Bringing in the New Year with a Cocktail in hand

What would a SukasaStyle New Year’s Eve post be without an ode to wine and cocktails. This year has been wonderful and the blog has explored everything from wine reviews, lifestyle posts, travel… and we even got up close and personal with a few notables in the community.

We intend to end the year on a celebratory note, so we’re prepping our bar with bar essentials and dozens of recipes of classic cocktails. In case you need a crash course, The Bar Book is a great go-to compendium of cocktail-making techniques. Written by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book is organized in the way he builds cocktails.

“There is no chapter on vodka – in fact there are no chapters on alcohol at all.”

The essence of the book focuses on the cocktail-making process as you would do behind the bar. Included are a few of Jeffrey’s favourite recipes that he’s collected over the years. Classic recipes like the Gin and Tonic and Irish Coffee are included, and I’m looking forward to trying the Sazerac (rye whiskey, bitters, Absinthe), but my favourite part of the book is the techniques.

Here’s one tip to adhere to if you are hosting a New Year’s Bash tonight:

“So here are the basic rules that professionals use when it comes to shaking or stirring cocktails: We want any drink composed entirely of spirits – such as Manhattans and martinis – to be crystal clear and Arctic cold. They should be biting, bracing, and free of air bubbles and ice chips. And so those types of drinks are always stirred, because stirring is a gentler process than shaking.”

Bartending is an art, and although I personally will need lots of practice in order to perfect my hat trick with the martini bottle and shaker (...perhaps I can perfect it for the 2016 New Year’s Eve party..), this book gives me the professional basics to host a fantabulous Happy New Year 2015 party!

Have a wonderful New Year Folks. Thanks for all your support this year. Drink responsibly.

Cheers from SukasaStyle!

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You can buy The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique at Amazon.

Published by Chronicle Books, and distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books.

Blog post by @ShilpaRaikar (Creative strategist, decor enthusiast and book lover, who also writes for a book blog: sukasareads.com T: @SukasaReads)