(Part 2) Top products from r/bartenders

Greetings from Santa Cruz!

I think I may be the perfect person to help you here. My bar staff is about the same size as yours, and I've been doing exactly this and lending out books from my personal collection each month.
Everyone else has had some great answers, so I'll try and bring something new to the table:

How's Your Drink? by Eric Felten is my favorite easy introduction to cocktail culture. It's written by the cocktail columnist from the Wall Street Journal and reads in a very conversational way. Can be finished in one sitting. Quick read that I recommend you have anyone new start with.

The Cocktail Chronicles by Paul Clarke is a relatively comprehensive overview of the current state of cocktails. It is based around recipes, but I wouldn't call it a recipe book as each recipe has a lot of commentary that goes into context and history.

Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan just came out and is incredible. His previous book, The PDT Cocktail Book, is an invaluable resource for recipes, and the Bartenders Manual is a complete guide dealing with all aspects of the job.

Distillled by Joel Harrison & Neil Ridley is a good introduction to different spirits and goes chapter by chapter from vodka to whiskey with an overview of production processes and other factors that influence the flavor of the drink.

Straight Up or On the Rocks by William Grimes is a history of cocktails in the U.S. starting with the first use of the word and going through the early '90s. The author is a food writer for the NY Times and the book is very well researched.

The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan does a good job of explaining how cocktails are related to each other by putting them into families. His taxonomy may be a little odd, and in and of itself is not the last word in cocktails, but it offers a good perspective.

The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler addresses technique. It's an opinionated book but he's usually right. Lots of great information. If I were starting off as a bartender and could only read one book, this is the one that would probably best set me up for success.

Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh is based around historic recipes, but each of them has a lot of history incorporated and you also get a good introduction to some of the more obscure ingredients that have come back into fashion recently.

I've reached eight, so I'll stop there. If you would like additional recommendations in the future, please feel free to reach out. I've been collecting bar books for the last six years and have amassed a fair few and even read one or two.

You sound like you're in an enviable position. It's great to have support for making learning a big part of working with food/beverage. Pretty sure I've read a couple of your owner's books and have loved them and found them very useful. It seems like a really great company to work for, as well.

I'd also like to quickly mention Imbibe Magazine, which comes out every two months and is a great way to keep up with what's going on in the beverage world. I keep the most recent couple issues available for my staff to look through.

If there's anything else you'd like insight on related to bringing bar staff into the fold I'd be very happy to help.

I'm familiar with the London bar business but not with the suppliers for home enthusiasts. I'll tell you what I recommend to people here in the states.

First check out wholesale clubs. Here in the States, Costco's liquor division sells some really excellent products at 1/3-1/2 of the brand names. Aldi has some good deals on quality products, especially if you like mixing with bubbly. Also watch for sales, especially in November and December. You can find some really good deals in the bigger liquor stores. Stock up when you can. Unopened (and most opened) liquor is completely shelf stable for quite a while.

As for syrups... make them. There are recipes for all kinds of syrups in modern cocktail books/guides, as well as websites and YouTube channels. If you're looking for a fruit syrup (like raspberry) in January, hit the frozen food section of your supermarket. Bang the bag of frozen raspberries on your kitchen counter to loosen them up. Measure out 10-15% more than the recipe calls for and dump it in the room-temp simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water). Let it sit, covered, at room temp for 12-14 hours. You should have really good syrup in the end.

For home enthusiasts, I usually recommend the Solmonsons' The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails. A New Way to Drink. It has excellent information and advice. They also include many recipes for syrups, infusions, etc.

Good luck!

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:

• [Jerry Thomas Bartender's Guide] (http://www.amazon.ca/Jerry-Thomas-Bartenders-Guide-Reprint/dp/1438241747/ref=pd_sim_b_13?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Dave Wondrich's Imbibe!] (http://www.amazon.ca/Imbibe-Professor-Featuringthe-Selection-Contributed/dp/0399532870)
  
  
• [Great book on Bitters] (http://www.amazon.ca/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas/dp/1580083595/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Harry Craddock's Savory Cocktail Book] (http://www.amazon.ca/Savoy-Cocktail-Book-Harry-Craddock/dp/1862057729/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Bar Book] (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Bar-Book-Elements-Technique/dp/145211384X/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Craft of the Cocktail] (http://www.amazon.ca/The-Craft-Cocktail-Everything-Bartender/dp/0609608754/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails] (http://www.amazon.ca/Vintage-Spirits-Forgotten-Cocktails-Alamagoozlum/dp/1592535615/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Boozehound] (http://www.amazon.ca/Boozehound-Trail-Obscure-Overrated-Spirits/dp/1580082882/ref=pd_sim_b_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  
• [Liquid Intelligence] (http://www.amazon.ca/Liquid-Intelligence-Dave-Arnold/dp/0393089037/ref=pd_sim_b_17?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A8ZRNN8WZB4R6P9GVGN)
  
  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.

