Alchemy in a Glass

Book excerpt: Full of original, ingredient-driven recipes for cocktails, mixers, garnishes, and bitters, this book by a cocktail expert for master chefs shows readers how to transform spirits and flavors into inspiring, mouthwatering drinks. In bars and restaurants across America, drinkers are being exposed to the artistry of the modern cocktail. Alchemy in a Glass takes readers on a journey of the palette and teaches them the art of balancing flavors, mixers, and spirits with the expert guidance of cocktail craftsman Greg Seider. Seider, who has created cocktail programs for top bars and restaurants in New York and Los Angeles, approaches cocktail creation as the art of understanding how flavors work together and develop over the course of a drink. He prizes the use of fresh, seasonal, and homemade ingredients to infuse and garnish his drinks. Drawing on his experience developing cocktail programs for chefs such as Eric Ripert, Seider goes beyond recipes to show readers how flavors work, giving them blueprints for constructing a balanced drink. Seider shares inspired recipes for more than fifty original cocktails as well as classics with a twist and recipes for bitters, garnishes, infusions, and elixirs. This is the perfect companion book for food lovers and a must for home mixologists.