I'll admit that I wasn't wowed by this book. The idea behind it is intriguing. It categorizes cocktails based on different characteristics with the idea that if you enjoy one of them, the others adjacent to it on the table should be a good match as well.

There are a lot of classic cocktails represented in the book. It also includes some modern cocktails that serve to mix things up a bit. The author clearly identifies when she has a preference about one way of making some of these drinks. Many have been around so long that there are innumerable variations. She even encourages the reader to try making small changes to the recipes she presents to see if they like it better another way. I always appreciate seeing that embrace for experimentation when it comes to food and drink because it gives the feeling that these things aren't set in stone.

Another good thing about the book is the anecdotes that accompany the recipes. It usually includes a brief history of the cocktail, many of which are up for debate. These won't add to the experience of the cocktails themselves, but they are fun to read nonetheless. Some of the recipes are just variations based on the type of spirit or liqueur added to the drink. For me, this detracted a little bit from the book because it means that something else was left out. All in all it's a nice book for picking out a new cocktail to try, although I probably wouldn't make them myself.

The Periodic Table of Cocktails includes over a 100 cocktails within its pages, but sadly no pictures. The book categorizes drinks to various styles (fruity/muddles/fizzes) which might help you find a similar, but new drink to try. There is also some history included, if you want to learn more than just a recipe for a drink. You can learn the why and where cocktails originated. The Periodic Table of Cocktails definitely has a lot of information that I don't know that I need or want.

I initially received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley, but I wasn't able to read it before the preview copy expired. However, I was so intrigued by the concept that I went ahead and bought a copy at the new bookstore downtown so that I could follow through with my commitment to read it.

The overall premise of the book is to organize 106 different cocktails into a matrix with dominant alcohol on the vertical axis and style of cocktail on the horizontal axis. Take two of my favorites for example: the Aviation is in the Gin row and the Daisies/Sours/Citrus/Fresh column while the Dark and Stormy is in the Dark/Gold Rum row and the Collinses/Spritzes/Fizzes column. The Whiskey Sour is in the Bourbon row and the Daisies/Sours/Citrus/Fresh column with the New York Sour right below it in the Whiskey row of the same column. Other columns include Martinis and Up, Fruity and Tropical, Highballs/Swizzles/Muddled, Snappers, and Cream/Coconut/Egg. The dominant alcohols are arranged with the most neutral tasting spirits (vodka) at the top and the strongest tasting spirits (whiskey) at the bottom, with the three "rare earth" spirits (absinthe, beer, and overproof) listed separately below the main table. The cocktail styles are listed with the shortest/lightest drinks (Martinis and Up) on the left and the longest/heaviest drinks (Cream/Coconut/Egg) on the right. The idea is that if someone likes a particular drink, she should be able to find another drink she likes in the contiguous squares. For example, if you like a Martini, you may like an Aviation or a Vesper; if you like an Aperol Spritz, you may like a Negroni or an Americano; if you like a Moscow Mule, you may like a Bramble or a Twinkle.

The book itself was well written and well researched. Each recipe had a story associated with it - ranging from Jerry Thomas's 1862 Bar Guide to 21st Century bartending contest winners. In most cases, where the origins of a drink was disputed, the author delved into the dispute citing the different sources; however, the notable exception is that she put forth the most common story about the origins of the Bloody Mary without any discussion. I think my favorite origin story was that of the Tom Collins, which was one that I had never heard before.

Most of the recipes used commonly available ingredients. There was the occasional use of Velvet Falernum, Amer Picon, Creme de Violette, and one or two other oddities. The author was very good with noting in the text when a specific brand of liquor was preferred, but left the recipe written with generic ingredients. Also in the text, the author gave options for different ratios of ingredients and options for adding/subtracting ingredients. But she always left those modifications up to the reader-bartender. Most of the classic recipes were aligned with my expectations from having recently read and tested several cocktail books, including a newly released equinox cocktail book. The one thing that disturbed me was her passion for including egg white in sours, particularly the Whiskey Sour and the New York Sour. Last year, I went on experimentation binge of Whiskey Sour recipes, including the recipe from the Dover Books reprint of the Jerry Thomas bar guide, and I never saw any recipes mention egg whites. I was so disturbed that I had to text a cocktail savvy friend in NYC, who sent me a link to a Reddit post where commentators were falling over themselves with praise for using both egg whites and bitters in Whiskey Sours. Call me old fashioned, but that's not happening in my kitchen!

