Let’s face it, most of us are looking forward to the holiday drinks we’ll indulge in while cooking during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Who doesn’t love a spiked eggnog or hard spiced cider during the holidays? I personally love having a drink (or two) while I am cooking a feast for my friends and family, it makes things more fun.
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If you’re looking to spice up your beverages, there are newly released cocktail cookbooks to help guide you through your journey.
I firmly believe every household needs a cocktail book like On the House: Over 100 Essential Tips and Recipes for the Home Bartender. This fun book explains the tools of the trade for every bartender, and covers syrups and bitters, mixing, and various cocktail recipes. This is a crisp looking book, featuring just a clean image of the drink and clear instructions throughout.
One day, when we can have giant gatherings again, I would love to mix from this cocktail book. Giant Cocktails: Party Drinks, Punch Bowls, and Other Beverages to Share features 25 fantastic shareable cocktails. Luckily, the author Èmilie Laraison begins her cookbook with all the party essentials. This includes typical bartending accessories and beyond. These are stylish recipes that will impress your guests!
I’m partial to Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home because of the awesome drawings inside. Instead of using photography, the book actually illustrates specific steps taken for each drink and the drink itself. I also love the various charts displaying which category each cocktail falls under. This eliminates the guessing game for those who are newer to drinking specific cocktails.
It’s hard to look away from the Apotheke: Modern Medicinal Cocktails cookbook. The book cover looks like it should sit next to all the literary classics on the bookshelf. The real beauty is what lies inside this cookbook -the photos are divine. Apotheke uses a holistic approach to cocktail making by experimenting with science to create healing tonics!
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I have a really good friend who loves gin. I knew I had to get her this Gin Buddy cocktail book for Christmas or her birthday coming up! This is a really quirky cocktail book perfect for any gin lover out there.
Now Winter Drinks: Over 75 recipes to warm the spirits including hot drinks, fortifying toddies, party cocktails and mocktails is exactly the cookbook I am looking for. I appreciate how the drinks are divided up: comforting, invigorating, restorative, and celebratory. Each drink has a photo to accompany the recipe, which makes them all the more inviting. I can actually envision myself sipping at any of these drinks during Christmas or a wintery night.
I know I’m not the only one who practices “Dryuary” once the New Year passes. I think a lot of us need a break from indulgences and merriment by that point! This book The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month suggests recipes for non-alcoholic drinks that are so tasty, you won’t miss the booze.
~Kaiti