Reddit reviews Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions

It totally depends on the type of bartending you’re trying to get into, but for my personal tastes. there’s a book I like called Cocktail Codex which breaks it down to assert that there are six basic templates and that everything else (within the classic cocktail spectrum) is essentially some variation on one of those six models.

Those six are:

Old Fashioned

Martini

Daiquiri

Sidecar

Whiskey Highball

Flip

If you can get down the templates for those, you’ll have a pretty solid foundation for a ton of cocktails.

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

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.

Get 3-4 tools;

A Japanese-style jigger or a 50ml graduated cylinder

Ice. (And learn how it is made properly)

A cocktail shaker.

A strainer comes in handy too.



The cheapest way to practice; mix whatever booze you have on hand that is around 80 proof with some form of sugar, (honey, 1:1 sugar-to-water, 2:1 sugar-to-water, agave, Demerara sugar, etc...) and some form of citrus (fresh lime/ lemon juice). Just play around with the ratios of each (booze, citrus, sugar) till you learn how each affects one another.

For beginning bartending, I recommend familiarizing yourself with how alcohol is synthesized, the different distillation processes, and the types of booze from around the world.

From there, look on YouTube.

u/CocktailChem has a nice playlist for beginners called Basic Cocktails

Here is a couple of other playlists for you

The Educated Barfly YT

Steve the Bartender 365 days playlist

How To Drink

United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) seminars


Additionally, look for some books;

Cocktail codex(here)

Savoy Cocktail book (here)

Liquid Intelligence (here)

Smuggler’s cove (here)

Tiki (here)

The Aviary Cocktail Book (here)

Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions https://www.amazon.in/dp/160774970X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-UJBDbQ38E66A