Fall is prime cookbook season. And this year in particular has seen a strong crop of cocktail books. Here are new releases to know, including several from NYC bars.
For the serious mixologist: ‘The Aviary Cocktail Book’
Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, the owners behind the experimental Chicago cocktail bar The Aviary — which last year opened a Manhattan outpost — have crafted a book entirely of their own making, including publishing it on their own. Find more than 100 recipes, accompanied by lush photography, geared mostly toward serious home bartenders and professionals (some drinks require a smoking gun). ($85/standard edition, $135/reserve edition with a display case, out early November)
For the perfectionist: ‘Cocktail Codex’
Death & Co co-owners Alex Day and David Kaplan follow up their 2014 book about their influential craft cocktail bar, and once again team with writer Nick Fauchald, for this guide to mastering six families of drinks: the old-fashioned, martini, daiquiri, sidebar, whisky highball and flip. With 350 recipes, you’ll be working through this tome for a while. ($40, out now)
For the studious imbiber: ‘The Dead Rabbit Mixology & Mayhem’
Take a deep dive into the Dead Rabbit with this graphic novel-style book from the co-founders Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry and bar manager Jillian Vose. The book is complete with 90 cocktail recipes, notes on their inspiration and the history behind the FiDi bar’s name. ($28, out now)
For the unpretentious cocktail fan: ‘A Woman’s Drink’
Natalka Burian and Scott Schneider, co-owners of the Brooklyn bars Elsa and Ramona, are behind this humorous, accessible cocktail book. Find recipes based on whether you’re drinking for one, with a plus one (including the best drink to sneak into a movie theater), with a crowd, in the morning, or in a hurry. Also find favorite drinks of notable women, such as the writers Morgan Jerkins (sangria) and Jessica Valenti (piña colada). ($19.95, out now)
For the Francophile: ‘Aperitif’
Paris-based writer Rebekah Peppler shares recipes for both drinks and snacks to enjoy before dinner. Drinks are organized seasonally, with suggestions for warm, hot, cool and cold weather. So right about now, you could do a sherry negroni or expat Americano for your cocktail hour, paired with bites like sesame cashews or garlic-herb palmiers. ($18.99, out now)
For the teetotaler: ‘Dry’
For beverages with as much flavor and complexity as a cocktail — minus the booze — this little guide by Claire Liardet has you covered. Find alcohol-free takes on anything from the Bloody Mary to the margarita, along with recipes for syrups and shrubs, all made with standard bar tools. ($14.95, out now)
For the adventurous drinker: ‘Be Your Own Bartender’
For some true inspiration, this book by cocktail writer Carey Jones and her husband, mixologist John McCarthy, offers suggestions on what to drink through more than a dozen interactive flowcharts. So you can craft cocktails based on what you’re in the mood for — or what you happen to have on hand. ($24.95, out Nov. 13)
