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Summer’s longer days and even warmer temperatures are officially here, and possibly one of the season’s greatest tonics is a refreshing beverage. Get all the thirst-quenching inspiration you need from this upcoming selection of cocktail and mocktail recipe books, perfect for everything from poolside lounging to backyard soirées.
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If you’re a gin-lover, jump straight ahead to Andy Clarke’s “House of Gin,” which contains herbaceous and fresh cocktail recipes starring the beloved botanical spirit, and for nostalgia seekers, “Mod Cocktails” is the perfect source for updated tiki cocktails and twists on vintage drinks from the mid-century. And for the adventurous, learn to incorporate edible flowers into your drinks in Cassie Winslow’s “Floral Libations,” a beautiful book filled with drinks like an orange blossom moscow mule and dark chocolate rose mocha with a rose petal whip cream.
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"Spritz: Italy's Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, With Recipes" by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau
The refreshing and delightfully bubbly “spritz” is having a moment this season, and Talia Baiocchi, Punch editor-in-chief, along with the online drink publication’s co-founder Leslie Pariseau, have taken classic spritz cocktails and revamped them into 50 different new drinks, perfect for languid summer afternoons and warm evenings. Alongside the effervescent concoctions, the writers wove in the deep history of the drink’s ancient Roman origins to its present-day evolution, typically featuring a perfectly bitter aperitif spirit, bubbles and a fruit slice or two. Defined as “narrative-driven” by the book’s publisher, this collection of recipes even includes food and snack pairing suggestions for readers to fully achieve an Italian-inspired cocktail experience.
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"Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches" Ariana Madix
When “Vanderpump Rules” cast member Ariana Madix discovered her mustachioed boyfriend of almost a decade was having an affair with none other than her best friend, it created a cultural scandal that rocked Bravo-nation. Madix quite literally made spiked lemonade out of lemons by authoring “Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches,” the former bartender’s second cocktail book that features not just drink recipes but also narrates the journey of her once-perfect relationship that ultimately ended up on the rocks. This cathartic and boozy guide features easy-to-follow directions to make aptly named cocktails like “What Doesn’t Kill Me,” a bright and zesty take on a Chartreuse-based beverage, and “Good Chemistry,” a spicy, smoky tequila drink that calls for a Mexican corn liqueur. The photographs in the book are glossy, the tidbits of insider gossip are mouthwatering and the drinks are top shelf only.
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“The House of Gin: Over 40 Cocktails to Shake, Muddle and Stir at Home” by Andy Clarke
Professional eater and drinker Andy Clarke’s most recent endeavor is a gin-based cocktail book packed with industry secrets like how to arrange the perfect bar and how to best discuss this “botanical and herbaceous” spirit with your friends. Originally formulated as a medicine by a Dutch doctor in the 16th century, Clarke details gin’s long and storied journey to its present place as a complex and staple spirit. The 40 recipes featured in this guide up the ante on warm weather classics like the G&T and the always-crisp gin fizz, as well as original concoctions like the Victory Spritz, a zingy and fruit-laden libation featuring fresh raspberries, mint and cucumber tonic. And yes, you can now finally learn the proper way to make and serve a classic dry gin martini.
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"Floral Libations" by Cassie Winslow
For fans of a delicious drink and an even more delicious presentation, Cassie Winslow’s “Floral Libations” is a playful and beautiful book full of floral-focused recipes for alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Her fragrant and drinkable treats include everything from an orange blossom moscow mule to a plum rose water gin and tonic to a hibiscus old fashioned. For booze-free fare, readers can indulge in Winslow’s rose petal almond milk, dark chocolate rose mocha with a rose petal whip cream or a dandelion tea cinnamon cappuccino. And suppose the thought of harvesting garden bits to craft a drink seems intimidating. In that case, Winslow offers guidance on all types of floral sourcing, whether you’re hunting for the freshest cut flowers and herbs or the best dried options from your local market and even how to create your own mini-garden of edible floral ingredients.
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“Free Spirit Cocktails: 40 Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes” by Camille Wilson and Jennifer Chong
In “Free Spirit Cocktails: 40 Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes,'' author Camille Wilson aims to prove that mocktails don’t have to be the one-note and overly sweet juices you might initially think of. Instead, they can be complex and nuanced beverages, perfect for parties or an afternoon pick-me-up. Wilson, who was named one of Food & Wine’s "20 Black Mixologists You Need on Your Radar,” curated a chic collection of 40 mocktail recipes that include booze-free plays on classic cocktails as well as her own inventive recipes like an apple pie mimosa, a layered drink made with cinnamon syrup and chilled sparkling apple cider, and a grapefruit rosemary spritzer. She also includes batch mocktail recipes to serve large parties and step-by-step instructions for crafting the variety of house-made syrups she calls for in these drinks. And if 10-ingredient beverages sound too much of an effort, Wilson’s thoughtfully featured sips are made with just three ingredients or less.
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"Mod Cocktails" by Natalie Jacob
“Mod Cocktails” by veteran New York City bartender Natalie Jacob is perfect if you find yourself obsessing over the popular TV series, “Mad Men,” mid-century decor and a swanky cocktail to match. Jacob takes classic cocktail recipes and tiki bar favorites from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Then he updates them to entice a more contemporary palate by “sprinkling in cutting-edge twists to create heavenly cocktails that marry new and nostalgic flavors,” according to the book’s publisher. You can find a creamy piña colada recipe served in a fresh pineapple shell, a Palm Springs-esque hibiscus and tequila cocktail featuring notes of baking spice and an authentic scorpion bowl recipe that you would have been served poolside at Trader Vic’s in the mid-forties.
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"Punch Bowls and Pitcher Drinks: Recipes for Delicious Big Batch Cocktails" by Clarkson Potter
The origins of punch and how it became a party staple remain debated. Was it first a British concoction of rum and brandy dating back to the 1600s? Or did it originate in Southeast Asia as a drink called the “chare bockhra?” Whatever its beginnings, the punch bowl is always a good idea for summer gatherings and serving large groups of people. In Clarkson Potter’s “Punch Bowls and Pitcher Drinks,” you’ll be happy to find 50 recipes of large-batch drinks from tried-and-true classics like the rum-based planter’s punch to the more adventurous spiked pineapple agua fresca with sage and serrano to sangrias and champagne-infused beverages. The recipes are easy to follow, so even a novice can easily conquer the fireside cocktail Aztec chocolate punch or the kumquat-tangerine smash. There are also several non-alcoholic punches, like the juicy and fresh mixed berry lemonade.
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"Zero Proof: 90 Nonalcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking" by Elva Ramirez
In “Zero Proof,” journalist Elva Ramirez collects 90 recipes from bartenders, sommeliers and mixologists from all over the world to write a book that focuses on “mindful” imbibing without the hangover. The collection of drinkable and sophisticated delights hail from famed watering holes like The Little Red Door in Paris, New York City’s The Aviary and The Broken Shaker atop The Freehand Hotel in Los Angeles. In the book’s introduction, Ramirez explains the evolution of the mocktail, from its necessary origins in the days of Prohibition to its present rise in popularity during a time when more people are considering the various wellness benefits of a sober lifestyle. While many of the recipes call for spirit alternatives like Seedlip, a garden-forward gin-like substitute, others only use simple grocery store ingredients and include guides to craft syrups at home. Not for the casual drink maker but rather for someone interested in concocting mocktails with nuanced and complex flavor profiles, there are enough enticing and beautiful drinks for any budding mixologist to experiment with.
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