Designed to look as though the typesetting was done in the '90s, Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum is a tongue-in-cheek take on sophisticated cocktail compilations. With catchy names like The Fresh Mint of Bel-Air and Livin' La Vida Coco, one can't help but laugh and be inspired to make a retro-themed drink. As a bonus, the author includes some time-period appropriate playlists to make for a great party.

This collection of cocktail recipes made me nostalgic for my youth! I cannot wait to make these for my fellow 90s lovers! What a unique idea and one that didn't come off as corny!

Sam Slaughter’s Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? is a unique cocktail book that’ll take you on a fun boozy trip to the 90s. The recipes are easy-to-follow and Slaughter’s writing is approachable and humorous. But, I wish the book’s pictures were more relevant to the theme.

If you like themed recipe books or you’re missing your childhood in the 90s, this is definitely the cocktail book for you! It features reimagined versions of classic drinks, interesting original creations as well as adult versions of your favourite childhood drinks. Slaughter also includes simple and concise instructions on proper glassware, bar tools, mixing techniques, and recipes to create your own simple syrups and infusions.

The book is bright and colourful with full-colour pictures. I like the funky simplicity of the layout which nicely complements the recipes. However, I wish the pictures and the staging of the drinks were more unique and representative of the 90s. The cocktails are well-designed but generic. Some 90s props would have livened up the cocktails and reinforced the theme.

The recipes are clear and easy-to-follow. I love the funny names like The A/S/L, Kimmy Gimlet, and Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Dyed! I also love the witty little descriptions for each cocktail. Slaughter’s writing is casual and approachable. He instantly transports you back to the 90s with well-placed references to the media, language, snacks, and culture of the time.

The book has both simple and complicated cocktails to appeal to all levels of mixologists. However, several of the recipes feature specialty items like lavender bitters and ancho reyes that only the most advanced or adventurous mixologist may have.

The extra touches really make this book memorable. I love the interesting little trivia sprinkled throughout. I wish there were even more facts! I absolutely love the inclusion of carefully curated playlists and drinking games to help you plan your own throwback party.

Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? is a fun and original cocktail book filled with easy-to-follow recipes that’ll have you yearning for the 90s. Although I wish the pictures were more interesting, I like this book and it will be a great addition to my themed cookbook collection. This book is a perfect gift for a nostalgic 90s kid or the mixologist in your life!


🍸🍸🍸🍸 cocktails out of 5!

I loved this book of drink recipes. Some are classics while they gave some a new spin. I'm always looking for new drinks to try and something different is what you will get with this book

As a 90's kid I found this hysterical and nostalgic in the best way. I immediately tried some of the drinks out and played the 90's themed drinking games with my friends! Nothing but fun and good times.

This is an entertaining, pretty book! The nostalgia filled introduction and the full color photos of each drink are the best parts of this book. The photos of the drinks make them all look extremely appealing- but they are, in general, the kind of drinks I'd personally be a lot more likely to buy at a bar, with a fair number of ingredients, and some special use ingredients that I just don't have the space or interest in having on-hand (rhubarb bitters come to mind). To get the full effect of the title drink requires buying a "smoking gun" which the author lets us know can be purchased online for "under $100". Despite the really fun nostalgia factor and cleverly named drinks, this book is best suited for true, committed cocktail fiends.

If there’s one thing better than a good cocktail, it’s a good themed cocktail. And I might be more of an 80s child than 90s, but I was up for some nostalgia and cool drink sipping. I really, really wanted to like this book, in other words – alas, it’s left me a bit meh.

I do like the concept, and I think the drink names and sense of humour that runs through the book are a lot of fun. The obligatory ‘tools and basic instructions’, plus a brief word on different types of spirit and liqueur at the start, and ‘syrups’ at the end, both read clearly and well.