I am 100% all for the pursuit of knowledge behind the bar. I believe it's a great way to show initiative to get behind a craft bar, elevate your cocktail game, and just to learn something cool. Feel free to message me if you have questions on where to get started, what to do after you've read some of these books, what to expect when you're working your way up, etc. I'd be more than happy to lend some helpful advice!

Here are some of the books I'd recommend:



"The Bar Book" by Jeffrey Morgenthaler

I'd start here if you're interested in and are brand new to craft cocktails. Morgenthaler's Bar Book is threaded with great insight on what and why certain techniques are used behind the bar and is riddled with beautiful photography.

"Imbibe!" by Dave Wondrich

Hands down, the first book you should read if you want to get into the lore behind craft drinks. It opens up with the story of our great forefather, Jeffrey Thomas, and then continues to discuss the various eras of bartending and what they represent, as well as the drinks within those eras.

"Craft Cocktails at Home" by Kevin Liu
If Bar Book is your high school Geometry, Liu's, "Craftcocktails at Home" is your college Linear Algebra class. Provides you with hard science on what exactly going on in the glass if we shake VS stir or the happenings in an egg-based drink. Awesome read.


"How's Your Drink" by Eric Felten

Felten runs through history and entertains with stories behind some of the biggest drinks in cocktails. Did you know the Vesper (a vodka/gin Martini hybrid of sorts) was created in a Jame's Bond book and was named after the sultry villain? That President Theodore Roosevelt loved himself a good mint julep and even had his own mint bed to supply himself plenty when he wanted one? Fun read.

"Drunken Botanist" by Amy Stewart

Alcohol is derived from things. This is the best book that talks about those things. Agave, Juniper, Barley, Cinchona Bark. Understand the drink from a Botanist's point of view.


"Bitters" by Brad Thomas Parsons

Bitters are an incredible way to add both aromatics and flavor into a cocktail. This book will help you not only understand what they are and what they do, but will kickstart your own bitter brewing process if desired. Homemade Orange Bitters kick ass.

Barsmarts

Last but not least, Barsmarts is a great online tool to help rundown the basis of what we with cocktails. It goes through the various spirits, a brief look at cocktail history, and even has a "drink builder". Definitely worth the $30.

Personally, I think this cocktail would be better up than on the rocks, but that's really your call.

I would definitely batch everything except the citrus and then do 2.5 oz of batch and .5 oz of citrus juice to order. If you're concerned about keeping up with volume, you might want to invest in some OXO measuring cup jiggers like these. If you look very closely inside the jigger, there's a dimple near the pour spout--that marks 3 oz. So you can measure .5 lemon and then just fill to the dimple with batch. It's less accurate, but it's fine for high-volume settings and it's much faster than jiggering with a Japanese or American jigger.

Anyway, it seems like you have a pretty good handle on things! Best of luck and let me know if I can help!

I'm going to actively try to avoid recipe books here in my links (that said, that means you're missing out on Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, Death & Co, Potions of the Caribbean, and The Joy of Mixology so.... YMMV)

Liquid Intelligence - IMHO must have guide on the technical aspects of bartending. This book is amazing and is the first thing I share with my coworkers that want to broaden their knowledge

The Drunken Botanist - In depth examination of the plants that go into making our favorite drinks, beers, booze, and sundry

Bitters - Has history of bitters, along with instructional on how to make your own.

Shrubs Kind of recipes but also talks about how to make shrubs and good proportions for them, which isn't super common.

Wine Folly Do you want a good intro-to-wine with good, clear reference sheets about styles and pairings? Here's your book

The Wine Bible Want to know way more than you ever thought you wanted to know about wine? This is what you want to be reading.

The Beer Bible - Same as above, but for beer instead of wine.

Holy Smoke! Its Mezcal Mezcal can be hard to pin down and I've found this one to be decent. Includes a table of things that were available in the US at time of publishing and the author's opinions on quality.

Vermouth - pretty in depth history on vermouth, focusing on its place in American cocktail Culture

Imbibe! In depth history of early cocktail culture, focusing on Jerry Thomas and the Bon Vivant's Companion

...I'm sure I could think of more, given the time. I'm trying to just delve into things currently on my shelf, and not in my wishlist.

