Alex Ott - Dr. Cocktail: 50 Spirited Infusions to Stimulate the Mind and Body

2012 by Alex Ott
Published by Running Press,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group

Photography Evan Sung

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012938261

E-book ISBN 978-0-7624-4694-0

987654321
Digit on the right indicates the number of this printing

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WHY TRY TO EXPLAIN MIRACLES
TO MY KIDS WHEN I CAN JUST
HAVE THEM PLANT A GARDEN?

MY FATHER, 1979

CONTENTS

World-renowned alchemist and mixologist Alex Ott learned the life of a nomad from his globetrotting mother and father, a nutritionist and musician, respectively, who exposed young Alex to a vast array of adventures. From playing with lions in Africa to exploring the Atlas mountains, surfing with dolphins, and fighting off natures elements in the rain forest, Alex learned how to get the most out of life. His journeys provided him with the unique ability to experience the flavors of foreign lands and taste all the fruits of the earth.

Alex began his career in mixology at age fourteen and learned the tricks of the trade under the tutelage of Heiko Beck and Thomas Kothe, owners of one of Europes most creative cocktail bars. After getting his bachelor of science in organic chemistry and further cultivating his craft, Alex launched the exotic cocktail menu for the famed Buddha Bar in Paris. The process inspired Alex to delve deeper into the art and science of drink alchemy and to develop his unique approach to infusing fresh fruits, spices, and herbs into elixirs used to stimulate the mind and body.

For the next few years, Alex continued traveling and experiencing foreign cultures, tastes, and scents. After surviving a harrowing plane crash in Thailand in 1998 that killed 101 passengers, Alex had a renewed sense of dedication to all of the passions in his life, including art, surfing, film production, nature preservation, and flavor alchemy. Alexs path led him to New York City, where he made a name for himself at the fusion eatery Sushi Samba. Acclaimed for his unconventional drink mixes, Alex landed roles as himself in the HBO series Sex and the City and earned titles such as Bartender of the Year and Best Mixologist in America from national publications.

Since then, Alex has worked with more than fifty major spirits brands, including Svedka Vodka, Gallo Wines, and Met Hennessy. He has created cocktail menus for high-end establishments and events such as the Oscars, produced Tom Ford fragrances, invented space travel beverages for NASA, and helped conjure the hangover prevention drink Mercy. From twenty years of experience in food and drink science, Alex has developed a one-of-a-kind approach to cocktails. In this book he shares his knowledge of botanicals, juices, herbs, and spices to awaken the world to the effects and benefits of earths finest offerings.

THERE HAVE BEEN TWO GREAT REVELATIONS IN MY LIFE: THE FIRST WAS BEBOP, THE SECOND WAS HOMEOPATHY.

DIZZIE GILLESPIE, MUSICIAN

I couldnt have said it better. My grandmother introduced me to herbs when I was five years old. I learned how to pick them, plant them, and incorporate them into food. My father taught me how to grow six different varieties of cherries on one tree. My mother introduced me to essential oils, perfumes, and cosmetics. I spent most of my childhood traveling the world, experiencing scents, flavors, and food from Africa to India, Asia to Australia, Europe to the South Pacific. It wasnt my choice, but boy am I happy my parents dragged me around. I embarked on a quest to collect and catalogue as many flavors and scents from foreign cultures as possible. A plethora of taste bud and olfactory experiences provided me with insight on what is mixable, edible, dangerous, and most importantly, what can stimulate and benefit us in a positive way.

We are bombarded with flavors and scents every day. These experiences can be stored with surprising vividness for a very long time, and on being re-experienced can evoke strong and sudden emotions. (See the chapter on memory-evoking libations, .) Scent is but one of my main ingredients in the recipes of this book. Mixed in with extraordinary flavors in surprising combinations lie secret ingredients that have been used in homeopathic potions for 4,000 years to affect us in beneficial ways.

Just think about how certain foods make us feel a certain way. With just a few trips to your local market you can improve your overall health and even influence others. Do you ever dream of stimulating your friends, customers, or business partners by simply fixing them a special drink? Would you like to seduce your date and make him or her feel like theyre on cloud nine, or relieve someones stress without medications? Or drink socially for six hours without any hangover? Im glad to be of service!