Day Alex - Coctail codex: the origins and evolution of the modern cocktail

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Long before we stepped behind the bar, a legion of bartenders, chefs, and culinary leaders were tinkering with the concepts that weve attempted to explore in these pages. This book represents the accumulated creative and professional work of so many people, and above all else, it must be acknowledged that its just a modest step toward continuing a long tradition of asking Whats next? in food, cocktails, and entertaining. Heres to many more steps forward from people like you.

This book would not have been possible without Devon Tarby. Even a cursory glance at the recipes within reveals that Devon is a prolific cocktail creator. Year after year, she has assembled dozens of innovative and delicious cocktails, but she has also been instrumental in shaping and cocreating our thoughts about flavor and the power of cocktails, and has done more than anyone to take the abstract and overwhelming topic of teaching these ideas to bartenders in a clear and impassioned way. Your mind and creativity are deeply entwined within this book, Devonthank you for being our partner.

While they may have not mentored us directly, the work and friendship of industry legends have guided every aspect of this book. Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Gary Regan, Julie Reiner, Jim Meehan, and Eben Freeman, thank you for being friends, mentors (whether you know it or not), and supporters of our work from the beginning.

To our dearly departed Sasha Petraske, thank you for teaching us that simplicity is everythingand that the liquid in the glass is but one part of the equation. So much of how we view cocktailsas being both an integral part of our society and as works of artwas formed by listening to your words and heeding your endlessly helpful advice. You are missed.

Phil Ward, we can feel you squirming if ever you read these words, but the candor of your approach to cocktailsboth as a drinks creator and as a mentoris an integral part of everything weve built inside and outside of these pages. Brian Miller, Joaquin Simo, Jessica Gonzalez, and Thomas Waugh, thank you for tolerating Alex in those early Death & Co days and for continuing to be invaluable friends and colleagues as we all push the boundaries of what the hell it means to be a professional bartender.

There have been so many bartenders, chefs, operators, and guests who have been instrumental in forming our thoughts and opinions on what makes a great drink. By and large our biggest inspirations are the bar teams weve trained and managed over the yearsthank you for allowing us to hone the perspective and method of this book through mad-dash openings (and a shot of sherry or two). The teams at Death & Co, Nitecap, the Normandie Club (special props for helping shoot the photos in this book!), Honeycut, and the Walker Inn are the best in the industry. Thank you for turning on the lights and filling the bins with ice every day. None of this means a thing without the craft of bartenders like you, who curate a room every night of the week. Likewise, thank you to our partners for your collaboration and endless patience: Ravi DeRossi, Craig Manzino, Natasha David, Cedd Moses, and Eric Needleman. To our managers currently and in the past, youre all angels for dealing with usthank you for being the best in the business and for contributing your creativity to this book: Natasha David (again), Lauren Corriveau, Nick Settle, Tyson Buhler, Jillian Vose, Eryn Reece, Daniel Eun, Trevor Easter, Carrie Heller, David Fernie, Mary Barlett, Matt Brown, Matthew Belanger, Alex Jump, Nathan Turk, Willie Rosenthal, Wes Hamilton, and Kristine Danks.

The bar and restaurant industry is a close-knit group of misfits who care deeply about their craft and their community. The list of our friends and colleagues behind bars, in kitchens, and in the back offices of the worlds best bars and restaurants is longfar too many to list herebut all of them have inspired us with their work and openness.

Theres a strong connection between the people who serve booze and those who make and promote it. Weve been privileged over the years to form close relationships with these folks, and in particular the teams at Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Clear Creek Distillery, Maison Ferrand, Singani 63, Del Maguey, Wyoming Whiskey, Back Bar Project, and Bacardi USA have been extremely generous in sharing their stories and supporting us as we learn more about spirits.

This book is more than just a collection of recipes and information about booze; it has taken a team of artists to direct and assemble it into something that can guide you with more than words. To our photographers, Dylan Ho and Jeni Afuso, thank you not only for your vision and creativity but also for being true collaborators (and so much fun to shoot with!). To our illustrator Tim Tomkinson, you never cease to amaze us with your brilliant eye and deft pen. Thank you to Kate Tomkinson for helping us create a beautiful cover.

A staggering amount of awe and gratitude goes to the team at Ten Speed Press. Thank you for allowing us a shot at a second book and for being patient as we shuffled our way through three years of writing. Emily Timberlake, while we mostly like talking about sci-fi books with you, your enthusiasm for this book and your guidance in pushing us to make it better with each revision has made this work what it is. Thank you, Betsy Stromberg and Emma Campion, for shaping our vision and corralling all of us into a cohesive design, and for Serena Sigona for seeing it through to production. Big ups to Ashley Pierce for jumping into editing late in the gamewhat, did we scare Emily off? Aaron Wehner, thanks for assembling this team of all-stars and for letting us work with them.

To our copyeditor, Jasmine Star, your contributions to and influence on this volume (and our last) deserves a more fitting title. Once again you went above to shape this mess into a real book. Youll never pay for a drink in any of our bars!

Thank you, Jonah Straus and David Black, our agents, for shepherding this project and for keeping us in check.

Finally, to our partners in lifethank you for your patience as we toiled away at this book for all these years. Andrew Ashey, you inspire Alex beyond words. Rotem Raffe, your patience during this process has been saintly. Jenna Kaplan, thank you for your support and consistent insights.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ALEX DAY and DAVID KAPLAN are co-owners of Death & Co NYC and Death & Co Denver, as well as the Los Angeles-based Proprietors LLC, a full-service hospitality company (Nitecap, Walker Inn, Honeycut, the Normandie Club, and more. NICK FAUCHALD is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and publisher of print and digital products. Day, Kaplan, and Fauchald are the authors of Death & Co.

APPENDIX

COCKTAILS

Aces and Eights

JARRED WEIGAND, 2016

2 ounces El Tesoro reposado tequila

ounce Amaro Meletti

1 teaspoon Galliano Ristretto

1 teaspoon Vanilla Lactic Syrup ()

1 dash Bittermens Xocolatl mole bitters

Garnish: 1 orange twist

Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a double Old-Fashioned glass over 1 large ice cube. Express the orange twist over the drink, then gently rub it around the rim of the glass and place it into the drink.

Affinity

CLASSIC

2 ounces Compass Box Oak Cross scotch

ounce Carpano Antica Formula vermouth

ounce Dolin dry vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Express the lemon twist over the drink, then set it on the edge of the glass.

Aviation

CLASSIC

2 ounces Plymouth gin

ounce crme de violette

1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur

ounce fresh lemon juice

ounce simple syrup ()

Garnish: 1 brandied cherry