If you haven’t heard, I wrote a book! Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails arrives June 9 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon!
When I first became interested in home bartending (circa 2008), I was really frustrated by how difficult it was to get started. I wanted simple, straight-forward information and recipes for a total beginner. I also wanted someone to teach me some basics so that I could enjoy a quality drink at home, and without spending a lot of money. Cocktail recipe books all seemed a bit beyond the scope of my limited skills and tool set, and internet recipes for the same drink varied dramatically. It took me quite a while to find good information and teach myself how to make decent classic and unique cocktails at home. I wrote Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails to help spare the next hobby mixologist these frustrations, and compiled everything you need to hit the ground running in one compact and quick read.
Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails covers all of these home bar basics – from the tools you’ll need, to what glassware to have on hand, how to make simple cocktail syrups, and how to easily shake or stir a ton of simple, delicious classic cocktails at home!
Learn how to make 75 easy classic and modern cocktails
Since most of us are stuck at home right now anyway, it’s a pretty great time to pick up a new book (or a new hobby)! Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails is easy-to-digest and filled to the brim with practical information plus 75 classic and modern cocktail recipes. Recipes include popular classics like the Margarita and the Gin Rickey, as well as some of my own creations like the aquavit cocktail Nordic Summer, the lemon and mint vodka sour Spa Day, and a simple and satisfying Rosemary Greyhound. Every drink in the book contains just three simple ingredients, and the recipes are conveniently arranged by liquor so you can flip right to your spirit of choice. If you’re just starting your home mixology journey, or if you’ve been exploring classic cocktails for a few years, Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails has something for you.
Learn what makes a great cocktail great
“One of the biggest revelations in my home bartending struggle came when my mother shared with me that she’d read about a perfect cocktail “formula.” She said that if you use the right proportions, you could make a great cocktail with pretty much any spirit, some simple syrup, and either lemon or lime juice. She made me a classic Daiquiri as an example, and it was like drinking liquid sunshine. Up until that point, I’d been just blindly trying one old-fashioned or whiskey sour recipe after another, wondering why they were all so different, and why most didn’t seem very balanced. For the first time, I understood the balancing act of basic three-ingredient sour-style cocktails, such as the Daiquiri and the Margarita. From that moment, my interest took off, and over the course of a few years and a whole lot of cocktails, it led me to my current role as a professional cocktail recipe developer and blogger.
It is entirely possible to make fantastic cocktails from the comfort of your home, without years of experience or lots of fancy equipment and ingredients. All you need is a little bit of time to learn the tools of the trade, a few bottles that interest and excite you, and these 75 tried-and-tested recipes.
Once you dive into this collection of easy-to-make, properly balanced cocktails, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of what connects the core recipe templates that create great cocktails.”
– Amy Traynor, Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails: 75 Classic and Contemporary Drinks to Make a Home
Start mixing creatively with tried and true recipe formulas as your starting point
One of the most exciting things about creating drinks at home is learning how you can make your drinks your own by substituting different types of citrus, syrups, or spirits. The foundation of techniques and cocktail recipe formulas that Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails provides will allow you to do just that, meaning that you will be able to create far more than just the 75 recipes in the book!
Who this book is for:
- The beginner mixology enthusiast who wants an uncomplicated explanation of home bartending basics and a selection of the best simple cocktail recipes.
- The novice home bartender who wants a handy reference book full of tips (like how to make your own clear ice) and an easy to navigate list of some of the very best known and loved classic and contemporary cocktails.
- Anyone with an interest in crafting simple, delicious drinks at home!