Are you just bartending casually at home or are you looking to do it as a job in the future?

Jefferey Morgenthaler's book is great:https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X

You'll want to get a jigger, I recommend oxo's graduated jigger, a barspoon, a mixing glass, a strainer, a set of shaker tins (get a small and a large, and seriously splurge for koriko not the other bullshit)

Those are all of the essentials, beyond that everything is fairly unnecessary but there are tons of other things you can buy. I guess a vegetable peeler could be handy for peels but you can just use a sharp paring knife for zest garnishes.

For glassware you can spend as much or as little as you want, depending on how much you care about appearance. When I first starting making drinks at home I had glasses for every variety of drink. I still have those glasses, but basically use these for everything, regardless if it's shaken stirred or whatever. Gimlets taste delicious out of them, manhattans taste delicious out of them.

One little handy thing I've found is these seagram's bottles. Buy a 6 pk of the little glass club soda bottles. Once you use the soda, rinse them out and they're perfect for storing syrups, juices, etc. Plastic caps won't deteriorate like metal will in other styles of bottlees. They're short so they fit in weird parts of your fridge, hold enough syrup for plenty of drinks, etc etc.

Haha thanks, very appreciative of the offer. If I ever stock the bar with a liquor order that breaks a grand I'll drop a line.

I've just decided to go to the MoCo stores. For the glassware I went via the tried and true route: Amazon

I liked the look of Libbey's glassware so I ordered the box party pack - 4x Martini, 4x Poco Grande (which I will also use as Hurricane glasses for now), 4x Zombie (which I will also use as ghetto Collins/Highball glasses), 4x Shot glasses and a boston glass w/hawthorne strainer (don't really care about these things). I also separately ordered 4x of Libbey's Irish coffee glasses because I like how they look.

Irish Coffee glasses

Libbey Bar in a box

It all came out to about $4 per glass which I think is a bit high, but I'm willing to pay that if it looks good and the bases fit in the stemware rack (which it looks like they will)

Out of curiosity, what bar do you run in DC?

If you are totally brand new, I have a few suggestions.

https://www.amazon.com/12-Bottle-Bar-Bottles-Cocktails/dp/076117494X

Pick up this book, and learn from it. Also pick up this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Book-Elements-Cocktail-Technique/dp/145211384X/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AWBB1DE7J6W0H2V65PNJ

Both excellent primers to recipes, technique, and ways to think about cocktails in general. The first is more of a home guide so you can more cost effectively stock a home bar and practice at home. The second is about perfecting technique and the recipes inside are amazing.

As far as most popular drinks...

Martini, Old Fashioned, Cosmos, Long Island Iced Tea, Margarita, Negroni, Mojito, Mai Tai, White Russian, Moscow Mule.

Just off the top of my head.

Sure, let's talk!

If you're learning how to use a bar spoon, it's easier, IMO, to start out with the thicker bodied ones, since they provide a little more heft and therefore control. The drawback to them is that they don't maneuver in the glass quite as easily, and they're ultimately a little slower. Once you're pretty comfortable with your technique, I much prefer the thinner kind. Not only do that have a sexier look to them, I find I can control the movement of the spoon a lot more precisely.

This Winekey
It is great in its simplicity. The double hinge opens wine in seconds. The bottle cap opener is on the outside for easy access. The foil cutter handily doubles as a box opener. To top it off it fits snugly in the 5th pocket that's on most men's jeans putting it within easy reach at all times. A true thing of beauty for the busy bartender.

This book
Its not the best book on bartending nor is it my favorite, but for finding the recipe to that drink you've never heard of it is stripped down simplicity. Just the ingredients, a quick Method Of Preperation, and a picture so you know how to present it. And at 2500 plus drinks, if this one doesn't have it, it's not worth making. The biggest down side is the price, but old editions are just as good as new ones.

I've heard good things about these kicks. Non slip and pretty slick/ casual.

Personally, I've been sporting these boots in black leather. They look good but less practical in slip resistance. Also, superfeet make great insoles.

