerone. The syllabus is essentially the test and the last few resources can get you through it. I know of a few breweries/brewpubs/etc that require their servers to have that cert within x days of starting.
Since most of your people are new to the craft brew scene you dont want to scare them with really powerful beers and a great introduction is with some smooth, sweet, and creamy dessert beers. One of my favorite beer pairings right now is to match-up porters and stouts with dessert items. I just did one for my boyfriend for his birthday. I paired a cherry/chili pepper dark chocolate with a tanilla porter, and a ginger infused dark chocolate with a double-chocolate stout. Here is a great book I like to reference for ideas: http://www.amazon.com/Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures-Real/dp/0060005718
Food/Beer pairing: The Brewmaster's Table
Business: Brewing Up a Business
General Beer Listings: 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die
Beer Info: Oxford Companion to Beer
I'd take a look at The Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver. He's the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and world renowned for his beer/food pairings and experience.
One caveat: he loves his superlatives. I remember one passage where he discusses how cheap and widely available Schneider Weiss is and how it's surprisingly a "tour de force," or something like that. Not sure why it's a surprise that one of the most highly respected/awarded breweries in the world turns out a good beer. Still, for beginners who are serious about learning beer it's a good read.
I've also really enjoyed Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. If you have any interest in brewing it's highly informative and a great historical look at all kinds of different beer. Michael Jackson (the wine critic, not that other guy) wrote the forward, which is about as much endorsement as I needed.
(http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/06/cocktail-101-measuring-utensils-jiggers-cups.html)
If you're nervous about getting him a beer he might not like, you can always spring for something like glasswear or an experience. For example:
Glasswear - very few beer drinkers have a good set of tasting glasses or a nice Teku glass. They tend to spend their money more on the beer than the proper glasswear. Here are some to consider:
Teku Glasses
Tasting Glasses
Experience - This is completely scalable based on budget. Need to do something cheaper? Check out Yelp reviews and Beer Advocate reviews to find the best local brewery near you and take him there, followed by dinner at a great tap room or gastropub. Have more budget? Take him on a beer roadtrip or brewery tour around some of the local breweries in your area.
Beer books and merch - There are a lot of great books about the history of beer, tasting beer, etc. Here are a few to check out:
Tasting Beer
Oxford Companion
You can also get merch from his favorite brewery's online store or taproom. They'll have shirts, branded glasses, etc. All of those things should score points with any beer drinker.
Hornsey's A History of Beer and Brewing mentions that Abbot Adalhardus published an ordinance in 822 that monastery tenants (discussed within the scope of what millers weren't to be responsible for) were supposed to gather firewood and hops for brewing purposes. There's a second reference to a tithe of both malt and hops to be given to the porter of the monastery. These are probably the first printed references to hops as an ingredient in beer. This is also mentioned in The Oxford Companion to Beer, albeit in less detail, on p464. "Mainstream" is tough to nail down, but the French were apparently rocking hops in the 9th century. The Oxford Companion goes on to say that the use was widespread by the 11th, though.
Here are the ones I really like and recommend (in order of importance to me):
Absolute must buy (this is my go-to for most occasions): PDT
Great for groups of cocktail enthusists and people who just want something delicious: Craft Cocktail Party
Foundational book from the man, the myth, the legend (Dale Degroff): Craft of the Cocktail
Great summer drinking with bitter aperitifs as the base: Spirtz
There's a lot of really classic books that will be mentioned, but my No.1 go to for all things has always been Dale Degroff: The Craft of The Cocktail. Recipes are up to date and accessible, and he discusses technique and ingredients at length.
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0609608754
Congrats! I'm guessing since the restaurant is "fine dinning" your going to be doing a lot of cocktails. You should read a good book that covers technique as well as recipes more in depth than a basic recipe site. I'll recommend "The Craft of the Cocktail" by Dale DeGroff, unless someone here has a recommendation that they think is more practical since cocktails are only a hobby for me, work is all wine.
I have this book, and while there are great recipes in it, I find that I hardly ever use it.
The pages are laid out in a weird, confusing manner; the book is really big and won't stay open while I'm working, and honestly I didn't think it was very well-edited; there are a lot of "space-filler" drinks in there.
To me, the ultimate bible is Gary (Gaz now) Regan's The Joy of Mixology.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses is a great read on how beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee and Coca-Cola change the world...
Check out A History of the World in Six Glasses for a great overview of coffee & its influence on European society. I believe (though am not 100% sure) that this ad is referenced in the book.
Reminds me of this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Mans-Diet-Robert-Cameron/dp/091868465X
I started the drinking man's diet, which evolved into lazy keto. I lost 75lbs in under a year, and the diet causes you to become a complete lightweight, so you get drunk faster.
Cuz before it was "LCHF" or "Keto" or "Atkins" it was called the Drinking Man's Diet.
https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Mans-Diet-Robert-Cameron/dp/091868465X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482370627&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+drinking+mans+diet
On that diet You get energy from 50-75g carbs and high fats and high protein.
Thats still low carb, just not Keto. A lot more like "The Drinking Mans Diet" from the 1960's
There are several books on the subject.
I've been reading this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Brewing-Science-Second-Serious/dp/0937381748
From what I have read so far, brewing water composition can play an important role in the outcome of your brew. I would assume that the minerals in the brewing water you used for your first brew (the one you are planning to use as brewing water in you next brew) would have been consumed in the process of making the first beer, unless the minerals act as a catalyst and aren't consumed by the yeast. I don't know off the top of my head whether or not they act as a catalyst.
pH is also another important factor in your brew. I don't know the typical final pH of different beers, but if its not somewhere around 7 there could be a problem.
Ultimately, I don't know what would happen, but there are a number of things that could happen. You'd have to try it to find out. Just remember that while beer may consist mostly of water, it is no longer water and shouldn't be treated as such.
Principles of Brewing Science
This is my full list of books from /r/homebrewing but it includes pro level books:
New Brewers:
Continued Learning:
Specialty/Advanced/Other:
Business Books:
Technical Readings (Textbooks might be expensive):
A bunch of guys in my homebrew club swear by Brewing Better Beer by Gordon Strong. I haven't read it myself though. http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Better-Beer-Advanced-Homebrewers/dp/0937381985
drmischief links below - but you REALLY ought to buy and read How to Brew by John Palmer.
It's pretty much indispensable for the noob brewer. It's a great blend of easy to understand process, as well as a good helping of science if you really want to understand what's going on.
Make it through that book, and complement it with Brewing Classic Styles and Brewing Better Beer.
You may not be a book learner, but those books have great references that you can look up mid-brew.
Other than that - find someone to mentor you through a local homebrew club if at all possible. I started with a mentor, and have since passed the torch to other all grain noobs.
I can't recommend Radical Brewing enough. This was the book that really kickstarted me into not only designing my own recipes but getting adventurous with them as well.
Brewing Better Beer is also awesome.
This book has gotten me through many a tough situations after teaching 8th graders. It has a lot of good information and practical methods. Plus, it has tons of resources in case you don't know what you'd like to prep.
andtheodor beat me to the question by question post, but I am up late and can't sleep, so I will take a stab at this as well (BTW, andtheodor is a great resource for wine questions, he/she really knows his/her stuff)
> What are some good online resources?
Wikipedia is a good resource for definitions and wine classification laws by region.
> Is there a simple way to classify wines (beyond red,white, blush)?
Most wines are classified on a menu by red, white, blend, rose. Many good wine lists categorize by region. There isn't a standard way to classify wine. Sometimes it's by varietal, region, or by flavor profile. Depends on what the restaurant or wine shop wants to cater to.
> When I read the words bouquet or spice, does that mean the wine was actually made with these, or just that it gives of that taste/aroma?
Wine is made from grapes (generally speaking, I'm not talking about apple wine and stuff) and most laws don't allow anything to be added to the must (must is un-fermented juice). Bouquet is referring to the nose, or smell. Spice is a aroma/tasting note commonly found in Zinfandel or Syrah. Sometimes it's a baking spice you taste/smell, other times it's pepper.
> What would you call a chianti that uses more than just sangiovese? A blend?
Chianti means it's from that region in Italy. Some Chianti is blended, but has to be a certain percentage of sangiovese to be legally called Chianti. A sangiovese from Tuscany (where Chianti is) that does not adhere to the rules to be called Chianti is sometimes referred to as a "Super Tuscan."
> If it is a blend, does it means that it was mixed after fermentation?
If it is blended before crush while harvesting (then crushed together), this is referred to as a field blend. Most are blended after fermentation, but not always.
> What do you call a wine using only 1 grape?
It is called a single varietal. This is a bit of a misnomer though, as many wines in CA labeled 'Cabernet' for example, only have to be 80% Cab to have it labelled as such. Some wines are 100% varietal, some are blended. It depends on the laws of the region it is from on how it is labelled.
