Top 14 Best Bartending Books Updated 04 /2024

Whether you're a seasoned bartender or just a fan of making cocktails at home, having a collection of boozy books will help you improve your skills. Our choices go down a lot of different roads: You can find books that teach you the basics of mixology, as well as ones that go into more detail about how cocktails came to be. Some are meant to make you laugh, while others take you to some of the best drinking places in the world or make a coffee table book that's both beautiful and conversation-starting.

Best Overall: The Craft of the Cocktail

"The Craft of the Cocktail" is often called the bible of the drinks industry. It's a must-have for anyone who wants to learn more about drinks. A lot of the world's best bartenders have been taught by Dale DeGroff, who is called the "King of Cocktails." He has taught a whole new generation of bartenders how to make great drinks. Much of his knowledge is shared in these pages, including tips on how to improve your technique, how to set up a bar, and how to use your tools.

There are primers on every major spirit category in these pages, as well as stories and fun facts about the world of alcohol. In his book, Degroff has more than 500 cocktail recipes. They include well-known and well-known drinks, as well as some of his own creations that have become modern classics in the bar world today.

To have around as a point of reference, it's great to have this book with you. Cocktail recipes are easy to find with this book. You can also flip through it to refresh your memory on the different types of spirits that are out there.

Best For Beginners: The Joy of Mixology

"The Joy of Mixology" is written by Gary "Gaz" Regan, and it starts with a colorful history of cocktails and mixed drinks in general. It then moves to the recipes section of the book, where Regan talks about the different types of cocktails through tables. His idea of categorizing drinks makes it easy to remember classics and build your own recipes, so you can make your own.

In these pages, you can find a lot of the advice that Regan gave to young bartenders. A lot of useful advice and information about the tools and techniques that have worked best for him in the past are found in this book.

First written in 2003, this new version of the book includes more cocktail recipes, updates, and a look at the drink-making revival of the last decade. It also includes a lot more information about how people have been making drinks again in the last few years. This is a must-have book for any bar, whether you're a pro or just a fan.

Best For Entertaining: Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails

Regardless of the time of year, a drink that makes you feel like you're on a tropical vacation is always welcome. She started out with a book called "Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails," which teaches you how to make tiki drinks with island-themed recipes and bright, tropical flavors.

"Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails," the first cocktail book written by an African-American bartender in more than 100 years, shows how to make fresh fruit juices and homemade syrups (like banana). It also shows how to mix bright flavors together in a glass.

Despite the fact that tiki cocktails are hard to make, Mustipher, who worked at the now-closed Glady's Caribbean in Brooklyn, breaks down the drinks into easy-to-follow recipes that focus on refreshing flavors and high-quality spirits. There are also vodka-based drinks, soju cocktails, whiskey sips, and more, as well as rum cocktails.

The high-impact garnishes, like paper umbrellas and pineapple fronds, are shown in colorful images with new art direction. They look great. Place this book on your coffee table and watch people read through it quickly. Take a look at the party-perfect large-format punches that are sure to impress a lot of people.

Most Comprehensive: Meehan’s Bartender Manual

It's Jose Medina Camacho, owner of Automatic Seafood and Oysters in Birmingham, Alabama, who says Meehan's Bartenders Manual is his favorite cocktail book of all time. "It teaches you about both old and new cocktails, and it's very easy to use."

Jim Meehan, the famous bartender and founder of New York City's P.D.T., wrote the book. It's filled with recipes for cocktails Meehan has made. Cocktails are the best place to talk about this because they are so detailed. Meehan explains the history of each classic cocktail (even if you've never heard of them), as well as how to make a better version of it. For each drink, Meehan gives tips on how to make it better. He adds his best recipes for each one.

It also talks about the history of spirits, from gin pirates to the harvest of agave. "It's a great book for people who want to be bartenders, but it's also great for people who want to open a bar or restaurant and are doing research." At different points in the book, Meehan asks people who work in the industry for advice on how to make the best cocktails possible.

Best Graphics: Craft Cocktails at Home

Make your own cocktails at home with "Craft Cocktails at Home." If you think the bar world is all suspenders and serious drinks, Kevin Liu adds some fun to it with duct tape, weird recipes, and a lot of laughs. The science of shaking and stirring, how to make water taste the best, and how to make a DIY cold-smoker with just $20 are some of the things that make this book great. There are a lot of fun graphics like diagrams, formulas, and charts that help him show how each point is made.

Liu asked taste scientists, engineers, and seasoned bartenders to explain how to make new and tasty cocktails.

His "Classics Hacked" chapter talks about the flavors of classic cocktails like the Sazerac, Martinez (also known as a martini), and mojito.

This detailed guide is for both home and professional bartenders, and it shows that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make unique cocktails. In one section, Liu shows how to make a sous vide machine out of household items. Pick up this book when you're looking for a gift for the person who drinks a lot.

Best Coffee Table Book: Cocktail Codex

New book "Cocktail Codex" is written by Death & Co. bar owners Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan. They write about how to make great cocktails at bars in New York City and other cities.

As a bartender or a drink-maker, you can use this guide to mix drinks at any skill level. It looks like a textbook, but it's a beautiful one. It explains how to make six easy cocktails: old-fashioneds, martinis, daiquiris, sidecars, whiskey highballs, and flips. Each section talks about all the cocktails and riffs. Once these templates are learned, "Cocktail Codex" gives readers the skills to understand, make, and improve classic cocktails and their own unique cocktails. Illustrated diagrams help make the information more understandable.

The book is said to be a modern classic, and it was the first cocktail book to win the James Beard Award for the best book of the year. This book has beautiful, glossy pictures of each cocktail that make it great for putting on a shelf.

Best Single-Topic: Spirits of Latin America

The bartender at Liquor Lab in New York City, Nate Fishman, says, "I love Ivy Mix's "Spirits of Latin America." It's a great mix of spirits from Latin America. When Leyenda in Brooklyn and Speed Rack competitions are held all over the world, "She's the star."

"Spirits of Latin America" is a mix of a travelogue and a cocktail book. It tells the story of Mix's time traveling and drinking her way through Latin America through beautiful photos and a list of over 100 recipes for drinks like pisco sours and margaritas.

Her story starts in Mexico, where she learns about tequila, mezcal, and other local drinks. She follows the sugar trail from the Caribbean to Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. She stops to talk about agave, sugarcane, and grape spirits as she goes, as well. Also, her vivid writing shows the people and the soul behind local drinking traditions. "I have so much respect for her knowledge of the cultures and spirits of Latin America." People who read this book will be able to see things that they've never before.

Best For Experimentation: Liquid Intelligence

I love Dave Arnold's book "Liquid Intelligence." Slava Borisov, a mixologist at Travelle at the Langham in Chicago, says that it's his favorite. It's called "Liquid Intelligence." It helps people understand how things work together and how ingredients work together. A lot of good advice is in this book. It gives you a lot of new ideas and inspiration for your next cocktail recipes.

A co-owner of a bar in New York City called Existing Conditions, Arnold, takes us on a scientific journey through the cocktail world in the pages of his book. Arnold turns classic cocktails on their head by questioning the correct temperature, carbonation and acidity.

Scientist Borisov says that the book is written from the point of view of a scientist, and it includes experiments, research, and explanations. It also shows how theory can be proven through practice. It talks about things like fat washing, clarification, carbonation, nitro-muddling and many other things.

This book is mostly for science-minded cocktail lovers, but mixed drink makers of all skill levels will enjoy Arnold's fun writing and simple changes to the recipes in this book.

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