The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks
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The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is a classic cocktail book by David A. Embury, first published in 1948. The book is noteworthy for its highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main types: aromatic and sour, its categorization of ingredients into three categories: the base, modifying agents and special flavoring and coloring agents, and its 1:2:8 ratio (1 part sweet, 2 parts sour, 8 parts base) for sour type cocktails.
Contents |
[edit] Basic Principles
Embury first outlines some basic principles for fashioning a quality cocktail:
- It should be made from good-quality, high-proof liquors.
- It should whet rather than dull the appetite. Thus, it should never be sweet or syrupy, or contain too much fruit juice, egg or cream.
- It should be dry, with sufficient alcoholic flavor, yet smooth and pleasing to the palate.
- It should be pleasing to the eye.
- It should be well-iced.
[edit] Components of a Cocktail
Embury breaks all cocktail ingredients down into three categories:
The Base is the principal ingredient of the cocktail. It is typically a single spirituous liquor, such as rum, gin or whiskey, and typically makes up 75 percent or more of the total volume of the cocktail before icing.
The Modifying Agent is the ingredient that gives the cocktail its character. Its function is to soften the raw alcohol taste of the base, while at the same time to enhance its natural flavor. Typical modifying agents are aromatic wines (such as vermouth) and spirits (such as Fernet Branca or Amer Picon), bitters, fruit juices and "smoothing agents" such as sugar, eggs and cream.
Special Flavoring and Coloring Agents include cordials (such as Grand Marnier or Chartreuse) and non-alcoholic flavored syrups (such as Grenadine or Orgeat syrup). These are typically used in place of simple syrup, and are to be used sparingly.
[edit] Categories of Cocktails
Embury breaks all cocktails down into two categories:
Cocktails of the Aromatic Type use as modifying agents bitters or aromatic wines or spirits.
Cocktails of the Sour Type use as modifying agents a fruit juice (typically, lemon or lime) and sugar. For these a ratio of 1 part sweet to 2 parts sour to 8 parts base in generally recommended. However, Embury makes it very clear that he thinks the idea that a drink must be made according to one exact recipe preposterous, and that the final arbiter is always your taste. He suggests trying different ratios, finding the one that is most pleasing to you, and sticking with it.
Once one understands the basic components of each type of drink, new cocktails can be created by substituting a different base or modifying agent or by adding a special flavoring or coloring agent. A daiquiri, for example, is nothing more than a whiskey sour with rum substituted for whiskey as the base and lime juice substituted for lemon juice as a modifying agent.
[edit] The Six Basic Drinks
Embury's six basic drinks, along with his preferred recipes:
The Martini
1 part French (dry) vermouth
7 parts English gin
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with an olive, preferably one stuffed with any kind of nut.
The Manhattan
1 part Italian (sweet) vermouth
5 parts American whiskey
dash of Angostura bitters to each drink
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and serve garnished with a maraschino cherry.
The Old-Fashioned
1 part simple syrup
12 parts American whiskey
1-3 dashes Angostura bitters to each drink
In an old-fashioned glass, add bitters to simple syrup and stir. Add about 1 ounce of whiskey and stir again. Add two cubes of cracked, but not crushed, ice and top off with the rest of the whiskey. Twist lemon peel over the top and serve garnished with the lemon peel and a maraschino cherry.
The Daiquiri
1 part simple syrup
2 parts lime juice
8 parts white Cuban rum
Shake with lots of finely crushed ice and strain well into a chilled cocktail glass. Other excellent variations include the Daiquiri Grenadine, with a few drops of grenadine per drink substituted for some of the simple syrup and the Daiquiri De Luxe, with Orgeat or Crème d'Ananas in place of simple syrup and a mixture of lime and lemon juices.
The Sidecar
1 part Cointreau or triple sec
2 parts lemon juice
8 parts Cognac or Armagnac
Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon if desired.
The Jack Rose
1 part Grenadine
2 parts lemon juice
8 parts apple brandy
Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon if desired.
[edit] Chapters
From the 1958 edition
- Basic Principles
- Glassware, Gimmicks, and Gadgets
- Lemons, Limes and Liquors
- Pertinent Pointers
- Six Basic Cocktails
- Roll Your Own
- Liqueurs
- The Use and Abuse of Liquor
- Bureaucratic and Other Idiosyncrasies
- Vodka Drinks
- Short Drinks, Including More Cocktails
- Tall Drinks
- Party Drinks
- Hot Drinks
- Picker-Uppers
- Food and Drink
- Conclusion
[edit] Editions
Embury, David [1948] (1948). The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 1st ed., Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday. LCC TX951 .E55.
Embury, David [1948] (1952). The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 2nd ed., Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday. LCC TX951 .E55 1952.
Embury, David [1948] (1958). The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, illustrated by Nathan Gluck, New rev. ed., Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday. LCC TX951 .E55 1958.
