Comments on: Bartenders Black Book

By: Ronald Tarlton

Ronald Tarlton — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

The Bartender's Black Book, Eighth Edition,is one of the best books I have ever found for training Bartenders or for your own personal bar skills.

Very detailed in Recipe and instructions on how to mix and serve any drink you can imagine.

Very valuable tool in the art of Bartending.

By: Amy Norton

Amy Norton — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

This is an informative book that is fairly easy to use. You can search based on what kind of alcohol you have, if you want frozen or mixed drinks, and then just look up the drink (they’re all listed in alphabetical order, regardless of what type of drink it is). There are also suggestions on drinks and tipping bartenders. And there’s a nice section about wines, too (although I’m not quite sure how to read that). Great buy!

By: A. Ang

A. Ang — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

I had to write a review after reading the prior one of a man in search of a picture book. There are a plethora of [bad] picture drink books on the market. It is funny, he was looking for a common thing (a [bad] picture drink book) and he got the finest drink recipe book ever written. The author painstakingly alphabetized and reworked thousands of drinks. He threw out all the [bad stuff] and made a No [fooling] essential tool, that restaurants, bars, and liquor stores must carry (they all seem to). The book is unbiased (no liquor companies pushing their product) It lays flat so I can work and read at the same time. I own a 4th, 5th and a 6th edition and I await new editions. I have learned from them all….THE BARTENDER’S BLACK BOOK IS A 5 STAR BOOK.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

I’m a bartender and there is always one customer who comes along and orders a drink you dont know how to make. Behind the bar we keep several drink books, but this is the only one that actually gets used. Easy to read recipies, non-coded names for liquors, short, sweet, and to the point. Spiral binded so the book will not close while you are mixing. Contains the most variety of drinks I’ve seen from Vodka Collins for beginners (which most books don’t have) through Long Islands all the way to a Mongolian Mother for the more adverse. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to shake, stir, or blend.

By: Emeraldcityserendipity

Emeraldcityserendipity — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

This book is great for quickly learning the drinks that everyone orders and the drinks almost no one would ever order (anyone for a schoolbus – beer, milk & OJ?) written by an egotistical and excessively chauvinistic fop. Note to S.K.C. – leave out the bragadoccio, rampant (hetero)sexism, demoded chivalry and other such ridiculously trivial commentary and you’ll have a great book.

By: Ian Osmond

Ian Osmond — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

I own four or five drink recipe books. This is the one that travels with me when I tend bar. I've bought several copies of it over the years -- the single downside of this book is that, if you turn your back on it, one of your fellow bartenders will steal it from you. It's just that good.

It's the most complete drink book I've ever seen. It's easy to use, with drink recipies in a clear, sans-serif font -- in a darkened bar, it can sometimes be a little tricky to read if you're a geezer like me, but I think they did the best possible job of designing the book for use -- a larger font size, and the book would be too bulky to stick in your hip pocket, a smaller one, and even young guys would have trouble reading it.

The cover is water-resistant -- hell, I recently used the sucker as a cutting board to chop up limes. I don't recommend that use, but it survived the treatment. This book takes a beating -- it's been in puddles of beer and vodka, it's had orange juice poured on it, and it lives at the bottom of my bag at all times. I don't treat it nicely, and it treats me great.

There is no better book for a professional. None.

Another user mentioned that it has no pretty pictures. That's true. Because pretty pictures would distract from its primary use -- for a professional bartender to look up an obscure drink while working in a busy bar, in order to find the recipe, make it, and move on to the next customer.

By: Renee Woods

Renee Woods — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

Very helpful guide for those obscure drinks that happen to be a customer’s favorite. With the discreet size and “stay open” design they never have to know you didn’t already have the knowledge to make their perfect adult refreshment!!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

This book is without a doubt the best investment I have ever made. When I had an interest in bartending I snagged a copy of this and started studying… as a result I now make a comfortable living bartending, and enjoying my job.
It doesn’t have every drink known to man (what book could?), but it will cover most everything you need… It will give you quite a good start on what mixes well with each other. The guide to liquors at the back is quite nifty as well, since you can always impress your nitwit patrons with booze knowledge. Don’t hesitate on picking this up.

By: Tamera L. Garrison

Tamera L. Garrison — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

This is the best book I have ever seen on the subject. The author has a fantastic sense of humor and the variety of combination he offers in the way of cocktails is practically endless: ie Lewinsky floaters, depth charges, green russians and a “gumby”. In addition, it has helpful sections on tipping, non-alcoholic drinks and a wine guide! In this Reviewer’s opinion, a “Must Have” for all who tend a bar.

By: A. Adams

A. Adams — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:52:26 +0000

I purchased this book for a friend who just had her 21st birthday. All her friends spent quite a bit of time looking at it and reading the recipes. After I looked at it, I decided to order one for myself. I am pretty much restricted to martinis and Scotch, so I could use a guide for mixing drinks when friends drop by. I like the spiral binding—makes it much easier to work with.