If you've ever asked yourself, “How does someone with basic bartending skills go on to create original cocktails," then this book is for you! A lot of books have been written on the subject of "Mixology" but none of these give more than a few pointers that go just beyond basic bar skills. After that, most mixology books present a collection of recipes. Some of these are new but many are the same well-known recipes listed in every other cocktail book. If you really want to create original cocktails, all the recipes in the world won't help you understand this process. This is where Fundamentals of Mixology comes in!
Fundamentals begins where other books on Mixology leave off. The book first considers the basic make up of a cocktail from the standpoint of its various taste elements and then goes on to outline broad categories of flavor ingredients (fruit, nut, floral, vegetable, etc.). Taste and flavor are considered as related but distinctly different aspects of a cocktail. Fundamentals explains how the various combinations, of seven major “type” components, with the seven major alcohols combine to form the basis of all cocktails. The book then goes on to discuss the design and formulation of a number of these individual components; such as syrups, liqueurs and bitters, all of which can be created by the individual cóctelier.
Finally, outlining a systematic approach, the book shows how these concepts can be overlaid to create a general profile for any cocktail. This profile can then be selectively altered or used as a template for creating additional original cocktails. Fundamentals is a must read for anyone who works with cocktails and alcohol!