I'm enjoying Tony Abou-Ganim's The Modern Mixologist. I like his emphasis on fresh juices and bitters -- two hallmarks, I gather, of the craft cocktail movement -- and find his drinks to be nicely balanced and refreshing. He prompted me to refurbish my bar tools and I've found the hand squeezer for citrus juices and the new jigger really very helpful. Not only do I enjoy making his drinks, but have more confidence in general in tackling other recipes.
The Luce del Sole remains the only home run and definite keeper. But I have also enjoyed the Bluegrass Cobbler (bourbon, maraschino, sour with pineapple and cherries), the Clermont Smash (bourbon, falernum, mint, sour, peach bitters), and, less so, the Jamaican Sunset (Sailor Jerry, orange juice, pineapple juice, sour, pomegranate -- I used grenadine -- and Myer's). John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, in particular, was worth seeking out for the sweetness and balance it gave to the Clermont Smash.
With my new-found confidence, I was also able to successfully replicate the two cocktails I liked at Fiola -- the Deshler and the Negroni Classico. I found I liked the latter -- using Gran Classico and Dolin rouge -- even better at home. In both cases, the bitter -- Peychaud's in the Deshler and Gran Classico in the Negroni -- add a nice touch of smokey flavor, almost like incense.
By contrast, I found my recently purchased The Craft of the Cocktail by David DeGoff a bit off-putting. The pretentious cover, with the bartender in fancy dress, sporting a gold ring, had a whiff of snobbiness and stuffiness I don't think is characteristic of craft cocktails. The recipes, as far as I can tell, don't really add anything to my A to Z book. But we'll see.
