In the category of Food and Drink, Team Discovery Channel is proud to select:
The Art of the Bar: Cocktails inspired by the Classics.
By Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz
Hollinger and Schwartz are the head bartenders at Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco, CA. Absinthe takes the cocktail as seriously as most restaurants take their food. Using only fresh ingredients (no pre-made juices, mixes etc.) Absinthe is leading the way in the cocktail revolution.
The Art of the Bar is a magnificent book, full of lavish images and awesome information. It explains exactly what a cocktail is: a spirit, bitters and sugar stirred or shaken and served - the history of the great cocktails, the first important cocktail in america being the Sazerac which came from New Orleans and pre-dates the Civil War. Originally made with Cognac, today the Sazerac consits of rye, bitters, an anise flavoured liquor (Absinthe, Herbasaint or Pastis) and a sugar cube.
In addition to startlingly exciting cocktail recipes, the book contains instructions for making your own simple syrups (sugar solutions), bitters (alcoholic herbal concoctions) and garnishes like brandied cherries. It also explains why high-end cocktails are almost never shaken and why Absinthe Brasserie and Bar does not have a blender.
Anyone who considers themselves a beverage connoisseur should own this book.
Some recipes:
The Opera
1 1/2 ounces Gin, 1/2 ounce red Dubonnet, 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur, dash of orange bitters, orange twist for garnish.
In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine all the liquid ingredients. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until cold and then strain into a chilled champagne flute. Garnish with the orange twist.
Havana
1 1/2 ounces Gosling's Rum, 3/4 ounce Cointreau, 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, 1/4 ounce simple syrup, splash of orange juice, dash of orange bitters.
Combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until cold and then strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. If available, garnish with edible flowers.
Sherry Twist Cocktail No. 1
1 ounce sherry, 1/2 ounce brandy, 1/2 ounce french dry vermouth (Noilly Prat), 1/4 ounce cointreau, 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice, pinch of ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick for garnish.
Combine all the ingredients except the cinnamon stick in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until cold then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cinnamon stick.