> When pairing with foods, are there any rules of thumb? (besides the old red w/ red, white w/ white).
There are too many pairing rules of thumb to list. Sometimes you contrast a food/wine, sometimes you complement. Depends on the dish & wine. Learn what the parings are for every item on the menu, I'm sure they will train you on this.
> Also, I tried chianti with chicken parmesan and lasagna today. I do not like the wine itself. But after sipping the wine and then taking a bite of food, the food seemed to have a whole new level of flavor. But then going back to the wine after the bite, I didn't like the wine - it almost tasted worse. Should it be a mutual relationship? Or is that just kind of the way it is?
Depends. Italian wines are notorious for being 'food wines' in that they are made to complement a meal. You may just not like the Chianti you were drinking. They range in profile from earthy to sometimes almost fruity. Wine should always be good on it's own, but better with the dish it's served with.
> There seems to be hundreds of different grapes. Are they all suitable for wine?
In general, you are looking for vitis vinifera grapes, those are the species you make into wine (for the most part). Other vitis species are made into wines, but vinifera is what you should concern yourself with. Learn the varietals of Italy, since it sounds like that is what you will need to know.
> Regional wines? I understand that they come from certain regions. But how do they fit into the grand scheme of things? (i know this is a poorly devised question. You have artistic freedom here)
Region is as important as the varietal. A Napa chardonnay is completely different than a white Burgundy (also chardonnay, but from the Burgundy region in France). Sometimes wines are labelled by varietal, sometimes it's by region. Depends on the laws of the country it is from.
> If I know the basics about, say, Chianti, will it pair with food fairly well no matter the brand/blend? For example, If I recommend a Chianti that is 100% sangiovese, will it pretty much pair just as well if I recommend one that used Sangiovese and Canailo grapes?
Not necessarily. You need to know each specific Chianti and what it pairs with, as Chianti can be different in style depending on the producer/bottler . Just because it says Chianti doesn't mean it's a concrete flavor profile. They can span the spectrum in style depending on how they are blended.
> Naming "systems": Pinot grigio is named after a species of grape. Are all single grape wines named by the grape? Also, if they contain more than 1 grape, are they all almost exclusively named by region? How else could/would they be named? I think this kind of goes back to question #2
Varietal labeling is a new world thing (US and Aussie wines) while regional labeling is an old world thing (European wines). France, for example, allows their vin de pays classified wines to label by varietal, while AOC wines must use region (except for Alsace). Italy is crazy because sometimes wines are named for region (Chianti, Valpolicella, Barolo, etc.) while sometimes wines from those regions are named by varietal (sangiovese, pinot grigio, nebiollo, etc.) Just because it is named by region does not mean it is a blend. Red Burgundy from France for example, must be 100% pinot noir by law.
Lots of good questions here, but I agree that you are asking too specific questions. Buy the Wine Bible and read the first parts on intro, viticulture, & wine making, then read the section on Italy. It will take only a few hours to read all that, and you will be in a good position to 'fake' your way through the rest. Good Luck!
Here is the desktop version of your link
Your first read should be Imbibe! by David Wondrich. This will set you up perfectly for everything else you read.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh is worth the read.
All the classic cocktail books, from 1862 - 1940s are definitely worth the reads for glimpses into the cultures when they were written. If you have a tablet, two sites offer practically every cocktail/bar book every written, now in public domain, for free, in digital formats. https://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz/ and https://www.collectif1806.com/library/
~Have fun!
The recipe is about 30 pages altogether. It is from Ivan Orkin's book. Ivan Ramen
Only slight adjustments by me, like using the left over liquid from the pork to marinade the eggs instead of his recipe.
It's worth a buy IMHO, cool to read about story behind his shop too. https://www.amazon.com/Ivan-Ramen-Obsession-Recipes-Unlikely/dp/1607744465
I've been there on a few occasions and liked it so much, I ordered their book. Great stuff. I highly recommend both the the bar and the book. Thanks for sharing.
I posted this in another thread so sorry its just a copy paste, but very relevant---
I dont recommend bartending school. i haven't been personally, but you dont need to pay for the education if you work at the right bar. I learned everything while getting paid.Death and Co makes amazing books to teach and inspire how to make great unique cocktails. The modern classics covers the fundamentals of bar tools and all the philosophy, plus theres a bunch of neat recipes. They also have a codex thats super interesting in that they simplify and break down the origins of most cocktails. Everything is a riff on a classic, in one way or another.
Another one I like is from Smugglers Cove in San Fransisco (i think?) This book touches more into tiki and tropical cocktails, but its a lot of fun and there are plenty of great cocktails without super esoteric ingredients.
On the opposite end of the relax tiki book is this book from Grant Achatz, 3 Michelin starred chef of Alinea in Chicago (hence the pricy book). He also owns bars in Chicago and New York, and have some of the most exceptional drinks I've ever had. He's big on molecular gastronomy, wether its juice filled caviar balls, dry ice used to chill your drink tableside (with lots of smoke) or this tableside infusion. A lot of it is super over the top and not necessary, but for presentations sake its incredible. really innovative and inspiring
Sorry for the lengthy post, but I suggest that if you want to get into cocktails and mixology, find a nice restaurant with a cocktail program. If you're near a big city, try bar backing at a nice cocktail spot or restaurant, it'll help you kind of see things from the outside for a bit and will make it all less daunting.cheers
i was first served this in a restaurant in washington, DC, about 5 years ago. in order for it not to be insanely expensive, they used budget versions of both spirits, and it turned out good enough that i immediately started making them for myself at home.
the restaurant used el silencio espadin as the mezcal: https://drizly.com/el-silencio-espadin-black-mezcal/p29777
and olmeca altos tequila (i believe reposado or anejo, not sure.)
both are about the cheapest passable options. if a liquor store near you doesn't carry el silecio espadin, there is a good chance they'll order it for you. there aren't many mezcals in that price range that i would buy. the other mixing mezcal you'll see is del maguey vida, but vida is a little harsher and a little less pleasant than el silencio in my experience.
on extra special occasions, i'll make this cocktail with chichicapa or san luis del rio mezcal ($80+) and el tesoro ($60+) or another highland tequila.
the guy who invented that cocktail works/worked at death and co. in new york city. their cocktail book is well done, i've given it as a gift to two friends: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607745259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UtVPBb6FBEMQB
This post came at a perfect time for me: last week my friend and I had a cocktail taste test. We decided to focus on the Aviation.
The point was to make the same cocktail using two different recipes. I have tons of books, but I decided to pit the recipe from from the reference book Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide. It is the recipe I've been using to "impress" friends for the last two months. That recipe goes like this:
2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. creme de violette
It was good. Refreshing. Unique tart bite. A floral cooling sensation. But it was missing something, it tasted more bitter than I was used to at the bars I went to.
But then I got the Death and Co. book for Christmas, and man is it great. So I decided to use their recipe to go against the one I was using, and it goes like this:
2 oz. Plymouth gin
1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1/2 teaspoon creme yvette
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
This recipe seems very different. And guess what? The Death and Co. recipe was MILES better than the one I was using before. Everything blended together so well! It tasted fantastic. It just goes to show how different measurements and the simple addition of simple syrup go a long way.
I hope to try this test out with different cocktails soon. OP, where did you get your recipe?
Also, I checked the Savoy Cocktail book, and here is there recipe:
1/3 lemon juice
2/3 dry gin
2 dashes maraschino
!!
That's it! No violette anything! Even Esquire doesn't use any creme de violette.
I found a very interesting blog post (from a post in /r/cocktails actually) of the history of the Aviation that is worth a read.
Here are some pics of our lab:
http://imgur.com/a/cvMUV
The point is to play around with the same recipe until you really feel it is outstanding.
EDIT: Shameless plug: https://obedientingredients.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/cocktail-measurements-matter-the-aviation/
For the food this week, I went with Bobby Flay's Red Beef Chili (Texas style). I've always been a fan of chili with pasta so that's what I went with. I wasn't able to get my hands on every single kind of chili pepper from the recipe but found reasonable substitutions.
For the cocktail, I finally got to use the Death & Co. cocktail book that I got for Christmas. I made a Spicy Paloma with jalapeno infused tequila. It was surprisingly tasty, like a spicy margarita.
The book Vintage Beers covers some of the science behind aging beer. It approaches the topic from the collectors perspective, but there are some gems that can be applied to homebrewing as well.
Unfortunately none come to mind that would have mash bills. If you don't mind paperback on the table, Lew Bryson's Tasting Whiskey is a great choice.
Automod: activate!
Some websites/articles I've also found useful are World of Tea, articles by Max Falkowitz (the same guy who wrote The Non-Judgmental Guide to Tea, linked in the sidebar), and a bunch of tea blogs (there are other r/tea threads about those). I've also heard Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties is a good book to read, if you want something in your hands!
