Cocktail Books reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 254 Reddit reviews across 5 subreddits and 27 posts to rank the best Cocktail Books brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/cocktails, r/Tiki, r/whiskey, r/alcohol, r/bartenders. Top-rated brands include Death & Co. (4.5/5), Death & Co (4.7/5), Jeff Morgenthaler (4.5/5).
Stats
Reviews254
Subreddits5
Posts27
Brands72
Products73
254 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Death & Co.
4.5
(21)
"All three of Death and Co’s books are on constant rotation in my house"
"Death and Co - Modern Classic Cocktail and Meehan’s Bartender Manual are my two favs right now."
"The Death & Co. book is a great book. An encyclopedia of spirits and craft cocktails that is equally useful for beginners and veteran home bartenders."
"Death & Co.'s Cocktail Codex"
"Death and Co's Modern Classic Cocktails book is my most used book by far."
"Death & Co Cocktail Codex so you can learn along the way... while enjoying excellent drinks of course."
"Death and co., PDT, minimalist tiki, Smugglers cove."
"Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails is a great starting point for both technique and background, and has a whole section of the classics."
"Death & Co. has a big section of classic and vintage recipes that are all pretty solid, plus then a massive amount of their own recipes."
"Death and Co - The first book is a classic with a good range of easy to complex recipes."
#2
Death & Co
4.7
(19)
"The original Death and Co book to me is the perfect balance of being able to make a lot of great cocktails without having to buy a bunch of esoteric bottles."
"Modern Classic Cocktails has two advantages over the other two Death & Co. books: fewer recipes that require some obscure liqueur and the organization."
"From your list, my favorite is Death & Co's Modern Classic Cocktails. I've made almost every recipe."
"Absolutely the best book. The only thing that comes close is Smuggler's Cove."
"Original Death and Co. is my #1 go-to."
"The first Death & Co book Modern Classic Cocktails"
"Death and co got ~450 recipes which are all pretty accessible."
"Cocktail Codex works fantastically! Its got a lot more classic cocktails mixed in and it does a better job at explaining the substitutions and designs."
"I just picked up the cocktail codex from Death & Co and I’m in love."
"Death and Co is just a ridiculously good book in general."
#3
Jeff Morgenthaler
4.5
(15)
"Its simple, straight forward approach inspires, and really is indispensable for any home bartender looking to level up their game."
"An essential book for prep."
"Jeffrey Morganthaler's The Bar Book"
"The bar book by Jeff Morganthaler. It’s the best one out there."
"The Bar Book was the first cocktail book that helped me build a great cocktail."
"Those are my two favorite books as well. Highly recommended."
"The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morganthaler is one of the bibles for my business."
"I dont see bar book by morgenthaler on here. Its a good intro book before diving into something like liquid intelligence."
"The Bar Book by Morganthaler and the Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan are good starter books."
"I really enjoyed reading The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique by Jeffrey Morgenthaler"
#4
David Wondrich
4.8
(14)
"Imbibe! by David Wondrich for the history of cocktails and many Golden Age recipes."
"Imbibe! And Cocktail Codex come to mind"
"Imbibe by David Wondrich in general"
"Imbibe was mindblowing- as much as i love tiki, i also love the classics and imbibe brought the history for sure."
"Imbibe! by David Wondrich is a must-have."
"David Wondrich's Imbibe is all about The Professor Jerry Thomas or the Godfather of American Cocktail making."
"Imbibe is definitely the proper choice."
"David Wondrich's Imbibe, which is a book on cocktail history that happens to have a few recipes."
"I finally picked up a copy of imbibe and it's fantastic."
"Imbibe is tremendous."
#5
Smuggler's Cove
4.6
(13)
"You get history and recipes in a very nice format"
"I cannot recommend smugglers cove enough. Good mix of history, explanation, and variety of recipes."
"My vote goes to Smuggler's Cove. Fantastic book, great recipes."
"For those deep: Smuggler's Cove."
"Smuggler's Cove is the way to go."
"Smuggler’s cove is your best bet. classic & modern cocktails with a good bit of tiki history thrown in for good measure"
"Smuggler's Cove is for tiki drinks."
"Smugglers Cove. All about the tiki, but tiki is so awesome that it is worth the spend."
"My favorite is Smugglers Cove, but rum is my preferred spirit."
