Not a bad reference book, but that's about where it ends. I've found that just about every recipe in here is just a little off the mark, so expect to do some tweaking once you mix them a couple times. One of the main gimmicks of this book is that it breaks down how many calories are in each cocktail and where they come from. Pro tip: If you're counting calories, don't drink liquor! My other gripe is that it tries to do this "visual representation" of the proportions of each recipe. Which sounds like a good idea, except that they show it in the glass that you mix it in, and a martini glass is really hard to visualize proportions in! You'll know what I'm talking about if you've ever read the book before. All that aside, it succeeds on one front, which is being a solid reference book. It's organized by spirit, and you can quickly and easily find the drink you're looking for, or one that you might want to try. So yeah, three outta five. I bought it from a library book sale, and I don't regret it, but I don't recommend you rush out and buy it at full price. ( )

Description:

SEE MIX DRINK is an easy-to-use full-color guide to mixing some of the world's best drinks and cocktails using well-known spirits like Brandy, Champagne, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, Whiskey, and Liqueurs. Each drink recipe is broken down into short text/diagram sections that note the cocktail pronunciation, the cocktail "snapshot", ingredients, description, best occasion for drinking, time required, proportions, calories, and text/visual instructions. There is also a guide to bar essentials, a guide to popular spirits, and a color-coded index broken down by name and calorie count per drink. This is the D.I.Y. guide to mixology, for beginners through pros!

Review:

I may not imbibe any alcoholic beverages myself, but there are plenty of people who enjoy a cocktail or a relaxing mixed drink, so I definitely see the allure of a book like this one. The book format is great, with full-color photos, illustrations, and diagrams, paired with concise text instructions. I like how Brian D. Murphy separated drink types based on what types of spirits were being used, and then alphabetically; this made it very easy to find specific drinks without having to constantly flip through the sections - as did the two indexes. And, according to my family, the drinks are quite good, especially the Dark & Stormy! I only wish that there had been a few more basic drinks, because I noticed that there was a large amount of ingredients that a home bar wouldn't necessarily stock; but with a little time and effort, one could mix a drink at a time until they have everything they need to prepare every drink in the book - and there are a lot. This book will have any person, no matter the experience, mixing and creating drinks like a pro mixologist. I recommend this book to adults (21+) who want to improve their mixing skills and serve up some awesome drinks.

Rating: On the Run (4.5/5)

*** I received this book from the publisher (Little, Brown and Company) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ( )