McCartney - Cocktails for drinkers: not-even-remotely-artisanal, three-ingredient-or-less cocktails that get to the point

Copyright 2016 by Jennifer McCartney All rights reserved For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, The Countryman Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact
W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830 The Countryman Press
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500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com Book design by Nick Caruso Design The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Names: McCartney, Jennifer, 1980 author.
Title: Cocktails for drinkers : not-even-remotely-artisanal, three-ingredient-or-less
cocktails that get to the point / JenniferMcCartney.
Description: Woodstock, VT : Countryman Press,
a division of W. W.

Norton & Company, [2016]
Independent Publishers Since 1923.
Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015034168
ISBN 978-158157-354-1 (pbk. flexibound)
Subjects: LCSH: Cocktails.
LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: LCC TX951 .P34 2016
DDC 641.87/4dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015034168 ISBN 978-1-58157-565-1 (e-book)

Real cocktails. Three ingredients or less (plus an optional garnish or two). No artisanal nonsense. No pretentious bartenders wearing suspenders. This book compiles the 100 best cocktails you can make at home with normal ingredients from your fridge or liquor cabinet.

For easy reference, the book is organized by type of liquor. Have a bottle of vodka chilling in your freezer? Flip to the vodka section for advice on how to make a summery Greyhound with just grapefruit juice and vodka. Feel like being fancy? Make it a Salty Dog. Thats a Greyhound with a salted rim. Sound complicated? I didnt think so. Because of the three-ingredient rule, you wont find classics like the Sazerac, French 75, or Bramble in here, so if youre going to smugly email the publisher about an error, make sure its related to something besides your missing favorite cocktaillike an actual selling mistake.

And forget about the single serving sizes. These drinks are strong. Make them once and enjoy them for longer, or make two and enjoy them with a friend. Dump in the ingredients and go. No muddling, no shakingjust delicious booze. Still reading this? Why arent you drunk yet? The world has enough artisanal cocktail books.

This is a refreshing option for those of us who just want a drink without having to take out a loan, get an anchor tattoo, or grow a hipster beard first. Grab a glass, some ice, some booze, and drink up. I guess you can throw a lime wedge in there if you want, Your Majesty.

Heres a secret the fancy bartenders dont want you to know: You dont need equipment to make a cocktail. You dont need a mortar and pestle or a long stainless steel spoon or the mason jar shaker you got for your birthday or a lighter for smoking orange rind. You dont even really need a shot glass for measurement.

Whats the worst that could happen? Whoopstoo much booze in my cocktail! Not a real thing that happens. Use your eyeballs and pour booze from a bottle into a glass filled with ice. Add your second and third ingredients. Stir it. Drink it. With that said, if you want a cold cocktail but dont want it on the rocks, its helpful to have a cocktail shaker.

Alternately, you can keep all your booze in the freezer. MY THINKING ON YIELDS: Most of these cocktails have around 4 ounces of liquor and make what I call a big drink. Cocktails that also require a non-alcoholic mixer like OJ or ginger ale have around 4 ounces of liquor plus a mixer. Those make a large drink or two small drinks because they have more liquid. There are also a bunch of exceptions to this.

Sometimes a recipe may call for a weird thing you dont have. Sometimes a recipe may call for a weird thing you dont have.

The good news is you can still make the drink without it. Or just move on to a different recipe. Things you may need: BittersLime cordialGrenadineSimple syrup These all come premade in bottles and are pretty cheap. Buy a bottle and youll have it forever. Or just game the system and drink rum and Coke forever.

Do you need a lime wedge with your Vodka Cranberry? Nope.

Garnishes are pretty much optional. Theyre there for optics, mainly, so feel free to skip them.

The word vodka is thought to originate from the Slavic word voda, which means little water. The Russians, Ukrainians, and Poles have been drinking more than a little of this liquor as far back as the 8th century, although its true origins remain murky. Made from distilling grains like wheat or rye, this liquor is traditionally consumed neat while wearing a fur hat and arguing about politics. I f youve ever worked at a fancy restaurant, youre familiar with the martini-drinker type: Fresh from their yachts and interested to know whether youre serving bay scallops or sea scallops that evening.

They always have a vodka preference (Ketel One or Belvedere, usually on the rocks with a twist) and they always tip well. Heres to you, boozy martini-men! Luckily, you dont need an Amex to enjoy this simple cocktail. Makes one large drink or two small ones 4 ounces vodka 1 ounce dry vermouth Twist of lemon or a few olives If you have a cocktail shaker, you can shake the vodka and vermouth around with some ice for an extra-cold beverage. Otherwise, pour the vodka and vermouth into a glass with ice and stir it around. Garnish with a twist of lemon or a few olives.

E veryone from Vladimir Putin to your landlady loves these.Next page