"I’m guessing smugglers cove has the best recipes for tiki and is essential."
#6
Dave Arnold
4.8
(12)
"Liquid Intelligence for the science"
"Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold for advanced techniques and cocktail chemistry stuff."
"Here to say liquid intelligence."
"Liquid Intelligence 👉dives into the science behind making drinks. Essential for any collection IMO."
"Liquid intelligence by Dave Arnold is excellent and shows you the potential of cocktails."
"Liquid Intelligence (Dave Arnold) - Tons of great insight into how and why drink recipes work, the science of cocktails."
"Liquid intelligence - Dave Arnold"
"Another one that hasn’t been mentioned is Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold. It is very scientific and interesting."
"Liquid Intelligence for the how-to and why questions."
"Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold"
#7
Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate
4.4
(10)
"Smuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate for all things Tiki."
"Smugglers Cove 👉 essential tiki guide and I particularly love the section on rum categories."
"Smugglers Cove - Martin and Rebecca Cate"
"I've made so many excellent cocktails from Death & Co. and Smuggler's Cove."
"Smuggler's Cove for Tiki cocktails."
"Smugglers Cove by Martin and Rebecca Cate"
"If you like well-crafted tiki drinks, get the Smuggler's Cove book."
"I'd recommend Smuggler Coves Book."
"To reach 5 in total, I would say: Death & Co., Dead Rabbit, PDT and Smuggler's Cove."
"If you want to get into rum and tiki then the Smuggler's Cove book is really good."
#8
Gary Regan
4.4
(10)
"Contemporary: The Joy of Mixology; The New Craft of the Cocktail. Gary and Dale were the early leaders in the cocktail "renaissance"."
"Especially The Joy of Mixology. Probably seen as old fashioned now. As well as the Savoy book. Two of my favourites and earliest buys."
"Contemporary: *The Joy of Mixology*; *The New Craft of the Cocktail.* Gary and Dale were the early leaders in the cocktail "renaissance"."
"I highly recommend Gaz Regan's The Joy of Mixology"
"Gary Regan's The Joy of Mixology is one I heartily recommend."
"The gold for this book is in the intro and cocktail families and not really the cocktails themselves."
"The Bar Book by Morganthaler and the Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan are good starter books."
"The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan is a good read. It gives a lot of historical background to cocktails and provides recipes."
"Gary Regan's 2012 Annual Manual for Bartenders was a great read, with his focus more on the service and hospitality side of things."
"Gary Regan's The Negroni isn't bad either."
#9
PDT
4.2
(10)
"I say The PDT Cocktail Book. All of your others are great books but each one is niche in some way."
"PDT has a lot of recipes both classic and modern."
"The PDT cocktail book was the first serious one I picked up, given to me by one of the bartenders who trained me. It’s pretty great."
"PDT is like 70% recipes"
"I'd recommend either the PDT book or Meehan's Bartender's Manual."
"Cocktail Codex, PDT, and Death and CO for recipes."
"I would get Death and Co, PDT and Morgenthaler Bar Book."
"My five picks; Death & Co, PDT Cocktail Book, Smuggler's Cove, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Beta Cocktails."
"To reach 5 in total, I would say: Death & Co., Dead Rabbit, PDT and Smuggler's Cove."
"PDT is more technically sound -- with better drink ratios."
#10
Dale DeGroff
5.0
(6)
"Contemporary: *The Joy of Mixology*; *The New Craft of the Cocktail.* Gary and Dale were the early leaders in the cocktail "renaissance"."
"Anything by Dale Degroff. The essential cocktail and the craft of the cocktail are both good and I own them."
"Best classics and original recipes I've found."
"The Essential Cocktail by Dale DeGroff is great for recipes and has basic techniques described there, too."
"Anything Dale DeGroff or Gary/gaz regan. Modern Mixologist by Tony Abu-Ganim, if you're looking for something a bit less classic but still rooted in the classics."
"The Craft of The Cocktail by Dale Degroff (also part of BAR and a real legend)."
#11
Jeff Beachbum Berry
4.3
(7)
"Beachbum Berry Remixed. i am new to the cocktail world am just a home hobbyist and only have the one book but it is FULL of cocktail recipes along with syrup recipes."
"Anything by Jeff Beachbum Berry"
"Sippin Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry."
