November 18, 2011 / Leslie

Review: See Mix Drink

See Mix Drink
by Brian D. Murphy

Genre: Food & Drinks
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publish Date: October 19th 2011
Format: Hardcover | 232 pages
Rating: 5 of 5

See Mix Drink arrives just in time for the holiday party season. A new concept in cocktail guide books, it uses an illustrated format with easy to follow graphic instructions on how to make 100 of the most popular mixed drinks. Eliminating text based instructions greatly simplifies the process making it quick and easy to mix up more than just the basic Vodka and Tonic or Rum and Coke. Click the browse inside this book button above to see for yourself.

There is a short introduction and a how-to on using the book, what tools and glassware a well equipped bar should contain, plus a description of the most common spirits and a color coded chart for easy identification when using the instruction portion of the book. There is also a handy alphabetical index at the end for quick drink look-ups.

The bulk of the book contains the drink making instructions. Each drink is presented on two pages, beautifully laid out using color photos, graphics and charts. In addition to the basic instructions the author also provides a brief history of the drink, interesting factoids, how to phonetically pronounce the name, time required to prepare, calorie content and a photo of the finished drink.

The book itself is a handsome hardcover volume with a water-resistant cover. There is no dust jacket; the cover photo is printed right on the book. This is a great idea and I would like all recipe and drink books to be made this way. I dislike ruining the pretty dust cover on my recipe books, and so often in a busy kitchen accidents happen.

Newbies just learning to mix drinks, experienced bartenders and those somewhere in between will all find this a helpful guide to creating some of the most popular cocktails. This would make a great gift for the aspiring bartender on your holiday list.

About the Author

Brian D. Murphy’s favorite mixed drink is the Old Fashioned, having been inspired to try it after watching Mad Men. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Nicole and their three pets Kate, MeowMeow, and Maya.You can learn more about Brian on Facebook.com/SeeMixDrink.
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Source: Review copy provided by Hachette Books.

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