A. J. Rathbun - Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist

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Copyright 2007 by A.J. Rathbun
Photographs copyright 2007 by Melissa Punch

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Printed in China | Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rathbun, A. J. (Arthur John), 1969
Good spirits : recipes, revelations, refreshments,
and romance, shaken and served with a twist /
A.J. Rathbun
p. cm. Includes index
ISBN 978-1-55832-336-0 (hardcover : alk paper)
1. Cocktails. I. Title TX951.R1685 2007
641.8'74-dc22 2007002511

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Book design by Vivian Ghazarian
Photography by Melissa Punch
Drink styling by Brian Preston-Campbell
Production/prop styling by Antoinette Douglas-Hall
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

For all of those friends
who have boughtor who will buy-me a drink.

Thanks.

The next round's on me.

It took a full bar to put together this book. Since I probably won't have all those folks who helped me along the way together at one time in a bar to buy them all drinks, I'd like to instead send out some big thanks. The thanks start with Valerie Cimino, my editor at The Harvard Common Press. Valerie is like the Champagne in a French 75, adding levels of elegance and class to any mix, elevating it to a plane unthought-of originally. This book wouldn't have happened without her help at every level.

And speaking of the folks at The Harvard Common Press, well, they're a fantastic bunch, a family of book- and drink-loving people that I'm exceptionally blessed to have been able to work with, as their energy and ideas and artistry turn normal books into treasures. Salute!

Of course, not even one page of this book would have happened without the indefatigable efforts of my superhero agent, Michael Bourret (who hangs his tankard at the offices of Dystel & Goderich in New York). He's as important to this author as a well-made Manhattan, which may be the highest praise I feel I can give. Thanks, MB, for always being able to listen to questions about everything from contracts to rooftop bars, and for always having a quick reply and gracious words of encouragement (but really, go homeyou're working too much). The number of drinks I owe you has reached stratospheric proportions.

There have been many, many other dedicated imbibers and cocktail slingers who have helped me, starting with two who sit on the top shelf for their ability to slip tasty recipes and advice my way, generally providing big shoulders that I leaned upon any time I needed a reliable human resource: Joel Meister and Jeremy (Husky Boy) Holt. Gentleman, start your bar tabs. And for Jon Sholly, Ed Skoog, and Michael Mahlin (and their wives, Nicole, Jill, and Sara), who pitched in beyond the last call of duty with their expertise on bars and drinks and how they relate to a variety of historical and modern media, thanks a liquid ton. Also pitching in (sometimes by the pitcherful) with their creative, catchy, and clever imbibable ideas were Maile and Matt Bohlmann and Rebecca Staffel. You are all bon vivants of the very best variety, and I appreciate the help.

It's been one of the luckier aspects of my life that I've had the pleasure of knowing a number of great bartenders, beyond those already mentioned, and I'd like to thank them for the drinks they've made me (and taught me to make), for the conversations we've had, and for the many friendships that have developed on both sides of the bar, with special mention going out to Kenny P., Jeremy S., Jeff Denny, and Markie Mark Miller.

It's not much fun hanging out at the bar without good conversation with fellow patrons, and I'd like to shout out to those whose jawing with me while sipping on a cold beverage led to much of the talk in this book, including Seattleites Megan, Ean and Reba, Mark (a chronicler of odd alcohol favorites) and Leslie, Erin and Tom, D-Rock, Shane, Brad and Christy, Andy and Deena, Christy S., Petey, Bob, Brett, Eric B., the Kitchen team at work (especially the editors), Brad P., Dish It Up, Kerika, and Kyla; Portlanders Katie and Eddie; Chicagoans Lisa and Dave, and Jim and Lora; New Yorkers Nate and Laura; NYC/New Orleanians EVH and Laura; Ithacans John and Rhian; Haysians Eric and Tami, and Christie; and the international Steph S.

Every party or bar needs a good soundtrack to keep things popping, and mine during the writing of this book starts with the Withholders (thanks Valbert and Aubrey), and shakes into songs by the Malinks, Truck Stop Love, God's Favorite Band, UFB and DGRE, Arthur Dodge and the Horsefeathers, National Trust, and Tom Waits.

There have been many, many books and columns and essays written by drink historians, cocktailians, and mixologists that have influenced and taught me. I want to highlight two erudite beverage balladeersGary and Mardee Haidin Regan. Not too many years ago they started writing a column for Amazon.com, which I coordinated, and through their columns and their friendliness I discovered an incredible amount about the world of drinks.

I picked up what I know about the fine art of throwing fun parties first and foremost from my parents (who threw amazing parties for me from the beginning), Trudy James and Arthur Rathbun, and my stepmom, Theresa, and then later picked up more hints from my sisters, Holly and Jill, who both know how to set up a successful shindig with the best of them (usually with the help of my brothers-in-law, Al and JD). Thanks, family, including my in-laws, the Fullers, for being supportive and helpful throughout this process. In addition, a special thanks goes to my incredible nephews Kaiser and Coen, who promise to enjoy this book even more once they've passed 21 years of age; and to Sookie, who won't read this book at all but who helped keep me sane while I wrote it.

Finally, and most important, the largest thanks of all go to my wife, Natalie Fuller, who I was fortunate enough to meet one historic summer when she was bartending at Auntie Mae's Parlor, in Manhattan, Kansas. Thanks, darling, for pouring me such good drinks and for cutting me a little slack on that one weekend's tab, and for being willing to listen to sidebar ideas, test innumerable drink variations, and run to the liquor store after work when the cabinet needed restocking. It wouldn't be fun in the least to write this book, or to have drinks in the backyard on a sunny summer afternoon, if you weren't there with me.

The world revolves around conversation. Whether it's a conference call among colleagues or a simple hello between friends, everyone communicates for the majority of their lives, in a variety of conversational styles. E-mail and instant messaging have made it even easier to talk with one another frequently. And yet, in my experience, many of the finest and most enjoyable conversations I've had have come either after or before a toast made with a lovely cocktail. Maybe it's precisely because of the impersonal or rushed communication that exists in cyberspace, but more than ever before, a good drink or two with friends or relatives, new or old, leads to great conversations (some that continue over days). Whether people are out at a local watering hole, sitting on their back deck as the sun slips behind the horizon, or having dinner under chandeliers in an upscale eatery, they love to have a cocktail along with their conversationseither an erstwhile favorite or a mix recently introduced by friend or bartender.