"SIPPIN SAFARI. Jeff Beachbum Berry"
"Potions of the Caribbean by Beachbum Berry. It tells the origins and development of tropical/tiki drinks and culture."
"Anything by Beachbum Berry"
"Potions of the Caribbean, if you like rum cocktails, by Jeff Berry."
#12
Cocktail Codex
4.7
(6)
"Cocktail Codex changed the way I think about cocktails, and how I build them."
"Cocktail Codex is another one that is excellent as their base cocktail recipes are amazing."
"Cocktail Codex is amazing, and their first book, Death and Co is also great."
"My favorite book is the cocktail codex. It has recipes but now teaches you how to think about cocktails."
"Cocktail Codex - Great resource on techniques and building a balanced drink."
"Cocktail Codex, PDT, and Death and CO for recipes."
#13
Harry Craddock
4.7
(6)
"Savoy Cocktail Book - Harry Craddock 1931 (art deco beauty, reprints are wonderful as well)"
"Classic: The Savoy Cocktail Book; The ABC of Mixing Cocktails These two Harrys took over cocktail leadership during Prohibition."
"1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book"
"I really like The Savoy Cocktail Book. Has a lot of good classic cocktails with simple instructions and a simple layout."
"Savoy's for a classic vintage guide"
"The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock is one of my favourites."
#14
Brad Thomas Parsons
4.5
(6)
"Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons if you ever want to make your own Bitters or find some interesting stuff to do with bitters"
"Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons has really good classic recipes and a lot of not so classic but not too wild recipes."
"Do yourself a favour and pick up Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons."
"Bitters by Parsons would be good."
"I've really enjoyed Brad Thomas Parson's book about Bitters, especially because it has so many recipes for making one's own bitters."
"I like Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons."
#15
Beachbum Berry
4.0
(6)
"All the recipes from all his books are in the app."
"I prefer Beachbum Berry Remixed or any of his other books honestly."
"Beachbum Berry Remixed, or Smuggler's Cove."
"I like Beachbum Berry’s recipes and use his Total Tiki cocktail app quite a bit!"
"If you want to get further into tiki drinks, check out Beachbum Berry Remixed."
"Beachbum Berry's is also great but I think heavy on the history and light on the recipes."
#16
Ted Haigh
4.6
(5)
"My favorite cocktail book is Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh."
"Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh."
""Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them" by Ted Haigh (aka Dr. Cocktail)."
"Vintage spirits and Forgotten Cocktails for a historic look at cool cocktails and quirky liquor"
"Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them by Ted Haigh."
#17
Sasha Petraske
4.6
(5)
"Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske. Full of modern classics with (mostly) simple and easy to find ingredients."
"Regarding cocktails is a must. Fairly simple cocktails with attention to detail."
"Regarding Cocktails helped me fall in love."
"Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske"
"I'd cosign all of the books already mentioned and also suggest the rather new, but quite fantastic, 'Regarding Cocktails' by the late Sasha Petraske."
#18
Jim Meehan
4.6
(5)
"A great step up and overall comprehensive guide from the PDT Cocktail Book."
"Jim Meehan’s *Meehan’s Bartender Manual* is a great one."
"Jim Meehan's PDT Cocktail book is the industry standard to modern recipes of classic cocktails."
"Meehan's Bartenders Manual is hands down the most beautiful book I own, but the content is like a B-"
"I'd recommend either the PDT book or Meehan's Bartender's Manual."
#19
Kingsley Amis
4.5
(4)
"Everyday Drinking by Kingsley Amis. It's my favorite cocktail book. Required reading for my bar staff."
"Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis by Kingsley Amis."
"Everyday Drinking by Kingsley Amis"
"If somebody ask me for a cocktail book to buy or to borrow, my goto books are Everyday Drinking."
#20
Simon Difford
4.7
(3)
"I just bought the 16th edition Diffords Guide today and it's brilliant and fucking huge!"
"Diffords Guide to Cocktails is regularly updated and is a comprehensive A to Z of reliable recipes."
"For a book of lots of recipes Difford's Guide to Cocktails"
#21
David Embury
4.3
(3)
"I'd recommend The Fine Art Of Mixing Drinks by David Embury. It's around 50% recipes but more importantly the other 50% covers basics, history, methods and cocktail culture."
"Written in the 40s and still relevant today."
