Properly Sauced: Book Club Edition

By Anthony Todd in Food on Dec 5, 2008 4:10PM

Cocktail books are everywhere. Every time we walk into a big discount bookstore, the bargain bin is full of books with titles like “The Drunken Idiot Barman’s Encyclopedia of Cheap Spirits” (or something like that) with 1000 not-very-precise recipes and uninspiring photography. The cocktail books that we bring home with us show off the character and ideas of a single mixologist, with a few innovative new recipes combined with the best of the old favorites. Bridget Albert has created just such a book in “Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season”and we’ve been working our way through the drinks in the book just as fast as we could.

Albert is a local: master mixologist at Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois, President of the Chicago chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild, a student of "Modern Mixologist" Tony Abou Ganim, and has competed in many cocktail competitions and bartending events. Like other mixologists we’ve profiled, she’s concerned with bringing fresh ingredients into the bar. The recipes in this book are split into sections for each season — a rhubarb-strawberry Collins for spring; a hot banana buttered rum for winter.

Last week, we profiled one of her Thanksgiving drinks, the Apple Cocktail. Some of the drinks she’s come up with sound questionable, but every one we’ve tried has been spot on. Her Savory Avocado cocktail (made with tarragon, tequila and lime juice) is tart, creamy and delicious — a perfect cocktail for Mexican food. The only minor gripe we have is with some of her ingredient selections. She uses some harder-to-find liqueurs without any indication of where or how to find them; in her Pumpkin Cocktail, she calls for “Pumpkin Liqueur” which we’ve never seen before. This book requires a bit of ambition to use – you’ll be juicing grapes and shopping for black mission figs before your first party.

This book is a great gift for anyone with an interest in cocktails, particularly those bitten with the foodie bug. The book begins with a quote from the chairman of Slow Food, and the careful attention to detail and the use of fresh ingredients will make any amateur “bar chef” very happy indeed. It also includes some “healthier” cocktails, such as the Carrot Chic and the Spice Beet Cocktail, both of which are excellent. If you’re the type who likes some vitamins with your vodka, this is the book for you.

Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season is in bookstores now. The hardcover edition costs $17.95. You can find out more information about Bridget and buy an autographed copy on her website.