However, the drinks themselves… well, hmm. I think there a half-handful that I could have made now without going and buying a new ingredient or three – and my cocktail cupboard is not sparse, by any means. I had to look up several of the liqueurs mentioned, never having heard of such things before. Cherry heering? Oh, cherry brandy will be fine! Fernet branca, dolin rouge, ancho reyes… oh dear!

I also found the specificity to be annoying, despite the foreword that these were ‘just recommendations’. Nope: give me the basic recipe, and say “And my preference is…”. Otherwise I, the reader, have to do a ton of work to figure out what’s a decent alternative to e.g. “Glen Moray Chardonnay Cask Finish Scotch Whisky.” I mean, really??

Overall, I’m a bit disappointed. I had images of a fun theme party, or at least a few new cocktails to try out. As it is, I’m tempted by a few but largely underawed.

I loved the retro feel of the book - the drawings, and the titles of the drinks brought me back to my childhood. This would be a gift for a friend who is interested in trying out Rum and needed a starting point for testing out new drinks that can be connected to a time when all was right in their (my) world. I can see this book being used for gifts for the holidays and house warmings. I approve.

A super fun cocktail book filled with tasty looking recipes; a lot of which brought back so many of my childhood memories. I've never made fancier cocktails before, so there were some in here that looked a little daunting. I'd love to purchase this for my bartender friend. That way we can both enjoy the nostalgia and I don't have to do the work. ;)

Are you Afraid of the Dark Rum is nostalgic and boozy trip back to the 90’s. You will find rum cocktails inspired by and reminiscent of parts of growing up in the 90’s. From Nickelodeon shows, to cheesy songs (Mumbo No 5 I am looking at you), you will find a number of recipes that will have no you only longing for a cocktail but thinking fondly about that era.

I will admit I do have a weakness for themed alcoholic beverages food, just look at my previous Cooking Corner posts, Are you Afraid of the Dark Rum is a fun cookbook that delivers on its rum based 90’s nostalgia. Are you Afraid of the Dark Rum is broken up into information sections needed to make the recipes, the cocktail recipes themselves, and then a fun last section dedicated to the 90’s. The sections are:

*Introduction
*Recommended Tools and Glassware
*Basic Mixing Techniques
*Converting to Metric
*Building Your Taste Bar
*A Note on Difficulty
*Recipes
*Appendices that look at Syrups and Infusions
*And a great surprise – playlists and 90’s drinking games

THE COOKBOOK ITSELF
Ease of Use: The recipes are set out in an easy to read layout and offer tips for some of the recipes which use different ingredients or feature a technique that is a little difficult. Each recipe also has it’s own picture, so you are even more tempted to whip out the rum and make some cocktails.

Formatting:

Recipes: The recipes are set out in a straight forward manner and feature a little comment by the author about the recipe and the piece of 90’s pop culture it is riffing on. Every recipe that I tried and had an in-depth look at, was really user friendly and easy to follow.

The ingredients are listed in order of usage and the following instructions are very clear and concise on what is needed to be done.

The recipes are written in imperial but the start of the book features a section which converts the ounces used in the book to millilitres. It’s not fun to have to flip back and forth to convert these (especially considering every country but three uses the metric system) but it is still great that this section is included in the book.

Book: The theme of the book is matched perfectly with the colour scheme and layouts used throughout the book. The pictures of the cocktails themselves were really fun but also showcased the drinks in a way that let me know just from looking at them if they were something I would like to try.

The back of the book also includes a ‘Playlists’ and ’90’s Drinking Game’ section that was a great way to finish of the book.

RECOMMENDATIONS
I would really recommend this cookbook to anyone who likes to drink rum or is looking for a fun cocktail book. Are you Afraid of the Dark Rum would be the perfect accessory for any 90’s themed party or pretty much anyone who has a cupboard full of rum and is looking to mix up something fancy.

Please note, I received a copy of Are you Afraid of the Dark Rum from NetGalley.

Well, I know what my next party is going to be! Based on TV shows, movies and music from the nineties, this recipe book will satisfy anyone from the most basic of chefs to the most sophisticated. Packed with trivia and notes, it's just as much fun for the nineties nerd. A great fun read and a recipe for a fantastic party!