"The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. It's more of a Classic. But IMO still very relevant."
#22
Tristan Stephenson
4.0
(3)
"The Curious Bartender by Tristan Stephenson. I think this meets most of the criteria you mentioned, and it's a gift-quality hardcover with a nice feel and great pictures."
"Tristan Stephenson has a slew of books that I find really enjoyable."
"I’m enjoying right now, but no one has mentioned it so maybe it’s not as good as I think?"
#23
Crosby Gaige
4.0
(3)
"Crosby Gaige’s Cocktail Guide and Ladies’ Companion (1946) - All the classics you know and some you don’t."
"The Standard Cocktail Guide, by Crosby Gaige, 1944 (Any cocktail book by Crosby Gaige)"
"Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion, by Crosby Gaige -1941- (Crosby Gaige is a witty)"
#24
Liquid Intelligence
5.0
(2)
"Liquid intelligence is a great foundation for the ones who like to dig deep into details of physics, chemistry and techniques."
"Liquid Intelligence - such a good introduction to what’s actually happening in cocktails."
#25
Jeffrey Morgenthaler
5.0
(2)
"Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold and The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler are excellent."
"Liquid Intelligence, Canon, Death & Co, The Bar Book."
#26
Alex Day, David Kaplan, and Nick Fauchald
5.0
(2)
"Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, David Kaplan, and Nick Fauchald for fundamental theory on ratios and formulas."
"Imbibe! And Cocktail Codex come to mind"
#27
David A. Embury
4.5
(2)
"The fine Art of mixing drinks (David A. Embury) 1st edition 1948, 2nd edition 1953."
"I would also recommend “the fine art of mixing drinks” by David a. Embury... not just whiskey cocktails, but the basics behind any cocktail."
#28
Masahiro Urushido
4.5
(2)
"Japanese Art of the Cocktail is a banger, written by the owner of Katana Kitten Masahiro Urushido."
"The Japanese Art of the Cocktail - Masahiro Urushido"
#29
The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails
4.0
(2)
"Oxford companion to Spirits and Cocktails"
"Reference-style books: The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails - I used to have other recommendation"
#30
David and Leslie Solomonson
4.0
(2)
"12 Bottle Bar is a classic and a great starting point."
"I particularly enjoyed the 12 bottle bar by David/Leslie Solmonson."
#31
Michael Madrusan
4.0
(2)
"Sasha alumni Michael Madrusan's book *A Spot at the Bar* has a better collection of Milk & Honey related recipes."
"A Spot at the Bar by Michael Madrusan and Zara Young"
#32
Maksym Pazuniak and Kirk Estopinal
4.0
(2)
"For something really different, try and hunt down Beta Cocktails, by Maksym Pazuniak and Kirk Estopinal."
"My five picks; Death & Co, PDT Cocktail Book, Smuggler's Cove, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, Beta Cocktails."
#33
Jamie Boudreau
4.0
(2)
"The Canon Cocktail book from the iconic bar in Seattle has some fun recipes."
"Canon by Jamie Boudreau"
#34
Easy Tiki
4.0
(2)
"Easy Tiki - when I first read about it, I thought oh I wish I had thought of writing this book and also gained all of the knowledge and experience necessary to do so"
"For those dabbling: Easy Tiki. Standardized syrups across the lot. Modernized recipes with 6 or less ingredients."
#35
Steve the Bartender
4.0
(2)
"Written for beginner to intermediate bartenders.. tonnes of info on getting started plus 125 modern and classic cocktails each with full page photos and a QR code that links to a video."
"My book launched only a few days ago! Steve the Bartender’s Cocktail Guide"
#36
Dead Rabbit
3.5
(2)
"Dead Rabbit should also probably be on there."
"To reach 5 in total, I would say: Death & Co., Dead Rabbit, PDT and Smuggler's Cove."
#37
NoMad
5.0
(1)
"NoMad. Recipes are generally approachable and universally excellent."
#38
Beta Cocktails
5.0
(1)
"Beta cocktails is fantastic for cocktail nerds."
#39
Amy Stewart
5.0
(1)
"The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart is a great read on the history of alcohol and cocktails and has some yummy recipes throughout."
#40
The Savoy Cocktail Book
5.0
(1)
"The Savoy Cocktail Book. All classics and you can find vintage prints from the mid 19th century online."
