The Spirits Hardcover – 24 Sept. 2015

This book is destined to become a future classic on the subject. The author writes as a journalist, rather than a food or drinks writer, and his approach really shows: without becoming obsessive or nerdish, Goodwin takes us through the reasons for mixing drinks, the history behind the reasons and then presents a series of superlative recipes, separated by styles of drink, rather than ingredients.All this written in a witty and elegant style that is readable just for pleasure even when you aren't reaching for the recipes; each cocktail is presented with a short history or reasoning behind the drink that sets the tone perfectly.If I had to keep just two books on drinks in my house, one would be Schumann's American Bar and the other would be this one. You'd really need nothing else.

An excellent guide to the art of cocktail making (and drinking). Thorough and delightfully written, the recipes are delicious and cover both authentic classics and innovative twists. Godwin has written a classic -- a volume that will surely deserve recognition alongside the many great recipe books of the past, the inspiration of which he references throughout. No matter your level of expertise -- beginner to bartender, this book will delight and inform!

I absolutely love this book. It's beautifully written and the recipes are first-class. Have had a great time experimenting!

Just the best of its type. I already had a copy, this was a gift for a friend. Excellent recipes and very entertaining reading.

I was given this as a gift a few years ago and it immediately became the go-to reference book for drinks in our house; I've since purchased multiple copies as gifts. I've received various cocktail books over the years but this one is gimmick-free, and gives you the background you need to make professional quality drinks at home. It's well written enough to enjoy reading in its own right, and the comprehensive index helps with the inevitable "what should I make with this bottle of.... I have sitting around" dilemmas much more effectively than a web search!

A really excellent cocktail book of well researched and delicious cocktails. We haven’t found a duff recipe yet and have been working hard to drink our way through the book during lockdown 2. Noticeable and welcome absence of very sugary cocktails.

Not just a cocktail bible for recipes, which I shall be referring to for years to come, but a great read. Thoroughly recommended.

Although I really enjoy the content of this publication, it arrived in very questionable state. There was some wear and tear on the side of the cover so it was stored incorrectly or previously used and returned.