The Best Cocktail Books of 2008

There are quite a few new additions to the cocktail library available this year and they represent the spectrum of subjects. There are books that dissect just a few of our favorites, those that explore the fresh side of mixology, those with a specific niche, a couple updates for our favorite books and one extreme revitalization of the truly classic bartending guide. It's been an exciting year in the bar literature world and the trend has been to step away from the all-encompassing guide to the refined study from a different perspective.

While all of the books on my Best of 2008 list caught my attention for one reason or another, there are a few that I was really looking forward to. While not an individual book, CocktailKingdom.com is possibly the most exciting of the list because its mission is to revive the old bartending guides of the 1800's and early 1900's - those that have been out of print for years and sorely missed and very hard to find. Dale DeGroff is also back with his newest book, The Essential Cocktail, and Artisanal Cocktails and Market-Fresh Mixology both take a close look at mixing with only the freshest ingredients. On the specialty end, my list includes a fun mocktail book, Preggatinis by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, and Frozen Drinks by Cheryl Charming. Beginners will dig The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Martinis while those interested in advanced study can dive into The Flavor Bible, Kindred Spirits 2 and Bartending Inside-Out.

2008 has certainly been a fantastic year for mixology literature and I have a sneak peak into next year and have to say it's going to be another great one.