The Japanese Art of the Cocktail

The Japanese Art of the Cocktail is a visually stunning and elaborately presented ode to the artistry of Japanese barcraft. Due out 1st June 2021 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a really beautiful book. It does include recipes, but honestly it's the gorgeously rendered photographs which elevate this bar book to the ultimate top shelf. Author Masahiro Urushido is the award winning mixologist behind the bar and an owner at Katana Kitten in NYC. The recipes are exotic and refined and exquisitely presented. 

These are -beautifully- made cocktails and the blending ingredients are exotic, colorful, and will be moderately difficult and expensive to source (fino jarana sherry, Hinoki tincture (for which the author includes a recipe), specific plum brandies, and others with which I was even less familiar).

Some of the ingredients should be available at any well stocked grocery/liquor store although most will need to be sourced at specialists or recreated by the reader.

Cocktails are such a civilized interlude and this book includes a solid cross section of (new and variations on old) drinks to build mixology skills and impress one's friends at the next gathering.

Five stars.

 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.