Jennifer Fiedler - The Essential Bar Book

T hat cocktail renaissance has unleashed a tide of products on the market, both new and revived, is a good thing for discerning drinkers. But the ever-expanding mass of terms, classifications and specialized processes can be dizzying to even the most experienced among us.

This book is designed to help make sense of todays liquor shelves and bar menus, defining everything that savvy imbibers should need to know now. With an emphasis on the historical origins of ingredients, the definitions provided here in an A-to-Z format tackle everything from alcohol types to specialized liqueurs, equipment to instructions. Curious about that bottle of Old Tom Gin you found at your local market? Find the definition under O, then learn about how it compares to London dry gin by reading the Gin entry.

Also included are recipes for 115 essential cocktails, the blocks on which contemporary bar programs are built. Whether youre looking to order confidently at the bar or build out your liquor shelf at home, the terms and recipes provided here should give you everything you need to fluently speak bartender.

(n.) This boldly flavored spirit is flavored with a distinct mix of herbs and botanicals, most often anise, fennel, and wormwood. It is thought to have been created in France or Switzerland as a medicinal elixir and was first commercially produced in 1797 by what would become the Pernod company.

Most often associated with a bright-green color, absinthe is actually made in a variety of shades. Green absinthes are typically French, resulting from an extra maceration that draws chlorophyll from hyssop or other herbs, while Swiss versions are typically white and have less alcohol (note that white absinthes are generally clear in color). American absinthes, sometimes made with mint and verbena, tend toward a more natural brown-green color because distillers typically forgo stabilizers that preserve the hue.

With its distinctive flavor, absinthe became a signature component in certain classic cocktails such as the Sazerac and the Death in the Afternoon. It developed a larger-than-life reputation in the late nineteenth century for its supposed hallucinogenic properties, which would later be debunked as bad reactions to its super-high alcohol content. Perhaps because of its association with illicitness, absinthe (nicknamed the green fairy for the vivid color of the French version) was adopted by the Parisian bohemian set in the 1800s, and it became so popular in the mid-nineteenth century that happy hour became known as lheure verte (the green hour). Nevertheless, a long ban in France, the United States, and other countries helped fuel its mystique and gave rise to the absinthe substitutes, which include pastis (France) and Herbsaint (New Orleans).

In 2007, absinthe became legal again in the United States, although it is subject to new regulations, the most important of which is a limit on the presence of thujone, the wormwood extract with the supposed hallucinogenic properties. Ritual vestiges from the nineteenth century still haunt the spirit, such as serving it with water dripping over a sugar cube into the glass, which was perhaps necessary with the crudely made absinthes of the past but isnt now that the quality has improved. If not serving it in a cocktail, though, do consider diluting it with water, as most contain well over 60 percent ABV. Brands to seek out include Vieux Pontarlier, St. George Absinthe Verte, Kbler, and Pernod.

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ABSINTHE FRAPP

A T the first cold sip on your fevered lip, you determine to live through the day. So went the ode Absinthe Frapp from the 1904 musical It Happened in Nordland. This drink hails from a time when absinthe was a highly popular apritif (before its ban in 1912) and considered a morning pick-me-up. Simple, icy, and strong, the frapp is a less fussy alternative to the pomp and circumstance of traditional absinthe service.

Serves 1

Glassware: absinthe or rocks

1 ounce absinthe

ounce simple syrup (1:1, sugar:water)

2 dashes anisette (optional)

12 ounces chilled water

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Pour into an absinthe or rocks glass over crushed or pebble ice. Top with additional ice.