Modern Classic Cocktails by Death & Co changed my life.

I was transformed from a daytime prep bartender into a skilled nocturnal mixologist.

I went from struggling to understand why a margarita worked to creating original menus from scratch that generated $1M+ in revenue a year.

Experience

Prior to reading Modern Classic Cocktails, most bar books I'd read were dry tomes of outdated recipes.

There was little explanation of how and why certain ingredients work together, and more importantly, why others did not.

Instead, I entered the minds of the creators and mixologists at the Death & Co cocktail bar in subterranean Manhattan.

This book details their recipe and menu creation process from inspiration to launch, and how to best execute the drinks during a busy service.

It's an experience; akin to working a shift at their bar, having conversations and picking their brains.

Inspiration

I discovered Modern Classic Cocktails shortly after I began working at a high-end resort lounge on Vancouver Island.

There were 200+ bottles on the bar, many of which were named and detailed explicity in the book.

I had a field day experimenting and tasting all the new knowledge I had gained. Original cocktails began to flow and they became more creative and better balanced over time.

Every six months, when it was time to start on a new menu, I'd revist chapters in the book. It was inspiring.