The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book

As a fan of the film The Big Lebowski, I was so excited to look through this cocktail book. And I was not disappointed!

There is a significant portion of the book dedicated to summarizing particular scenes, characters, or references in the movie. The first section goes in-depth into the supplies and methods that one should use to mix cocktails. Each recipe is accompanied by an entertaining illustration, full of references to the movie and an appropriate dose of midcentury charm. Following the drinks, there is also a section dedicated to movie-themed party snacks. To conclude, the author thoughtfully included party planning tips.

This book contains absolutely everything that a host/ess would need to plan a Big Lebowski themed cocktail party. Actually, I’m excited for its publication because I have a few people in mind that would love to receive this book as a gift. It would make a wonderful introduction to cocktails for anyone in their early 20s. The prerequisite, of course, is familiarity with The Big Lebowski. And if they aren’t familiar with the movie…then a BlueRay would complete the gift!

There are some recipes that sound absolutely delicious, and I can’t wait to try them. The pumpkin spice White Russian seems to be the only recipe that doesn’t quite fit the theme—but its amusing acknowledgement that The Dude is willing to use powdered creamer and probably wouldn’t be too proud to use pumpkin spice if it was at hand makes up for the stretch.

This cocktail book has delightful illustrations and creative drink recipes based on The Big Lebowski. Of course, there are multiple White Russian takes, too. Speaking as a huge fan of the movie, and BL fan would love this. I certainly did! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

Truth be told, I thought this was just going to be a goof with mediocre drinks for fans of The Dude. I jumped at the chance to check it out on NetGalley and strapped in for some laughs…this is actually a brilliant, well thought out and executed cocktail book! I’m thoroughly impressed that something I expected to be a bit of gimmick turned out to be so stellar.

This book makes me want to have a party just as an excuse to try out every single recipe. A few aren’t my taste and I wouldn’t make for myself, but I’ve spent enough time behind the bar to know (just from the ingredients and methods) that they’re great cocktails and will be well loved. What’s even better is that the majority of the recipes are right up my alley.

The tips and tools are all covered for beginners and this is definitely not another “I’ll buy it to have on my bar shelf and never use”, it truly has some twists on originals I’ll be exploring. Anyone can slap a character name or reference on a drink, but Darlington actually pulls it off with the perfect mashups. I found myself nodding in a “yesss, I totally get that” way. I appreciate that thought process and love when people create from character inspiration.

The illustrations are fun, yet not distracting. Sprinkled throughout are “Dude Facts” and song pairings that really drive home the thought and passion that went into this.

Even if you’re a White Russian die hard that can’t imagine dabbling, I promise you will find something to either enhance your experience, be it an ingredient, a prep tip, etc. Hey, there’s even a snacky portion as well as menu/pairing plans.

This was a fun journey that will only continue as I restock the home bar and experiment with more recipes. Love the opportunity to check this out in advance, I’ve already hopped on and pre-ordered a physical copy.

Darlington is clearly an artist and I’m eager to checkout other publications.

This book is an ode to The Big Lebowski, and in fact to Los Angeles itself, told entirely through cocktail recipes that the author aptly describe as being "as lazy as possible while still remaining modern". The book is divided into 3 basic sections-- drinks that can simply be poured, those that are shaken, and those that are stirred. As a special bonus, and in true homage to the film, a fourth section deals exclusively with variations on the White Russian.

When I saw this book I was immediately interested. I used to love occasionally mixing cocktails at home and for friends, but 2 kids later I barely remember what alcohol tastes like. Seeing the cover made me remember how I used to enjoy my amateur mixology and the taste of a well made cocktail, so I decided to grab this and see if it inspired me to return to my cocktail making.

The drink recipes here are generally simple, though they do increase in complexity as you make your way through the book, and each recipe is accompanied by an absolutely gorgeous full-page illustration that makes you wish you could make the cocktail in question immediately. There are also ridiculously apt song pairings with each recipe, which adds a wonderful touch.

The drink names all tie in beautifully to the film, from the Bunny Lebowski to the Bowling With Jesus. I also appreciated that if a drink name was a bit obscure to you, the authors provided a clear and humorous explanation for how it all ties together. However, I definitely think someone interested in beginning their cocktail mixing journey would love and benefit from this book even if they had never seen the film-- the recipes and their accompanying pictures can definitely stand alone and speak for themselves.

This book has absolutely inspired me to return to mixology-- I cannot wait to try several of these with my husband and some friends over the coming weekend.

I will update this review with links to the review on my blog and other social media sites closer to the publication date.

The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail book by Andre Darlington would make a fantastic addition to anyone's home library that is interested in having their own in-home bar. Although the recipes do stick to the movie's theme, it also includes very informative basic info on what ingredients and tools are needed to set up a successful in-home bar. I love how the chapters are arranged by the difficulty level of the drink. You can literally start at the beginning and work your way up to the more complex recipes. This is a really fun and informative book with great illustrations and recipes. Perfect for anyone who loves the Big Lebowski or for someone who just wants to know how to make a tasty drink.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the e-book. My husband loves this movie so much! I was so excited to see this. There are tons of drinks and food recipes that I can't wait to try for his up and coming birthday!
I love the design of the book also. The colors and the way it was out together is really cute. Highly recommend for fans out there that love this movie.