Party Drinks! 50 Classic Cocktails and Lively Libations

Before I met Party Drinks by A.J. Rathbun, I would literally host my gatherings at the bar down the street, because I was incapable of mixing anything other than vodka and orange juice in plastic cups. A.J., friend to cocktailers everywhere, took me to school with his great book, and showed me how to easily make lavish libations on a cheapskate’s budget and to make ‘em look like a million bucks. The Summer Beer (beer, vodka, and lemonade) is a treat, even in wintertime. The recipes have little tales about the drinks so you can really “act like ya know” when serving them up. Don’t weep for the bar down the street, though. Until A.J. can fit a pinball machine in his jam-packed guide, there’s always time for a occasional tavern call. Bottoms up!
Rating: 5 / 5

This book is worth reading even if you don’t drink! If you do, all the better. Great recipes, very inspiring commentary. Rathbun quotes Gogol on vodka, W. C. Fields on whiskey (“Always carry a large flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake”) and provides plenty of good party ideas for intemperate friends.

Said friends will also find this to be a welcome gift.

Rating: 5 / 5

I think this will be a great gift for the holidays–I plan to get several to give to family and friends. The book is slim, but packed with lots of great drinks, plus gorgeous photos! One thing I really like about the book is that it gives lots of suggestions on variations of the drinks–in case you need to mix different amounts, or don’t like or have a particular ingredient. Plus, there’s some good general bartending advice at the beginning of the book.

So far we’ve tried two of the drinks. We had some friends over last weekend and my husband made the Champagne Punch, which has light and dark rum, lemons, and champagne. It was delicious! Even one of our friends, who isn’t a huge champagne fan, really loved it. We also have tried The Rebecca, another champagne drink. We actually froze the raspberries in the vodka during the day, and had the drink in the evening–the frozen raspberries were delicious, and a perfect garnish for this very pretty drink.
Rating: 5 / 5