#41
Sother Teague
5.0
(1)
"Regarding Cocktails 👉 simple and straightforward. Easy to recreate at home using common ingredients."
#42
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
4.0
(1)
"The New-Wave Mai Tai by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi"
#43
Gaz Regan
4.0
(1)
"+ 1 for Gaz’s Negroni book"
#44
Megan Krigbaum
4.0
(1)
"One of my faves early on was The Essential Cocktail Book (Megan Krigbaum/Punch), it’s like $10-ish, and has all the classics plus modern variations."
#45
Stewart
4.0
(1)
"Stewart - The Drunken Botanist - A good read"
#46
Paul Clarke
4.0
(1)
"The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance With Jigger, Shaker & Glass by Paul Clarke."
#47
Shannon Mustipher
4.0
(1)
"Session cocktails, one bottle cocktails, and modern tiki (Shannon mustipher)"
#48
Charles Schumann
4.0
(1)
"It is one of the most successful cocktail books of all time and sold hundreds of thousands but still quite unknown outside of Germany."
#49
Julia Bainbridge
4.0
(1)
"Good Drinks by Julia Bainbridge. It’s a book of alcohol free drinks but would let you get some good flavors down."
#50
Aaron Goldfarb
4.0
(1)
"Gather Around Cocktails by Aaron Goldfarb"
#51
David Lebovitz
4.0
(1)
"David Lebovitz's Drinking French is quite good"
#52
Kevin Liu
4.0
(1)
"Craft Cocktails at Home (Kevin Liu)"
#53
Kazuo Uyeda
4.0
(1)
"Cocktail Techniques by Kazuo Uyeda"
#54
Jason Wilson
4.0
(1)
"Boozehound by Jason Wilson is good for learning about lesser known liquors."
#55
Kappa
4.0
(1)
"Bartender's Guide to the Best Mixed Drinks, by Kappa. Revised edition, circa 1952-53."
#56
Everleigh
4.0
(1)
"A Spot At the Bar: welcome to the Everleigh. For a total beginner it was perfect."
#57
Bar Chef
4.0
(1)
"Bar Chef, a cocktail book based off the best cocktail lounge in all Canada in downtown Toronto."
#58
Old Man Drinks
4.0
(1)
"I highly recommend Old Man Drinks."
#59
Mr. Boston
4.0
(1)
"Mr. Boston's is my favorite general all inclusive book for recipes."
#60
Cocktail Seminars
4.0
(1)
"I got the cocktail seminars for Christmas and it’s been a fun peruse so far."
#61
Jeff "Beach Bum" Berry
4.0
(1)
"Potions of the Caribbean is a bit more of a history lesson, but history is important and it might be a great source of inspiration."
#62
Ted Saucier
4.0
(1)
"Ted Saucier's Bottoms Up - 1951 ( part cocktail book, part pinup art book)"
#63
Meehans
4.0
(1)
"Meehans Bartender Manual is my favorite old school one"
#64
Charles H. Baker
4.0
(1)
"Anything by Charles H. Baker would be a good fit."
#65
How To Archer
4.0
(1)
"I've made most of the drinks in How To Archer and they've all been great!"
#66
Brooklyn Spirits
4.0
(1)
"Brooklyn Spirits has some very cool DIY recipes for things like bitters and shrubs and uses a lot more obscure ingredients."
#67
Derek Brown
4.0
(1)
"Spirits, Sugar, Water, and Bitters by Derek Brown is a solid read, much more in depth on the history side than other cocktail books."
#68
Don the Beachcomber
4.0
(1)
"No Tiki bar is complete without Don The Beachcomber's Little Hawaiian Tropical Drink Book."
#69
America's Test Kitchen
4.0
(1)
"Americas test kitchen has a good one."
#70
Minimalist Tiki
4.0
(1)
"I'm going Minimalist Tiki. I love Smuggler's Cove but feel there's a lot more in the drinks you'll probably never make category."
#71
Prum & Williams
3.0
(1)
"Prum & Williams - Infuse - Not purely for cocktails but interesting techniques for infusing oil, water and spirits."
#72
Dutton & Vanocur
3.0
(1)
"Dutton & Vanocur - Booze (1967) - The cocktail recipes are just ok, but its illustrations are fun."
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