Do you have a computer? If the answer is "yes", don't waste time making flashcards-->use microsoft Excel instead. You can customize your local cocktail recipes with the well-organized excel categorized system, screen the similar cocktails and remember them at the same time. Download the Cocktail datasheet here (don't worry, virus free)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o5xBQVnqQqCjC7t54CXcezF1Wx72N3He/view

If you wanna be stronger. Read this book on Amazon Kindle: Cocktail Recipe Mnemonics

( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZQ376SD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 )

i'm a fan of Gary Regan's "The Joy of Mixology"

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Cocktail-Kingdom%C2%AE-Kingdom-Beehive-Juicer/dp/B008XPFSGK

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

http://www.amazon.com/Savoy-Cocktail-Book-Harry-Craddock/dp/1862057729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413281098&sr=8-1&keywords=savoy+cocktail+book

http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Spirits-and-Forgotten-Cocktails/dp/B00BBFZCYM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1413281148&sr=8-3&keywords=vintage+cocktails+and+forgotten+spirits

http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Thomas-Bartenders-Guide-Companion/dp/1440453268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413281264&sr=8-1&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&qid=1413281403&sr=8-2&keywords=imbibe+david+wondrich

http://amazon.com/The-PDT-Cocktail-Book-Bartenders/dp/1402779232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413281591&sr=8-1&keywords=pdt+cocktail+book

Also Bar Smarts offers an online course for $29. https://barsmarts.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Bartenders-Black-Book-10th/dp/1935879995/ref=dp_ob_title_kitchen Bartender's Black Book is one that I've always kept on hand.

Shakers: http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/all-barware/shakers/set-of-two-korikor-weighted-shaking-tins.html

Strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-1058016-SteeL-Cocktail-Strainer/dp/B0000DAQ93/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991455&sr=8-2&keywords=hawthorne+strainer

Fine strainer: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-3-Inch-Strainer/dp/B001713L84/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991666&sr=8-3&keywords=tea+strainer

Spoon: http://www.amazon.com/Winco-11-inch-Mixing-Stainless-Removable/dp/B000HBOKIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991471&sr=8-2&keywords=bar+spoon

Jigger; http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Angled-Measuring-Capacity/dp/B004VLYQEK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991493&sr=8-11&keywords=measuring+cup+oxo

Juicer: http://www.amazon.com/Amco-Enameled-Aluminum-Lemon-Squeezer/dp/B0002V23BG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991583&sr=8-2&keywords=hand+juicer

Muddler: http://www.amazon.com/Cocktail-Muddler-Bursting-Cocktails-Guarantee/dp/B00DDTGV12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406991636&sr=8-1&keywords=muddle

That is really all you need to pretty much do anything. You can also check your local store for a small cutting board, paring knife, cocktail napkins, etc.

Also, /r/cocktails

Edit: Almost forgot: http://www.reddit.com/r/cocktails/comments/1vb2os/not_cocktail_of_the_week_54_alaska/cfx501b

That's the same one I use at home.

At the bar, I like to use what's called an "English Bar Spoon" that has a flat weighted end opposite the spoon so you can give a brief muddle with it, or layer drinks using the flat end to slow the pour at the drink's surface.

If I had to pick the left one - but I dont like any of them.

The middle one is cheap shit and will tear your hand webbing after a while. The fork one has too small a spoon and the gold one is a square shape which will hurt your hand too.

This is the spoon we use at work and I use at home - its got rounded edges and is nicely weighted.

Libbey makes different kits, but they are in groups of four (maybe they have smaller sets if you look around).

http://www.amazon.com/Libbey-Entertainment-Party-Glass-18-Piece/dp/B008OQO3O6/ref=pd_sim_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z63EXXG99JXE629WDAQ

http://www.amazon.com/Libbey-Party-Glass-18-Piece-Clear/dp/B008OQO1CU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1407167485&sr=8-4&keywords=cocktail+glasses

If you want a smaller set, check out a Dollar Tree. They sometimes have decent looking glassware. Or a Marshalls. They sell Libbey glasses and sometimes sell them individually instead of in the set.

Oh well work hard and read the intro to this book - https://www.amazon.com/Bartenders-Black-Stephen-Kittredge-Cunningham/dp/1935879995/ref=sr_1_3?crid=IBCEALAJ3ZXI&keywords=bartenders+black+book+2019&qid=1571872166&sprefix=bartenders+bla%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-3

You want

>I keep one of these, an iPhone cable, and a micro-usb cable in my bag

see source.

Here is the mobile version of your link

You mean the little buckets? I just picked up an old darkroom jigger that I think I could build most things in. I’ll let you know.

I keep one of these, an iPhone cable, and a micro-usb cable in my bag

...because everyone has needed their phone charged at some point, and most people don’t want to be with out it.

Edit: fixed link cause /u/YellowishWhite is boss