I really enjoyed and learned a lot from the book Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties.
There are many bad books on tea. I recently have been going through my county library's collection and not finding much that I think improves on these two oldies:
Tea Lover's Treasury, by James Norwood Pratt. There are newer editions available.
Chinese Art of Tea, John Blofeld.
There are newer, glitzier books available but many are full of nonsense, and some of the more popular ones strike me as thinly-disguised marketing materials for the author's tea businesses.
These books, because Amazon is that one up-and-coming online bookseller, right? ;)
Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties
Tea Wisdom: Inspirational Quotes and Quips About the World's Most Celebrated Beverage
for general info about coffee:
https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Coffee-Explored-Explained/dp/1770854703
For coffee brewing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Everything-but-Espresso-Scott-Rao/1450708706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1483804715&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=everything+but+espresso
http://scottrao.com/blog/some-observations-on-hand-pours/
If you were to just read one thing, I'd say check out the coffee compass. It enables you to tweak the brewing process to your liking instead of just following a recipe:
https://baristahustle.com/the-coffee-compass/
The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffman.
Like most subreddits, take r/coffee with a shaker full of salt. There are coffee companies leading the charge in understanding coffee, creating and implementing sustainable strategies, and making the most delicious product possible. All of that is changing fast. So on r/coffee, I frequently see cutting edge information from 2005, or 2000 or 1990. And it's upvoted and encouraged with great enthusiasm.
If you are interested in learning about good coffee, I highly recommend this book. It's probably 100% accurate to what we know about making coffee so far, it's highly accessible to someone new to coffee, and it's beautiful. Linking back in to the thread, I feel absolutely no buyers remorse about buying this book, and totally leave it on my coffee table at all times to cheer me up.
>magari comprare uno di quei kit con tutti gli ingredienti non freschi
Poco si sposa con la frase precedente sul farlo alla perfezione :-)
Comunque dalla mia esperienza farlo bene bene è veramente difficile e ci vuole tanto lavoro e tentativi. A Milano recupero quasi tutti gli ingredienti di base nei vari market asiatici ma rimane comunque un'approssimazione. Ho ad esempio difficoltà a trovare il fresco, tipo le ossa di maiale da usare come base per il tonkotsu. Ti consiglio di leggere questo libro per farti un'idea.
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Qualche altra fonte che ho usato:
Cocktail Codex for understanding builds
Death and Co for technique, classics, and variations
Liquid Intelligence for understanding the “why” to the “how”
Smuggler’s Cove because tiki is sort of its own thing in a lot of ways
Imbibe! for historical context
Some honorable mentions include Jim Meehan’s Bartender’s Manual, Regarding Cocktails, and The Dead Rabbit: Mixology and Mayhem.
Really great book that I wholeheartedly recommend. Only $26 on Amazon.
Death and Co. does a coffee & chili infused Campari, chili infused tequila anejo and chili infused Rittenhouse. I bet you could sub in mace. If you don't own their book, drop what you're doing and order it now.
First of all, what you want to learn to make are Classic Cocktails - drinks that you can make from ingredients you can just go out and buy. I highly recommend this: https://www.amazon.ca/Death-Co-Classic-Cocktails-Recipes/dp/1607745259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1503960451&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=death+%26+co
Also, if you are a regular you can sometimes ask your favourite bartender for the recipe of ONE of your most loved drinks. For this I owe much to David Wolowidnyk https://twitter.com/drinkfixer?lang=en for keeping me in Mai Tai heaven all summer long!
Good Luck!
Two books to recommend.
Death & Company - at the beginning of this book, it gives a really solid explanation of all the different liquors and how they're made and the staple drinks people use them in. The book also talks in detail about cocktails and the bar the book is named after.
The Drunken Botanist - Mainly about all the different natural products that make alcoholic beverages, and how it occurs, etc.
Has anyone read Vintage beer: A taster's guide to brews that improve over time by Patrick Dawson or Wood & Beer: A Brewer's Guide by Dick Cantwell and can share their opinions on those books?
I have some problems with this book, but it's certainly the best thing I've found if you're interested in the subject of aging beer: http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X
This isn't an exact fit but the closest thing I am aware of is Vintage Beer .
I figure you guys and gals should be reading more than the ABV content on your beer labels and your latest ticket for public intoxication, so I am sharing three downloadable and free ebooks about beer.
I have linked Amazon's page for each of the shared books.
Beer Tasting Quick Reference Guide
Beerology: Everything You Need to Enjoy Beer...Even More
Vintage Beer: A Taster's Guide to Brews That Improve over Time
If you are unable to download from Dropbox folder, please let me know, so I can fix it.
I would recommend beer books:
I know there are several good homebrewing focused ones as well if you think he'll be into that, but I don't remember those off hand and would have to dig some more.
A great book for info on aging beer, best practices and what to expect at different stages of in the aging process, is "Vintage Beer" (Amazon) by Patrick Dawson. He has a section on classic beers to age and when it's best to open them. There's not specific info on DFH 120 but there is a section on Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine, which is a pretty intensely hoppy interpretation of the style, similar to 120. The tasting panel in the book says bottles as old as 4-5 years are optimal while bottles up to 8-10 years are good but less complex. So, I'd expect good things with your 5-year old 120.
I agree with u/TheyCallMeJDR, chill for 24 hours and set it out for a bit before you serve.
Cheers
Sure.
https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894/
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Beer-Course-Tasting-Classes/dp/1402797672/
Also since you're talking about aging:
https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X/
Much older but seminal:
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jacksons-Beer-Companion-Gastronomy/dp/0762402016/
edit: shorter links
If you're interested in starting to cellar beer there is a great book out called the Vintage Beer Taster's Guide. I've been cellaring for a year or so now, since reading it and everything I read has been helpful. I've also got a bottle of Epiphany that I'm going to save for a year or so, although I may be tempted to bring it out before if I get impatient as the bottle I've had already was wonderful.
http://www.amazon.ca/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X
You'll have to start somewhere. I assume there are bars in your town? Are you looking to mix the scotch whiskey?
I would start with Johnnie Walker Black 12yr. It should be affordable, and you can either enjoy it on the rocks or with a splash of ginger ale or Sprite. Other single malt scotch whiskies I would recommend include Glenmorangie, Balvenie, and Aberlour, depending on what your local bars have available. Some people also like Glenfiddich.
It would likely be cheaper to try a few in a bar rather than buying a whole bottle.
Once you try one or two and report back, we can give you additional recommendations. Also realize that scotch whisky is an expensive luxury.
> Just wondering where would be a great website/wiki/book to read and learn about these drinks.
"Tasting Whiskey" by Lew Bryson.
http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Whiskey-Insiders-Pleasures-Spirits/dp/1612123015/
"Tea Terroirs" has been an amazing source of information for me, on nearly every area involving tea (http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Terroirs-Varieties-Kevin-Gascoyne/dp/1770853197/), including some studies the fellow did on caffiene content and anti-oxidant content.
You might also consider online classes with the Tea Association of Canada: http://teasommelier.com/. You don't have to follow through all of them but just a few might give you a variety of sources of information to draw from.
Hmmm this one is one of the better general topic books. This one looks like it might be ok. Haven't read that one yet though. I tend to look at the more terroir specific books lately if I'm looking for info on tea.
Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties, I found it to be a great book. A little bit pricey but well worth it.
I read their book recently, good stuff. https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Terroirs-Varieties-Kevin-Gascoyne/dp/1770853197
Tea: History, Terroirs, Varietes: https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Terroirs-Varieties-Kevin-Gascoyne/dp/1770853197/
And the Story of Tea: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Tea-Cultural-History-Drinking/dp/1580087450
TLDR: Yes, I can tell a huge difference between Darjeeling and Assam, even between different grades of tea from the same garden- but I've been drinking quality tea for 12+ years now, and I especially like good Indian tea.
What are the specific teas in the sample box, what is the vendor, and how long have you been drinking loose-leaf tea?
Palate is like a muscle. I'd fail at telling a Burgundy from a Bordeaux (without some practice), because I don't have much wine experience. But science shows that, to use a term I really dislike, becoming a connoisseur of something (or say learning an instrument) even physically changes specific regions of one's brain.
I'd wager I could distinguish between any decent orthodox single-estate Assam and an equivalent grade Darjeeling, blindfolded, 999 times out of 1,000. I've had many thousands of cups, of hundreds of different examples of these over the years.
The two regions produce quite different product. Assam uses plants that are primarily C sinensis var assamica genetics, and Darjeeling mainly C sinensis var sinensis genetics, although this is an oversimplification. In any case, genetics, terroir (soil and climate), cultivation, and processing cause different regions to produce very different teas, esp to trained senses. The book Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties, by Kevin Gascoyne is a beautiful introduction to the topic.