Overall, this was an excellent book because it had a unique premise, was well researched, and was well written. I had intended to give away the copy that I bought to read for my review but now it feels like I may have to buy three or four more copies because I can't decide which one of my cocktail aficionado friends would appreciate this book the most. In fact, I may actually keep the book because it is so unique that it fills a gap in my obscenely extensive collection of cocktail books.

Delighted to read about the periodic table of cocktails in detail...........

This was a very fun approach to mixed adult beverages, and a handy way to find inspiration to expand one's boundaries.

My husband and I (Mr. & Mrs. Geek) LOVE this cocktail book! Great book for you and an awesome gift for fellow geek cocktailers!!!

What does a periodic table have to do with cocktails you might ask? Well, it gives you a way to organize recipes for one hundred traditional and more recently created cocktails with different types of alcohol going down the rows and different types of cocktails going across the columns. The columns include: Martinis and Up; Daisies/Sours/Citrus Fresh; Fruity and Tropical; Highballs, Swizzles, and Muddled; Collins, Spritzes, and Fizzes; Snappers; and Coconut, Cream, and Egg. When you locate a cocktail you like on the periodic table you are given an interesting history of the cocktail along with an ingredients list and the methods of making that cocktail. You can also explore other cocktails near it on the table to discover new recipes that you might like. A clever concept for those who want to learn more about crafting cocktails.

I really enjoyed the little tidbits about cocktail history and would love a pocket sized edition, or maybe just a wallet sized card! I love trying new drinks, but often hesitate to ask for a new drink I saw online, since the internet isn't always a good reflection of what most bartenders actually know how to make AND won't be annoyed about making. Plus, this handy little periodic table helped me know what I might actually like, so I don't waste the SOMETIMES UP TO $18 on NYC cocktails. I'll likely be scooping up a copy for myself AND sticking one in a cocktail gift basket for a friend in the near future.

Talk about a clever concept! The Periodic Table of Cocktails is just that, an extremely well-organized and thought out chart of cocktails. It's not just a book of recipes for your favorite cocktails (although it does have recipes for all these fabulous drinks), it's a way to look at cocktail drinking and crafting that gives you so many more options. 

Like I said, there are more than 100 recipes for traditional and newer cocktails, with background information, history, ingredient lists, and methods for each. There is also a list of bartender's equipment (along with a list of home kitchen equivalents), and a glossary of terms, detailed index, and reading suggestions for anyone who wants to learn more. But you can find all that in any cocktail cookbook. It's the genius periodic table that takes this book to the next level. 

Imagine a chart of cocktails with different types of alcohol going down the rows and types of cocktails going across the columns. The rows: aperitifs, vermouth, vodka, gin, white rum, tequila, cognac, dark/gold rum, bourbon, and whiskey; with special rows for cocktails that include absinthe, that include beer, and that include overproofed alcohols. The columns: Martinis and Up; Daisies/Sours/Citrus Fresh; Fruity and Tropical; Highballs, Swizzles, and Muddled; Collins, Spritzes, and Fizzes; Snappers; and Coconut, Cream, and Egg. 

Is it making your head spin? It took me a few minutes too. Let me show you how it works. Let's talk white rum. In the Martini and Up column, you'll see El Presidente. In the Daisies/Sours/Fresh Citrus columns, you'll see Daiquiri, Maid in Cuba, Between the Sheets, and Hemingway Daiquiri (this is the most popular style of cocktails; most of the drink recipes are in the chapters for this style). In the Fruity and Tropical column is the Hurricane. For Highballs, Swizzles, and Muddled, you'll see the Mojito. In Collins, Spritzes, and Fizzes, you get the Cuba Libre. For Snappers, the Cubanita. And if you like getting caught in the rain, in the Coconut, Cream, and Egg column is the Pina Colada. 

