Maureen Christian-Petrosky - The Cocktail Club: A Year of Recipes and Tips for Spirited Tasting Parties

For Mom & Dad, whom I cant thank enough. Youre amazing.

For Michael, my happiest hours are with you. All my love, always.

Published in 2014 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS

Text copyright 2014 Maureen Christian-Petrosky
Photographs copyright 2014 Thayer Allyson Gowdy

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013945638

ISBN: 978-1-61769-026-6

Editor: Cristina Garces
Designer: Chin-Yee Lai
Production Manager: Tina Cameron

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January Gin

February Hot Cocktails

March Brandy

April Vodka

May Whiskey

June Tequila

July Frozen Drinks

August Rum

September Sangria & Pitcher Drinks

October Beer-Tails

November Liqueurs & Other Spirits

December Bubbly Cocktails

INTRODUCTION

Good Drinks, Good Food,
Good Friends: Join the Club

When I lived in Atlanta, my coworker, Sarah, started a book club. Results were mixed at firstsome people really wanted to talk about the book, while others were just there to catch up. After I suggested we turn our monthly meetings into a wine club, our book club took on a life of its own. Work was where we had met, but wine club was where our friendship really grew. As adults, its hard to find time to cultivate meaningful friendships. Wine club allowed each of us to rediscover friendship and network all while enjoying and learning about the best-tasting therapy around.

I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and passed my sommelier certification with the Master Court of Sommeliers, but I learned more about wine in my living room than in any classroom lecture hall. That first wine club was the inspiration for my first book, The Wine Club. Although Ive left Atlanta since the original wine clubs inception, its my latest wine club in my hometown of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that inspired The Cocktail Club.

Amy, the liveliest and youngest member of my wine club, is twenty-nine years old and has five kids. She loves wine club (for obvious reasons), but it was a simple phone call from her that inspired me to get out of my wine world and start sipping cocktails. When it was her turn to host, she called me to get some ideas for fun cocktails to serve as guests arrived. We started with an Aperol Fizz, a spritzy little pour I had recently become fond of. After that, we kicked off every month with a cocktail. I loved looking for new ideas for that first sip of the night, and after lots of swirling and shaking, Id found a new obsession that took my wine club in a whole different direction.

Throughout years of writing about wine, studying wine regions, and visiting wine-makers all over the world, there has always been some cocktail crossover. But never in a million years did I think my wine-loving heart would be craving a cocktail in lieu of my cherished wine. Although spirits were a part of my formal training, I am NO mixologist. Full disclosure: Before starting this cocktail club adventure, I was a total booze rookie. In fact, I had never really drunk brown booze! But at the end of the day, I couldnt resist the charming clink of the cubes, not to mention all of the stylish shakers that now dress up my bar.

Every year, our tastes change and our taste buds follow suit. Maybe you and your friends started off as beer lovers and progressed to wine, or perhaps youve always been into sipping scotch. Whether you like your adult beverages on the stiff side or prefer something sweeter, The Cocktail Club gives you a full year of excuses to get together each month with your friends to learn about the world of cocktails. Its like starting your very own speakeasy. No more lying about whether or not you read the book or scrounging around for