I highly recommend James Hoffmann's The World Atlas Of Coffee. It covers in great detail all of the topics you mentioned plus just about anything else you would want to know about coffee.
I can do books. https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Coffee-Explored-Explained/dp/1770854703 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607741180/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=5TBQC78QNAY5JDJ1SY1C
Honestly, most of what I know about Ethiopia has been picked up from digging into Wikipedia after being confused by some of the sourcing information from roasters and various green coffee importer websites. The trading of goods provides a window into human history and the world we live in now.
Tracing lots of coffee back to their specific origin helps one learn more about each step of production in between the final product and the producer. It is humbling to me to realize the amount of labor and human effort that went into making my cup of coffee possible.
Resources:
This podcast episode was super interesting:
Green coffee importers with informative sites:
Roaster with an informative site:
Video about the history of coffee and its varietals by Peter Giuliano, President of the Specialty Coffee Association of America:
As far as books go, I am dying to read James Hoffmann's World Atlas of Coffee.
I didn't get any gear but I got this book.
Haven't gone through it all yet but so far it's awesome.
This Tetris Coffee Mug is pretty amazing, and as for the beer, how about a How to Order Beer Around the World Poster? or maybe a book about brewing beer?
And to soup up his vest and tie combo, a pack of bow ties might make him feel refreshed! <3 Hope you can cheer up your buddy! You're a wonderful friend!
I'd like this wireless camera remote if I win! Thanks for the contest!
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993
http://www.amazon.com/For-The-Love-Hops-Bitterness/dp/1938469011/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
http://www.amazon.com/Malt-Practical-Guide-Field-Brewhouse/dp/1938469127/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=0WQ72HEQ20V3E7C82R98
How to Brew.
Yeast
For the Love of Hops
Water
I haven't read the book in the water-hops-yeast-malt series on malt yet, but I'm sure it's good. Also, the Brewers Publications books on specific styles are great. My boss has most of them and I borrow them frequently.
This was my attempt at remembering an experiment quoted in "For The Love of Hops" [pp201-202] that concludes that "longer post-boil residence resulted in more hop flavour than dry hopping".
The actual time tested was 80 mins.
(80 mins generated bigger flavours than 30 mins)
http://www.amazon.com/For-The-Love-Hops-Bitterness/dp/1938469011
I'm selling all my home brew equipment and books asking 300, its an all or nothing deal sorry. I will provide pictures for any one interested.
1-glass carboy and hauler
1-bottling bucket with spout
1-fermenting bucket with lid
1-1 gallon glass carboy
1-2 gallon bucket
1-Hydrometer
3-Air locks
1-Thermometer
1-wood stirring paddle
1-40 quart stock pot
1-turkey fryer with the timer removed
1-20lb empty propane tank
1-capper and about 50 -60 beer bottle caps
1-corker for wine bottles and some corks
Auto siphon, tubing, racking cane,some PBW cleaner and Star Sanitizer left over, I have I think 12 empty wine bottles and probably have about an empty case worth of beer bottles.....I mean pretty much everything you need to brew or make wine.
Books are listed below and are in great shape.
How to Brew Beer
Designing Great Beer
For The Love of Hops
Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation
Hop Variety hand book
The Homebrewer's Garden
In addition Malt and Hops are useful resources.
I read this book called Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse by John Mallett. It got me really interested in brewing. I was unaware of malt extract kits before I started looking at how to brew. I already knew I wanted to create recipes based on the taste, smell, mouthfeel, and degrees Lovibond of a grain.
I use Fedora Linux as my primary desktop, and someone pointed me to BrewTarget. This software has an inbuilt database of several all grain recipes. I set up the brewing equipment section with my kettle size and evaporation rate (volume/hour), MLT volume, thermal mass, and dead space. I used the BrewTarget Saison as a base, then substituted the default grains with the equivalents available at the local brewing store. I also modified the hops additions a bit because the original recipe called for Hallertau AA 4.7% and all I could get were Hallertau AA 2.7%.
Once all this was entered into the BrewTarget software, I ran the mash wizard and it calculated my strike water and batch sparge volumes and temperatures for a goal post boil volume of 5.5 gallons.
The mash was 4.1 gallons heated to 166.9° for target of 147° for 60 min. It was locked down at 148° for the whole hour. The batch sparge was 4.6 gallons heated to 183° for target of 165° for 15 min. I hit 167°.
The first brew I did was a Brown Ale. I did not have my equipment properly set up in BrewTarget and my mash and sparge temperatures were both low by 5-8°. It turned out ok, but I think that the lower mash temp extracted way more sugar. OG was supposed to be 1.046 but I ended up with 1.056. It hit the expected FG of 1.013 and has a bit more EtOH than would be expected for a brown ale.
Ah.
For that, I was using a calculator. Even though BeerSmith is relatively cheap, I'm not crazy about its interface and, having used it in the past, I'm just not a fan of it.
I actually use the calculator from Brewer's Friend, but anything like BrewToad or whatever will work.
Outside of that, the grains themselves have specific yields they can offer. How to Brew has a rough table of the theoretical yields you can get out of the specific grains. Granted, this is a guarantee, it's pretty much averages and taking into account perfect scenarios.
Calculators will do almost all of the work for you, unless you really want to do it by hand, then all the math is in Malt.
Otherwise, the calculator can give you a rough estimate of what you'll get if you just start doing a little plug and play. It never seems to get super low, as I'll typically mash low and ferment high, as to get my saisons down to as close to ~1.000 as possible, but it's not usually too bad for guesstimating extraction, color, and the like.
I have this yet haven't got the chance to read it yet, but have heard it is excellent. There is a whole series of books, each one on a particular subject of yeast, water, hops, and Malt
Have you read The Brewmaster's Table?
I found this book fascinating, as it coveres all the popular styles, food pairings, etc.
I highly recommend The Brewmaster’s Table. It taught me so much about beer styles, making, and pairing.
A Brewmaster's Table by Garrett Oliver is a great place to learn about food and beer.
https://www.amazon.com/Brewmasters-Table-Discovering-Pleasures-Real/dp/0060005718
Do you know if he's into homebrewing? If so, there are lots of good, easy options.
If you want to send him beer, recommendations are going to depend on your location. Packing/shipping isn't all that hard, but here are our Packaging Tips on /r/beertrade.
Otherwise, you could order bottles from an online site (Archer would be a good one). There are also some great books and magazines. A subscription to Draft or Beer Advocate would be good (I think Draft's a bit better). Here are a couple good books: Tasting Beer, The Brewmaster's Table. There are lots more books/magazines for homebrewing. This nice set of Spiegelau Tulip Glasses would always be appreciated. You also could buy him a gift certificate to a a good beer store in his area - you can find most beer stores contact info on BeerAdvocate's Places (just click through to his city). Finally, brewery souvenirs (glasses, shirts, keychains, etc.) are always good gifts for beergeeks from elsewhere.
Hope that helped. /r/homebrewing could probably give you a great rundown of homebrewing options, if need be.
Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is my go-to intro guide that covers a huge range of beer topics.
The Brewmaster's Table By Garrett Oliver would probably be good for you if you're working for a grocery store, as it could help you make pairing recommendations.
The BJCP Style Guide is a good online resource for styles. It's designed for judging homebrew competitions, so it isn't the last word on the more flexible world of beer styles that may be available, but it's about as good as it gets for a general guideline on what's out there.
Palmer's How To Brew is a classic guide to the basics of how brewing works, though there are also a quadrillion other good homebrewing books out there.
The Brewing Elements series of books is more technical, but I'm a big fan of them. They cover a lot of the how and why of beer.
If you can, find a local beer tasting group and kick it with them. That'll help you get a sense of what's cool and new in the beer world so you can stay ahead of trends. You'll hopefully know what the biggest sales are from your work itself, which should cover most of the beer just fine, but the best beer selections have the things that sell well today and at least some things that will sell well tomorrow.
Nice! A similar link was posted to /r/beer a while back, and I recommended that for further reading, check out Garrett Oliver's "The Brewmaster's Table."
Beer and food is definitely getting more respect in the food industry. There's been tons of beer and food pairing dinners offered around me, with a lot selling out. The article is a good jumping off point, though there are some pretty broad generalizations (which the author concedes).
If anyone has interest in food pairing, or is just looking for another beer book to add to their library, I can't recommend The Brewmaster's Table enough. Brooklyn Brewmaster Garrett Oliver has compiled an all-encompassing, easy-to-reference food and beer guide for drinkers of any interest level.
I love Randy Mosher's book as well. That might be the big yellow book. However, Garett Oliver's newest book The Oxford Companion to Beer is THE book to own. But it is 900 pages long
First step, get some books!
