Olly Smith - Home Cocktail Bible: Every Cocktail Recipe Youll Ever Need - Over 200 Classics and New Inventions

First and foremost my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Sarah Lavelle at Quadrille for the inception and inspiration for this book. It has been such fun to work on and I really couldnt imagine anyone more kind, steady and dedicated to work with. My heart beats with deep delight for Seb Munsch, my wingman behind the bar cheers buddy, you rock. My literary agent, Gordon Wise you are a boundless realm of brilliance. Thank you to Claire Rochford, Alicia House, Emma Marijewycz, Laura Willis, Euan Ferguson, Laura Eldridge and Nik Ginelli at Quadrille and Hardie Grant for all the magnificent support bringing the book into the world. To my amazing team who brought the cocktails to life through the lens, Matt Russell (best playlists in the business), Loc Parisot, Max Robinson and all the crew on Turnpike Lane who made those moments so magical.

My assistant Ellie James, who is without question the greatest plate spinner of all time, my wife Sophie for bravely tasting some of my weirder concoctions whilst encouraging me to wade ever deeper into the wonderful world of cocktails. Id also like to raise my glass to Graham Holter who gave me my first ever job writing about drinks and to everyone whos served me a cocktail from behind a bar I had a great time, so cheers. Most of all, Im grateful to you for picking up this book, thank you and may it bring you joy!

Vodka is as elusive and captivating as a melting snowball. Its often distilled from grains, sugar beet or potatoes, but in fact you can make vodka from pretty much anything, depending on what grows well where you are. Potato vodka is creamy and lush, grape vodka tends to be zingy, wheat brings freshness, corn has a sweet tinge and barley a nutty twist. Finding your favourite is key dont be afraid to taste them neat and deploy them liberally in these cocktails.

I personally rate Chase vodka from the UK, which is made from their own base potato spirit and works a charm in all cocktails from Martinis to Mudslides. Purity is what counts here since its clear as a mountain brook it allows you to build and blend colour as well as flavour your cocktails beautifully. And each vodka carries a distinctive taste and texture, so whether your vodka comes from Russia, Poland or anywhere in the world, it brings character to your cocktail. And, of course, flavoured vodkas introduce a whole new stratum of splendour. While I was a student living in Edinburgh in the 1990s, Bar Kohl (unfortunately now closed, was on George IV Bridge) taught me so much about flavoured vodkas. The bar created its own, and while some were sweet and others exotic, I always fell for the fiery chilli concoctions, which lit up my life.

Flavouring vodkas stretches back through the centuries; herbs and spices pep up the spirit and you can easily make your own. Citrus is my preferred route always unwaxed. Use the peel rather than the fruit, cut into fine strips carefully avoiding pith, then infuse in your vodka. It takes around three days you dont need that much, one or two lemons or oranges will be plenty for a litre (4 cups), and you can add a bit of sugar if you like. You can also mix different citrus peels if you fancy creating your own concoction. Give it a shake if youre passing the bottle, and once its done, strain off the fruit and start making cracking cocktails.

When youre selecting your favourite vodka, it pays to compare and contrast a few side by side. You may think you have a favourite brand, but tasting it back-to-back with other bottles often produces a fresh result youll be surprised! Alongside the flavour and texture, watch for how long the flavours linger. Similar to wine, a great vodka will be persistent. And as long as you love the taste, heres hoping itll last forever!

Famously James Bonds favourite drink, but when I used to dine with him, Roger Moore would always insist he preferred a Gin Martini. In this case, indulging in 007s tipple of choice is taken to the next level by that discreet whisper of orange bitters, which for me works best with a twist. Go with your garnish here if youre in the mood for salty, hit the dirty button and unleash the olives.

The Perfect Martini is highly underrated and offers a pathway of indulgence where fruity and zingy flavours unite on a bridge to the Excellence Isles. Be warned, one always leads to two, and rather like the Excellence Isles (I made them up), no one really knows how many there ultimately are. Youll notice I prefer to stir rather than shake my Martini. Up to you the only reason for me is that I find it dilutes the drink less, and avoids chips of ice or cloudiness. I want my Martini to be as light and pure as the stratosphere through which it propels me on the very first sip. As l like to say, cruising altitude without the need for take-off.

The immediacy of the Vodka Martini means youre already off duty as soon as you start thinking about making one. Like now. 75ml (2oz) vodka 15ml (oz) dry vermouth (traditionally Noilly Prat) Dash orange bitters (optional) Ice: Cubed Garnish: Any one of olive, lemon twist, lemon zest, cocktail onion, caperberry Equipment: Cocktail shaker, long bar spoon, strainer Fill a shaker with ice Add all the ingredients Stir well to chill Strain into a chilled glass Add your preferred garnish The colder the ingredients the better, so keep your base spirit in the freezer before making if you can. There are a huge number of different Martinis but the classics are Dry, Sweet or Perfect. There are many ratio variations experiment until you find the one you like. For a Sweet Martini replace dry vermouth for sweet vermouth.

For a Perfect Martini use equal parts dry and sweet vermouth. For a Dirty Martini add a dash of olive brine or olive bitters.

To me, the Cosmopolitan is Sex in the City. Everyone was drinking them in the 90s thanks to the hit TV show and while all good cocktails peak and plummet in popularity, the Cosmo endures as a modern classic. Lemon vodka in this recipe adds raciness and dials up the sweet and sour thrills with each sip.