So here's the idea. You like a good Mojito? You should try the drinks around it too. Try the Hurricane or the Cuba Libre. Or you can also go up and try a Bramble (made with gin) or down and try the El Diablo, with tequila. This makes it so easy to see at a glance what cocktail to try next. There are so many options in this periodic table, and they are presented in a clear and fascinating way. 

Author Emma Stokes knows her stuff too. Not only has she spent over 10 years making cocktails in London, Leeds, and Newcastle, she also spent a little time in Geneva, working at CERN, so you know she knows what she's doing with a periodic table. 

Check out The Periodic Table of Cocktails before your next night of drinking or tending your home bar to raise your game to a truly impressive level. Or if cocktails aren't your thing, check out The Periodic Table of Wine, also available and offering a wealth of information for anyone wanting a visual chart of wine information to drink in (see what I did there?). Cheers!



Galleys for The Periodic Table of Cocktails were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

I really enjoyed this book a lot, I actually added it to my Amazon wishlist to purchase in the near future! This was a really creative way to present groups of cocktails with similar characteristics. There was a great chapter on martinis that I learned a lot from. There's too much information in this book to really retain everything long-term but this would make a great reference book for cocktails, both classic and modern recipes. I loved too that there was so much information included on the background/history of the cocktail and how it originated. This book gave me some great ideas on new cocktails to make and I can't wait to try them!

My apologies - I can't review the book since it's not in Kindle format.

Bring on the booze! This cocktail 101/manual is a fabulous way for anyone who likes to try some new things at a bar. Set up so that on the "periodic table" of cocktails drinks that are similar in taste either with a different alcohol base or a different concentration of the same alcohol base are grouped near each other, this guide makes it easy to explore new drinks based on existing likes. Following a brief introduction, the work delves into each specific "element" or cocktail that is found on the table, providing basic mixing instructions and recipes.

While I have yet to have an occasion of putting this guide to practical use, I am excited for any upcoming opportunity! Beyond making drinks for events, this is also an excellent way to expand my horizons at any bar. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try something new during happy hour.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review!

What a delightful book! instead of using the periodic table as a gimmick for presenting a bunch of cocktails, Stokes has actually thought about them and grouped them in a way that makes sense. Rows are cocktails made with a particular liquor. Columns are all drinks of a particular type. If you want a gin-based fruity drink you can go to precisely that box and you'll find your answer -- Singapore Sling.

I love that the book doesn't go in for having the most recipes, or the newest, or the most popular, you get the feeling that each entry is chosen with care and thought by a woman who knows her stuff. She not only gives you the origins of each drink, she provides recipes or substitutes for obscure and old ingredients, and even will make suggestions about the particular liquor to use. She'll also give you variations and advice.

The drinks here aren't what I call "spring break drinks" You won't find drinks with tons of ingredients, too much booze, and too many other flavors, all designed to hide the alcohol and make you drunk. Instead these are drinks for people who want an appreciate the flavors of a good cocktail.

One last note, I rarely find drinks I want to try in cocktail books, but here I found several I want to add to my repertoire.

It's a lovely, nicely edited group of cocktails.

This was a very fun book!!! It is well written and easily understood. The purpose of this book is to simplify the organization of more then a hundred cocktails, to make it easy to explore and familiarize oneself with mixed drinks and to remember your favorites! The drinks are both categorized by base alcohol and styles of drinks which makes it extremely convenient to use. It contains many good recipes in which the ingredients and instructions were clearly given step-by-step. I liked that it has a summary/origin of the cocktail with each recipe. This book is a must-have for every cocktail lover, making me want to try every single one of the recipes. Let's have a cocktail night!!!! 🍸