The Craft of the Cocktail
This is a great beginning book. It's got the right advice, and all of the recipes are spot on. This book will keep you busy for a very long time, as well as teach you the proper way to make each drink.
If you start to get really serious about drink-making, check out:
Imbibe! by David Wondrich. It is remarkable in its authenticity and attention to detail. As interesting as it is, it is more of a history book than a recipe book, so it may be hard to swallow for those less passionate about where the classics really came from.
Aside from that, things to keep in mind:
And, if nothing else, try this.
Put it all into a shaking tin, and shake without ice. Add ice, shake, and strain into whatever. A mason jar is preferred. A lot of people get turned off by the egg white thing, but it will change your life.
Mmm, a good old-fashioned is a wonderful thing indeed...
I would also recommend Dale Degroff's book: The Craft of the Cocktail ( http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Cocktail-Everything-Bartender-Recipes/dp/0609608754 ). You learn everything from the glass and ice selection to recipes and their histories.
If is just a hobby, get a recipe book like the PDT or The Craft of the Cocktail. They are both pretty easy to read.
Also chech out /r/cocktails. They are a bit tough with the newbies but be patient, if you ask politely they (we) will help you.
Great list. I would only add that if you have 10 people that can be a lot of downtime if you are waiting on cocktails.
In the joy of mixology Gary Regan has a few suggestions for bottled cocktails that you can make beforehand and have available so people aren't waiting for their cocktails to be made. I had the bottled Manhattan and it was quite nice. I would also consider making some sort of punch, having beer and or other drinks so that people who don't like bitters or prohibition style cocktails (they exist!) aren't forced to partake. It also means that they don't have to wait to get themselves a drink.
Vodka: Svedka 14 dollars or Reyka 20 dollars
Gin: New Amsterdam 12-15 dollars
Rum: Don Q 13 dollars
Tequila: Piedra Azul is super cheap (15 dollars) 100% blue agave choice of blanco or reposado for the same price. Esplon is really good too and only 6 more dollars
Bourbon: Buffalo Trace or Jim Beam are both solid choices around 20 dollars
Rye: Old Overholt 20 dollars
Vermouth: Martini makes solid super cheap affordable for both sweet and dry together your looking at maybe 15 dollars
Triple sec is key eventually you'll want a better orange liqueur.
Peach Schnapps is another staple
get yourself some bitters, angostura, orange, and peychauds first then get the more obscure stuff later
get a couple juices: cran, orange, pine
get a few sodas: coke, sprite, tonic, soda
Keep adding stuff here and there. Eventually, you'll have a solid collection... Unless you drink your product faster than you add product.
Also highly recommend getting yourself some books. http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Guide-Bartenders/dp/0609608843
The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan has some solid advice for getting started as a professional bartender and is full of recipes.
Good luck my friend!
I highly recommend getting a cocktail book like this:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Bartenders/dp/0609608843/
It covers the bulk of the basics that you'll be able to make with what you listed plus fresh citrus and sugar.
I don't know much about local argentine tastes, but the simple cocktails I make most often at home are
-Caipirihna
-Sazerac
-Old Fashioned
-Martini / Martinez
-Gimlet
-Americano
-Negroni
-Daiquiri
All of these are quick/easy/accessible and are 3-4 ingredients.
Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology has a detailed list of liqueurs by density, in case anybody wants to level up their layering abilities.
If anyone did, it was Tom Standage. http://www.amazon.com/History-World-Six-Glasses/dp/0802714471
It turns out this sort of thing has popped up periodically over the years. It usually gets knocked down by the "established thinking". "The Drinking Man's Diet" in 1964 was so successful that it sold 2.4 million copies and had a parody song written about it by Alan Sherman! It got a bad headline (“Drinking Man’s Diet ‘Mass Murder,’ says Harvard Nutritionist.”) which basically killed it. less than ten years later, "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution" is published (inspired by a JAMA article that came out too late to save Cameron's book).
The Drinking Man's Diet
Already started with KhanAcademy. I bought a book called Principles of Brewing Science and quickly realized I'm going to need an understanding of chemistry and microbiology.
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Brewing-Science-Serious-Issues/dp/0937381748/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=417g12EtGzL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL320_SR214%2C320_&amp;refRID=0X3AK65HJJ7GXCNPSF5Q
That actually makes a little sense to me: SMM becomes DMS above 158, but below a certain temperature, SMM never converts to DMS. So, in theory you could produce a 100% pilsner malt beer that never gets above 158, and there couldn't be any DMS in it. Very interesting... I've never heard of the "no boil" Berliner, thanks for bringing it up!
http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/ThermoCS0995.html (a random resource, but cites the 70°C SMM->DMS conversion from "Principles of Brewing Science" by George Fix: http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Brewing-Science-Serious-Issues/dp/0937381748/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1405511264&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=principals+of+brewing+science)
Gladly! The late George Fix did a lot of excellent research into brewing science, and his book Principles of Brewing Science details some of the science behind beer staling. More recently, Charlie Bamforth and his lab at UC Davis have done quite a bit of interesting research into flavor stability. A good place to start with Dr. Bamforth's work would be his podcast appearances on BeerSmith and The Brewing Network podcasts.
Dr. George Fix
Principles-Brewing-Science
Analysis-Brewing-Techniques
Yeah, this is a Gordon Strong technique. (http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Better-Beer-Advanced-Homebrewers/dp/0937381985). Basically, his rationale is that since there is little diastatic power in dark grains, there is little point in mashing them since all you're trying to get from them is flavor and color.
Why let that sit at heat like a pot of coffee for an hour or 90 mins when it's probably going to be close to the flavor you want as soon as you get it wet, or like when you were just steeping grains in your extract days.
Same thought goes into hopping (or not hopping in this case.) Why boil a flower for an hour when you're trying to avoid vegetal flavors and you can get the same effects with more hop (or herb) by first wort hopping and additions with only 20 minutes left in the total boil? And it's a more rounded, delicate bitterness.
I've had fairly good results this way so far.
Thanks for the cocktail list pic.
Is that the Pennsylvania Dutch/Getaway?
If you liked the cocktails, pick up the PDT book by the menu’s creator, Jim Meehan.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1402779232/
I think the PDT cocktail book is pretty close to what you're looking for: http://www.amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232
Check out the Amazon previews to see if that can fill your need. The introduction is lengthy at 40 pages but the cocktails are quality.
I've found the Corpse Reviver #2 to be a fantastic drink to introduce people to the wonderful world of cocktails. Something else to consider is picking up the PDT cocktail book and letting her browse for something that catches her interest. It potentially would open up your own horizons as well.
I also find myself referencing The PDT Cocktail Book and Bitters often when trying to come up with custom, original cocktails or modified versions.
I've also found trial and error to be a great friend in crafting a new cocktail. Sometimes a specific flavor from a bitters, specific spirit or fruit juice combination can knock a recipe up (or down)
This Episode’s Cocktails:
Negroni
1.25 oz Beefeater 24 Gin
1.25 oz Campari
1.25 oz Carpano Antica
Stir with ice and strain over ice in a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
> via: PDT (and Negroni Week)
Manhattan
2 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
1 oz Carpano Antica
2 dashes Bitter Frost Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
http://tv.winelibrary.com/ is always a good start.
Books that come to mind include From vines to wines and The Wine Bible. Check out Oz ans James' Wine Adventure, too. It's a British TV series following around James May (Captain slow of Top Gear fame) and Oz Clark (super cork dork) ad they taste through France and CA. It is hilarious and introduces some beginner knowledge brilliantly, along with slipping in some serious cork-dorky facts.
Also keep in mind that /r/wine is full of oenophiles and more than a few of us work in the industry and are happy to drop some knowledge.
Wine:
Windows on the World - Kevin Zraly
The Wine Bible - Karen MacNeil
The World Atlas of Wine - Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson
Cooking:
The Professional Chef - The Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America book page on Amazon
The Flavor Bible - Karen Page
Naturally, of course, you could pick up any red from Burgundy, as that's Pinot Noir's homeland. It's actually pretty enlightening to compare the European and American styles of the same type of wine. Still, for true varietal variety, you've got a few choices.
Probably the easiest to find alternatives would be a wine from either a Beaujolais (made from gamay)or a Rioja (made from tempranillo). The former gets a bad rap because of Beaujolais Nouveau being a generally cheap fruit-bomb, but the better quality and more aged wines are a fantastic PN alternative. Look for anything labelled Beaujolais Villages ("Villages" is basically the mid-range rank in the screwy French system). There are also the high level Cru wines, but they drop Beaujolais from their label in exchange for the name of the Cru. Brouilly cru wines seem pretty easy to find, but you can google up the rest; there's less than a dozen.