I thought I knew my 90s pretty well, but I clearly need to bone up a bit on them. I'm not usually a fancy drink person, but I'll be trying out some of these with my friends for sure. My only problem; no California Dreams drinks? Really? Come on!

This book is a walk down nostalgia lane and I absolutely love it! I’ve tried multiple cocktails from the book and all have been delicious. All recipes are feasible and contain common ingredients. My personal favorite is Ghost-Busting juice, which is a fun play on the Hi-C Ecto Cooler. This book includes fun trivia from the 90’s, games, and even a Spotify playlist.
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This book gets the full 5 stars from me! It’s witty, fresh, and FUN! Thank you @slaughterwrites and @andrewsmcmeel for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review. This book is out in June- perfect timing to plan out your viewing party for the 90210 reboot this summer!

Fun book of 90's themed cocktails with great photos. Perfect for a 90's themed party and any party for that matter. Clear instructions and even includes a vegan alternative for egg white. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Andrew McMeel publishing for an ARC.

Was really excited to read this and try out the recipes! However couldn't as the file is not working. Tried every option possible on my phone and PC :(. Will have to look for this once on sale. :(

Are you Afriad of the Dark Rum is designed to make you smile and reminisce whether the 1990s was your era or not. I love the cover of the book, it is whimsical and attractive to the eye, and the book itself was everything I expected.

It has an introduction which include all the necessary tools to make your drinks. From mixing methods to glassware it’s all there making it extremely simple.

I have tried several recipes and they were easy to understand and follow.

As the author wrote “Nostalgia often evokes good feelings. Cocktails often evoke good feelings. That’s what this book aims to do.” And, I must say it did exactly that - love it.

​I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for anyone who loves preparing cocktails. 📕👍🏼

I GIVE IT A 5 STAR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book combines 90's nostalgia and humor with great drink recipes! What's not to like? I look forward to trying out many of these, possibly while watching 90's sitcoms with friends, maybe even on an orange couch.

I loved this! Some great retro drinks served up with loads of nostalgia! I've even made a couple and they were delicious!!

In this whimsical and fun cocktail book, cultural icons of the 1990s are invoked to inspire the children of that decade, now grown up, to explore the world of mixed drinks. The book is colorful, both in the many photographs and the playful design of the pages. The book starts with a little background on tools, glassware, basic mixing methods, and building a proper bar. The recipes are often twists on classic cocktails, while others are more original. The names of the drinks reflect the cultural milieu of the 1990s, often with a pun, like the Kimmy Gimlet (for Kimmy Gibbler of Full House) and Livin’ La Vida Coco. Even the title of the book refers to a 1990s TV show. The book ends with a few more helpful chapters about syrups and infusions as well as a 1990s playlist and a very short list of drinking games.

While I wasn't a 1990s kid, graduating from high school in 1985, I recognized enough of the references to make me smile. As I said above, the book is beautifully photographed. The colors jump out at you, and you get a good look at what finished drinks look like. Reminding me of MTV's Behind the Music, sometimes the pictures have little bubbles with trivia about the particular 1990s reference of the drink. The recipe headers also often talk about the 90s reference or about the cocktail itself.

The only thing I find strange is that measures like a half ounce and quarter cup are given in decimal rather than in fractions, and the decimals don't have leading zeros. As one who has read a gazillion cookbooks, this just looks strange to me.

That being said, I think this is a fun collection of cocktails that any 1990s kid, or 1980s kid, might enjoy for both nostalgia and the fanciful drinks.

This was such a fun nostalgia trip! I loved the titles and the inclusion of all the beautiful pictures. The facts were great, but I wish there were more, and the descriptions were good, but there were sometimes I found myself wishing to know what the drink was named after or inspired by. This would be a great book for anyone who likes the 90s or just wants a book of simple, but tasty recipes using a small collection of spirits.