With Dozens of Years of Experience as a Master mixologist, and more than 250 wide-ranging seasonal cocktail recipes, Nick Mautone has gone well beyond the usual bartender's guide to offer dozens of unique and foolproof ideas for easy and successful entertaining at home. sIn addition to covering all the basics of cocktail making, Nick shares his tried-and-true secrets for choosing the right drink for the right occasion, serving cocktails for a crowd, and pairing specific cocktails with specific foods. With Nick by your side, be your own party planner and confident bartender: planning ahead, creating your own signature cocktail, perfecting techniques for muddling, mixing, and floating, making the right cut -- twists, zests, swirls, and wedges, plus homemade alternatives for garnishes, syrups, cordials, and brandies. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Mautone, former manager of New York's Gotham Bar and Grill, and Gramercy Tavern, applies 20 years of fine-dining knowledge to the art of the cocktail, explaining how to perfect the Manhattan and the Martini, and bringing herbs, exotic fruits and other unpredictables into the realm of the highball. Beginning with chapters on bar basics and ingredients, Mautone addresses the science of balancing liquor and mixer, lectures on the proper size of ice cubes, and reveals that homemade grenadine is as simple as sugar, water and pomegranate juice. Fifty-two of the 250-plus offerings fall into the "Favorite Classic Cocktails" section, resplendent with standards like the Old-Fashioned and the Rusty Nail. Thus fortified, the rest of the book strives for, and often attains, a level of Falstaffian bliss. There's a Kaffir Lime Kocktail with honey and tequila, and a Whiskey and Ginger Muddle with dried apricots and fresh ginger awash in bourbon. A section on nogs features eggnog, mulled wines and a Chestnut Hot Chocolate with Frangelico. Experiments with herbs include the Rosmarino, with rosemary-infused vodka, and a Basil Martini, topped with a slice of sun-dried tomato. Wasabi turns up in an Asian Mary, taking the place of a Bloody's traditional horseradish. Mautone includes 15 nonalcoholic ades and punches, as well as snacks like Pumpkin Seed Popcorn and Bourbon-Bacon Bean Dip. Color photos throughout. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

A complete bar reference that includes recipes for garnishes, basic syrups, and cocktail mixes as well as charts on measurements and conversions, this book truly does raise the bar. The sumptuous color photos will inspire timid hosts to experiment with new and improved beverages. Reflecting contemporary trends in cuisine, the drink recipes in this book emphasize fresh ingredients; the juices in punches and drinks are fresh squeezed, fresh fruit is used to garnish and flavor drinks, and fresh herbs infuse distilled liquors for uniquely flavored renditions of old favorites, such as the basil martini. Terms and techniques are defined, and the tools, booze, and glassware for stocking a bar are identified. There's even a chapter on nonalcoholic refreshers. Besides predinner cocktails, Mautone, a bartender at New York's Gramercy Tavern, provides recipes for after-dinner drinks as well as what he calls Morning Glories, such as Bloody Marys or Tangerine Dreams. As a bonus, Mautone includes recipes for luscious hors d'oeuvres. The coverage and currency are topnotch. Recommended for public libraries. Ann Weber, Bellarmine Coll. Preparatory Lib., San Jose, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Nick Mautone runs a multifaceted food management and consulting company and is a regular contributor to Conde Nast's Cargo magazine, where he writes about home entertaining Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Introduction	9
Home Bar Basics	15
The Best Ingredients	35
Favorite Classic Cocktails	71
Specialties of the House	109
Bubblies and a Bit of Decadence	139
Nogs, Grogs, and Other Holiday Warmers	153
Summer Splurges	169
Knockout Punches	191
The After-Party	201
Morning Glories and Tonics to Cure What Ails You	213
Java Heaven and Spiked Tea Time	225
Nonalcoholic Refreshers	237
Snacks and Hors d'Oeuvres	249
Mail-order Sources	276
Bibliography	277
Index	279

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.