For a Rioja, you'll want to keep in mind the aging system: crianza, reserva, gran reserva. It measures how long the wine spends in oak before bottling. A crianza might be a bit too sharp to stand in for a PN and a gran reserva maybe a bit too oaky and stout, but a reserva would be a good choice. You could also investigate wines from the next region over, Ribera del Duero, which makes a similar style of wines (though they call their tempranillo "tinto fino" and claim it's different).
For harder to find choices you could stay in Spain and try wines from Bierzo. The wines are made mostly from a grape called mencia, which yields a lot of PN qualities, if a bit more mineral/earthy than your average pinot. There are some truly amazing (if sadly not well known) PN alternatives in Austria.
Several of the key red varietals from Austria (blaufrankisch, st. laurent, and their hybrid, zweigelt) could do a good job replacing pinot noir. The first time I tasted a zweigelt, I actually thought I had stumbled onto some strange and deeply-satisfying blend of pinot and syrah. The downside is that Austrian wine isn't exactly taking the American market by storm. You can sometimes find German blaufrankisches, but they call the grape Lemberger. You could also cheat at subbing out pinot noir by grabbing a blauburgunder or spatburgunder, which are simply the Austrian and German terms for Pinot Noir. Good luck finding them though.
If you want to learn more about European wines, I'd recommend Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible. It is an incredibly comprehensive source for the major wine styles and regions. Technically it covers the entire world of wine, but it has a definite focus on the Big 3 (France, Italy, and Spain).
I'm a bit late to the party, but I love Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. Maybe as a Christmas gift? : )
big fan of the income tax. first saw it in the Ted Haigh Vintage Cocktails and Forgotten Spirits Book
As long as you charge per drink on your tasting menu you should be fine. You can just advertize it as talking about drinks x, y, z. Then people just order their drinks as you go.
This is a great book if you're interested in the history of cocktails.
https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Spirits-Forgotten-Cocktails-Alamagoozlum/dp/1592535615
About 10 years ago a friend bought me Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails and it started me looking for ingredients I'd never heard of but that were available if you took the time to look around. I have a bunch of cocktail books but I make a lot from that first book. PDT and Death & Co have a lot of really good recipes but some of the ingredients are harder to find or more time consuming to make.
I totally agree with jonetone. I'm a huge cocktail nerd, and that's my first love when it comes to alcohol, but I totally love wine and beer as well (though I didn't until I started tasting good beers!). The variety in each of those categories is huge, and it sounds like you've barely scratched the surface in any of them. Experiment!
Yuengling is a bland, cheap beer. Most people in most parts of the country drink bland, cheap beer. But beer can be totally full of flavor. Depending on where you live, you might have a big craft brewing scene. I live in Boulder CO where it is huge, for example. If you live in such a place, a great way to try beers and learn to appreciate them is to go to a well-regarded craft brewery's tap room, take a tour, and taste everything they've got. It's tons of fun and usually pretty cheap. If you don't have breweries nearby, find a good liquor store and experiment with a variety of styles. Don't buy just the cheap stuff - like liquor, the cheapest beers aren't that good. Oh, and always pour your beers from the bottle into a beer glass; like wine, you need to be able to smell the beer to taste all of the subtle flavors.
Based on your favorite cocktails, I suspect you also have a ton of room for experimentation there. Seek out a good craft cocktail bar if you live in a major metropolitan area, and pick up a good book on less well known cocktails (like this one).
If you really want to try something different, and don't mind buying a few obscure ingredients, this book on old cocktails would be a great one to try to do cover to cover. I really like it, even though I pick and choose which recipes I can do or will buy the ingredients for.
Yeah James Freeman the founder of blue bottle has a unique opinion of how to describe flavors that come from coffee. From my understanding James likes to tell a story about the state the coffee puts him in or how it feels to drink that coffee (Source). If you've never read it it I highly suggest reading The Blue bottle craft of Coffee by James Freeman. It is a great read and really shows his philosophy on coffee and how it should be prepared. Plus its great eye candy for your bookshelf.
The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee sounds right up your alley. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607741180/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_o.03wb8PTNY93
The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee: Growing, Roasting, and Drinking and some Detour Holiday Blend
pic
We have this book in our brewery. We refer to it as "The Bible"
Sorry for Amazon link, it was the first thing to pop-up on google and I'm lazy: http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138
Edit: I didn't read this well. If you're looking to learn how to brew, I recommend the Joy of Homebrewing. It's what I used.
Oxford Companion to Beer!
Been reading this quite a bit lately, learning alot that i had no clue about.
This. Should be required reading before they let you buy a carboy.
Also get the Oxford Companion to Beer:
http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138
I started off with a Mr. Beer as well--as the guy at my local brewshop put it, it's the Spaghetti-os equivalent of homebrewing. Very simple, but a great gateway to real brewing.
As for a kit, it depends on where you live. Here in LA you can get completely set up for an all-grain system for about $120-$150 depending on a few things.
If you can get your hands on a turkey fryer it will make the boil start that much faster.
One last thing--if you have the resources, I strongly suggest splurging for a keggerator and kegging your beer instead of bottling it. Easier, no risk of broken bottles, and pulling a pint that you brewed yourself is priceless.
I see a lot of novice advice and advice from 'professional' bartenders. I haven't really seen a good tip in the bunch if you want to know how to correctly prepare basic cocktails. There's dozens of books on the subject.
here's a very good, detailed book by Dale Degroff called The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender
And here's a link to the web archive of a scanned version of what is widely considered the very first book on the subject of bartending. How to Mix Drinks: Or, The Bon-vivant's Companion. By Jerry Thomas.
I recently picked up The Craft of the Cocktail which is fantastic, it's got 500 recipes, all well thought out and organized.
You've probably seen or heard of all of these before, but these are my latest purchases, ready to be right at home in the new home bar I'm building...
Death & Co. - modern classic cocktails
The Dead Rabbit drinks manual
The Craft of the cocktail
The flavour bible
Imbibe!
I own a copy of The Craft of the Cocktail and it is thoroughly amazing. I also have Bartending for Dummies and it is pretty good as well.
What's the rush? Do you have a job lined up already? You could memorize a bunch of recipes but every bar has a recipe book and existing bartenders to teach drinks (unless you're looking to open a place). Additionally, different countries/regions have different names or variations of drinks.
What you'll lack in knowledge about beer, wine, terms and techniques, liquor compatibility and food pairing as well as working restaurant knowledge will make you a poor bartender.
If you're actually interested in tending, follow u/belowthisisalie's advice about skipping the recipes and just get to know your target bar's menu and how it the bar functions. Pick up a few books on cocktails (Dale DeGroff would be a good start) as you progress so you can start branching out and getting creative.
They teach you the "easy way", and by easy way I mean using sour mix and taking shortcuts like that. There are plenty of good resources online and amazing cocktail books you can buy that have the original recipes for classic cocktails, as well as the proper way to do things behind the bar.
Learn from reputable sources and from good bartenders. If you're interested here's a couple good reads:
As far as knowledge goes, you can learn a lot from reading and studying. For me personally, I love this kind of stuff and I'm constantly trying to learn as much as I can so I could hardly say it feels like actual studying. As for technical skills, learn from people better than you. No matter how good you get, there is always someone out there you can learn from. A lot of how I work I've picked up from watching great bartenders, everything from small stuff like the way I carry a bottle to the way I move behind the bar has come from watching, learning and implementing it into how I bartend.
The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan
This is the book to get you where you want to be as a cocktailian.
https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Guide-Bartenders/dp/0609608843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1509998630&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=joy+of+mixology&amp;dpID=41r1XZo0N2L&amp;preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&amp;dpSrc=srch
http://www.amazon.com/The-Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Bartenders/dp/0609608843
This book breaks down drinks into a few well defined archetypes. Highly suggest it.
So this book (Amazon-link) then.
The history of beer and most alcohol is quite amazing and mostly accidental. If anyone is interested there is a great book http://www.amazon.com/History-The-World-Six-Glasses/dp/0802714471 that is really fun to read. And that is coming from someone who doesnt read much
I was a history major in college, but I'm not going to recommend you anything too heavy or even all that long. This a great little book that makes for a fun and interesting read: A History of the World in Six Glasses.
Relevant interesting book
TL;DR
An easy read with a unique approach is A History of the World in Six Glasses. http://www.amazon.com/History-The-World-Six-Glasses/dp/0802714471
A more established approached is A History of Civilizations. Naturally, the scope of the subject will cause these books to be general histories using a broad brush.
http://www.amazon.com/History-Civilizations-Fernand-Braudel/dp/0140124896/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1346819170&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=civilization+history
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Mans-Diet-Robert-Cameron/dp/091868465X
This 50 year old book says "Yes!", and makes you appreciate how long keto's been around, because it was already at least a century old when this book was published.
You're about 60 years late https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Mans-Diet-Robert-Cameron/dp/091868465X
This guy is a true dickhead, priced the book at $1 and sold millions of copies
Schramm's book is definitely at the top some other good reads are:
On Mead:
WineMaking in general:
Good Reads for science:
Principles of Brewing Science is actually the only Brewing book I've read and it's exactly what I was looking for. Lots of chemistry and even some calculus, so maybe not for everyone. You won't come away with much in the way of specific pieces of brewing advice but you'll understand how brewing works, which can only lead to better beer.
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Brewing-Science-Serious-Issues/dp/0937381748
Since a lot of people are suggesting home brew kits, how about adding on some books on the science behind beer like Froth!: The Science of Beer, Experimental Homebrewing: Mad Science in the Pursuit of Great Beer (which comes with lots of recipes to try), or even Principles of Brewing Science.
And I know you said no clothing, but I felt compelled to share this shirt and the matching ornament as well
Brewing Better Beer, by Gordon Strong. It's a GREAT book.
http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Better-Beer-Advanced-Homebrewers/dp/0937381985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1317938269&amp;sr=8-1
I definitely recommend 1 and 2. I haven't read Yeast yet.
My buddy picked up http://www.amazon.ca/Brewing-Better-Beer-Advanced-Homebrewers/dp/0937381985 and he highly recommends it.
Gordon Strong's book helped me a lot with improving beer, especially my English styles. I (for the most part) used his Pride of Warwick recipe and then won the English Bitter category of a brewing competition. The key was doing a no-sparge mash, I think.
Might want to check out Brewing Better Beer by Gordon Strong.
http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Better-Beer-Advanced-Homebrewers/dp/0937381985
It's been a big help to me. Won't teach you how to brew, but goes into evaluating and improving.
I'm brewing a Pride of Warwick Strong Bitter. The recipe was taken from Gordon Strongs book on Brewing Better Beer
I'm trying to find a recipe online, but worst case I'll export my recipe from Beer Alchemy and share that.
Right now I'm dealing with squirrels trying to get close to my brewing equipment. Jerks :/
Edit: Added link to recipe
Agreed. How To Brew, as mentioned above, and then when you've got all that down and have done a half-dozen batches or so, check out Brewing Better Beer.
that book while amazing and is really cool to have on hand, won't help you with what alot of people are making and drinking today.
I agree with kimuran here. its probably best to get a new book the [PDT Cocktail book] (http://www.amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232) is a really good book for you to get to know what the current cocktail "style" is like.
http://www.amazon.com/Savoy-Cocktail-Book-Harry-Craddock/dp/1862057729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413281098&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=savoy+cocktail+book
http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Spirits-and-Forgotten-Cocktails/dp/B00BBFZCYM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413281148&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=vintage+cocktails+and+forgotten+spirits
http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Thomas-Bartenders-Guide-Companion/dp/1440453268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413281264&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=jerry+thomas'+bartenders+guide+how+to+mix+drinks+1862+reprint+a+bon+vivant's+companion
http://www.amazon.com/Imbibe-Absinthe-Cocktail-Professor-American/dp/0399172610/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413281403&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=imbibe+david+wondrich
http://amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1413281591&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=pdt+cocktail+book
Also Bar Smarts offers an online course for $29. https://barsmarts.com/
Outside your list, but I would recommend a couple books if they don't already occupy your shelves:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bar-Book-Elements-Technique/dp/145211384X
and
http://www.amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232
Link to the book on Amazon for convenience.
Thanks for the suggestion!
I can't do fancy links, but have fun. Enjoy having managers put new wines on the menu, and you show up and are just expected to know about them, when they could come from anywhere in the world (and what about a nose and palette for wine, liquor, beer and food, and how to pair them all together) If you don't think what I need to learn is complicated, why should I think what you need to learn is complicated?:
http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/1563054345/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372030268&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+wine+bible
http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Grapes-Complete-Varieties-Including/dp/0062206362/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372030321&amp;sr=1-8&amp;keywords=wine+books
I always highly suggest The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. It's a great book that is fascinating and contains just the right amount of detail for an intermediate book.
big book and
small book
The three books I found most helpful that aren't super expensive:
For General Knowledge:
Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine
For Tasting:
How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine
For More Detailed Knowledge of Regions:
The Wine Bible
You can get those three for $50 total and if you read through them and do some of the things they say, and try some of what is mentioned, you will notice yourself getting really informed really quickly.
After a few months with these books, you can branch out to the more expensive and more specific books of which there are many.
read zraly or, redditors claim, macneil, then anything from jancis robinson. drink what the book tells you to drink.
Wine Bible
My library falls into two categories: Books of the Era, for contemporary recipes, sources, and insight; and Modern, for dissection, history, and expansions upon classic cocktails. Both have two mainstays that I bring with me to every convention:
Books of the Era:
The Mixicologist by C.F. Lawlor
How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas. I have both the 1862 and the 1876 reprinted editions.
Modern:
Bitters by Ed Anderson
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
It's complex, but I wouldn't consider it sweet. The recipe is from:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592535615/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_rrk2DbAY7FWXK
I'm a fan of classic cocktails and the stories behind them, so here are my top three at the moment:
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh.
Imbibe! By David Wondrich (new edition coming out next April)
Esquire Drinks by David Wondrich (out of print but available used on Amazon).
For those just starting to build a home bar, 12 Bottle Bar by David and Lesley Solmonson is well worth $10.
And another vote for Death & Co. (Amazon's "#1 New Release in Cocktails & Mixed Drinks!)
EDIT: Added links and Death & Co.
Also - Blue Bottle wrote a pretty freaking cool book. Lots of good photos and very specific brew methods included.
bracing for the Blue Bottle haters
The Blue Bottle book is good. Not espresso-specific (and half of it is recipes for food), but there's some good info in there. Looks nice on a coffee table too.
&#x200B;
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Bottle-Craft-Coffee-Roasting/dp/1607741180
1- Light roast has the most flavour but most acidity as well,
medium roast has a balance and dark roast has lowest acidity but almost same flavour for any origin coffee you try
2- i cant comment exactly on this but what i have seem is anyone who uses whirley pot use it directly on stovetop.. you can add cast iron if you like.. its logically that it can even out the heat..
3- for online knowlegde, reddit is good but ill suggest join roasting forums, they can help you out and can anwser your queries alot better.. as for books you can buy/download pdf files like World Atlas of coffee and bluebottle ebook
4- im not from LA so cant help.. sorry.. but you can go to any local roaster and talk to them and as your questions they are helpfull.. maybe search on yelp for nearby roasts..
Ivan Ramen (https://www.amazon.com/Ivan-Ramen-Obsession-Recipes-Unlikely/dp/1607744465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1519661816&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Ivan+Ramen) is the best English ramen cookbook I've found.
I used Ivan Orkin's recipes from his cookbook, making some modifications - I simplified the dashi recipe to just rely on konbu and bonito, based on a recipe I got from a chef while in Tokyo. I also changed the noodle recipe, using buckwheat and bread flour instead of the prescribed flours. This was quite an undertaking; I think in the future I may try to use a less time-intensive shio tare recipe as well!
Ivan Orkin wrote a book, [Ivan Ramen,] (http://www.amazon.com/Ivan-Ramen-Obsession-Recipes-Unlikely/dp/1607744465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408377883&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ivan+ramen) which has his famous Chicken broth based recipe. It doesn't take as long as pork based either!
Love the idea!
Maybe add some cookbooks too. I love these two in particular for history, variety and recipes that consistently taste great.
Ramen Fusion
Ivan Ramen
Accessories
Ingredients
I’m sure there are other items too but those are all things I’ve collected over time (except the katsuobushi- I just use the lower quality packets)
What an awesome and creative gift though. I might borrow that idea sometime too!
Ivan Ramen kirja haltuun ja eikun keittelemään.
https://www.amazon.com/Ivan-Ramen-Obsession-Recipes-Unlikely/dp/1607744465
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Black-Book-Cocktails-Essential/dp/088088360X - Pickup this to carry around at work, use it when you get hit with one you don't know.
https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X - Pick up this for training at home.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Co-Modern-Classic-Cocktails/dp/1607745259/ - This has a ton of high-end recipes as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect-Cocktail/dp/0393089037 - High end technique/execution. Might not be able to do most of this at the bar you are going to work at.
http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2012/the-most-important-bar-tool-you%E2%80%99re-probably-not-using/ - Get a notebook write down the ones you learn. I use a moleskine address book. It has alphabetical tabs so you can sort them by name of the drink. /u/le_cigare_volant AKA Jeffrey Morgenthaler is a smart no-bullshit guide, always use him as a resource.
anything bottle conditioned, a high final gravity, or high abv are usually worthy of cellaring. anything with forward notes such as coffee, hops, or fruit should not be cellared.
i picked up this book recently: http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Beer-Tasters-Guide-Improve/dp/161212156X
its worth a read
Check out the book Tasting Whiskey. It's a nice, no nonsense, take on getting the most out of whiskey as well as a lot of interesting history and discussion about what makes each type unique.
https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Whiskey-Insiders-Pleasures-Spirits/dp/1612123015
Hey! Thank you for your answer and your recommendation. This is a book that I found, https://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Whiskey-Insiders-Pleasures-Spirits/dp/1612123015 - would that be any good?
I'm falling asleep - will reply with a more thorough reply tomorrow.
My wife recently got me this book and I've really been enjoying it. It goes through the science and history of whisky and what generated the flavors as well as how you can do your best to be able to taste them. I'm about 1/3 through the book and really enjoying it.
2 great books!
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1612123015/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1501820866&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=tasting+whiskey&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51nfRA8yIaL&amp;ref=plSrch
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0760351724/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1501820905&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=fred+minnick&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=61AcooO-E0L&amp;ref=plSrch
My sister bought me this book for Christmas. I've been taking it in slowly, as there is a ton of information in it, but anyways it is very good.
You might want to just step it up and get the world atlas of coffee, it's the most informative book on coffee I've bought. https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Coffee-Explored-Explained/dp/1770854703
I've read this one and it's really good. Read the whole description to see if its what you are looking for. The author is a barista champ and one of the "thinkers" in the coffee industry and writes really well.
http://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Coffee-Explored-Explained/dp/1770854703
Invest it in coffee knowledge! Your Aeropress (or any coffee!) will taste better and be more fun after reading James Hoffman's Coffee Atlas.
I did a quick scroll through and didn't see it, but someone might have already said it. I highly recommend reading up in the form of The World Atlas of Coffee mostly because it is a very comprehensive look at specialty coffee from bean to cup and instills the humbling reality of what goes into every single cup and how many lives depend on the coffee industry. It goes on to explain brew methods, both espresso beverages and some pour overs/ immersion methods, and it's all around a very fascinating read. As far as knowing your stuff, finish that book and you're ahead of many many enthusiasts.
As for why you want to grind your own beans/ benefits of brews/ gear.... remember it all boils down (ha pun) to one thing- the flavor of your coffee. If you like what you have, that's great. If you taste a cup you like better, try to make it that way. If you grab a brewer of some kind, use things like the Coffee Compass and the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel to dial your brew to your liking. Everyone else in this thread has probably covered the basics, but I'll run through a couple as well:
Now, it is worth noting that with a metal filter in a chemex, you can emulate the mouthfeel and content of a french press brew, and with a finer filter in the press, perhaps you get a cleaner cup. Remember, these are just basic fly-bys for you getting started, and no brew method is set in stone.
Now, last topic is obsessing over water/ coffee ratios, brew times, grind size and consistency, and equipment in general. So unless you are roasting your own beans, your only job as a brewer is to take away as little from the quality of the bean as you can. You are never going to make a roasted coffee bean better than it is by brewing it a certain way. In this way, your entire job is minimizing the negative effects you can have. First is the grind. Once a bean is ground, it begins to lose quality with time as it oxidizes. Hence why we (in this sub) have our own grinders. The closer to the brew time you grind, the better it will be. Second comes grind consistency. Flavors in coffee come from water-soluble molecules that leave the bean and dissolve into the hot water during the brew. In order to get these extracted properly, you need to control all variables as much as you can. The first is the aforementioned grind consistency. If you grind your coffee and some grounds are tiny, some large, you wont get the same flavors from each ground at any given time, and you will over extract the small ground and under extract the large one. Basically, you want all of the coffee grounds to be perfect spheres and the exact same size. Since that is impossible, you spend money on grinders that can get as close to it as we know how. Next is temperature. This is simple to start and gets more complex as you experiment. You want hot water to penetrate and dissolve the coffee, but too hot and you'll have burnt flavors. Starting out, shoot for around 200-205 degrees F. You can look through research and recipes and play around with it later. Since you are just starting and they are cheaper, get a gooseneck kettle for the stove, boil it, let it sit for about 30 seconds to a minute off boil before brewing. Fourth is brew time. This is another critical step that doesn't depend on your equipment- this is all you. Brew time is important because those molecules I was talking about dissolve at different rates. Look at a standard pour over with a common grind size- in the first say 30 seconds of the brew, the lighter flavors (see coffee taster's flavor wheel above) like the floral notes and citruses will be fully extracted. Then the mids of caramel and some chocolaty notes in the next minute or so, then at the end comes the heavy flavors or smoke or tobacco. Why? Well it's because the molecules are different size and therefore take different amounts of time to dissolve. If you brew for too long, the really big molecules come out to play, and you'll be sipping on a delightful cup with a strong scent and notes of rubber and charcoal. No bueno. So brew time is another facet to dial in.
All in all, there are a lot of nitpicky points to focus on, but to take it back to the beginning, it's all about the flavor. These are some basics that other people have pointed out to me and that I have discovered, but all the knowledge in the world won't make the perfect cup of coffee because it doesn't exist, or rather it is different for every palette. Some lucky bastard out there may have taste such that McDonald's coffee really is the best there is. For the rest of us, we spend a stupid amount of time and money chasing something better. Welcome.
Sorry that got a little out of hand. I was going to keep it simple, but coffee isn't really simple for those that are in too deep.
By that I mean the non-pulsing method e.g. 12g coffee in, 24g off boil (~205F) water, 30s bloom, then add the rest of the water slowly in one pour, stir the top and let in drain. It is the method in James Hoffman's book but I will admit I haven't actually tried it...
If you struggle to fit all the water in over the course of a single pour you could always use an 02 size v60, and tighten the grind up a tiny bit to allow for the increased flow rate.
If you want to use v60 at work try a method you could replicate at work and compare it with your normal go-to method, you may find that the results are perfectly acceptable. For example, blooming is usually encouraged but you could probably get away with a more basic method (eg: add all coffee, add all water, stir at the top, drain), just might need to play around with grind size to get a ~3min drawdown
Yes, 1 year and spots fill up for the taste test fast. We are fortunate enough to have a big enough group and couple of high ranking judges to allow us to get our own exam for our study group. They recommend you sign up for a taste test before taking the entrance exam.
I assume you have already visited this page but it will give you everything you need to pass the entrance exam. http://www.bjcp.org/examcenter.php Also if you like reading, Yeast by Chris White and Jamil Zannishef, Hops by Stan Hirronamous and soon Water by John Palmer are great advanced books that will be great resources for brewing, judging and making recipes. That said to pass the exam all you will need is the study guide, the procedure manual, and the BJCP style guidelines is all you need.
Brewed: Edwort's Haus Pale Ale.
Racked to secondary: Skeeter Pee which I added my finings and stabilized, and my Blackberry Wine.
Cleaned and delabeled: 10 cases of wine bottles that I scored for free from a local winery. (Still working on this).
Ordered: Ingredients for Raging Red Irish Red Ale, and BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde (I've got a few kegs to fill). I also ordered some one gallon fermentors for experimental batches, I think the first one is going to be a Banana Wine. I should also be getting a couple books, For The Love of Hops and Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation, as well as a refractometer, and a 10lb CO2 tank.
This poped up on my amazon the other day
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hops-Practical-Bitterness-Elements/dp/1938469011/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1368987445&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=beer%2C+hops
I haven't bought it or read it. Maybe someone who has read the book can tell you if it is any good, it might be helpful
Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse (Brewing Elements)
One of the Brewing Elements series written by John Mallett and published by Brewers Publications.
The other 3 books in this series; Hops, Water and Yeast are also great.
Maybe a note that Malt is coming out in September to complete the series.
This,this
and this.
Is a good start.
No I do not grow my own hops, however I have used plenty of them in brewing many many beers. I have used fresh hop cones a few times as well. I have also used hops from different seasons of the same plant, and I can promise you that's not where a pine flavour comes from.
Here are a couple of resources you might want to glance through if you are actually interested in different hop flavours and aromas.
https://byo.com/resource/hops/
https://home-brew-stuff.myshopify.com/pages/hop-profiles
https://www.morebeer.com/articles/homebrew_beer_hops
There is also this great book about hops, which I am willing to lend to you if you'd truly like to read it. I have a copy sitting next to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hops-Practical-Bitterness-Elements/dp/1938469011
Real cocktails. Real drinks. If I order a gimlet, your bartender should not look at me quizzically and ask "What's a gimlet?" If I order a martini, it should be gin.
If you want to go the extra mile, order this and serve some of the stuff from it: Vintage Cocktails
Just...just FFS don't be another run of the mill, serving appletinis to the meatheads "bar."
You should read James Freeman's book. I don't have an espresso set up because I can't afford one and I'm not going to try and make good espresso on a bad machine. It's not possible.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Bottle-Craft-Coffee/dp/1607741180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1376943354&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blue+bottle+coffee