Category: garnish

2026 New Drink Books
Here are new cocktails and spirits (and a few other) books out or coming out in 2026.
- The Nonalcoholic Bar: Classic and Creative Cocktails for Everyone (Jan)
- Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man’s Life (Feb)
- Spirits of ’76: Celebrating 250 Years with Cocktails from Every State (March)
- Bar Design Essentials: How to Design Bars That Work for Everyone (March)
- Tastes Like Money: RumChata and the Making of a Beloved Brand (March)
- Star Wars: Galactic Drinks: From Mandalorian Mocktails to Cantina Cafs, Captivating Beverages Inspired by a Galaxy Far, Far Away! (April)
- Jack Daniels: Behind the Bottle: The Masters, the Whiskey, and the Legend of the American Icon (April)
- Let’s Make Cocktails!: A Comic Book Cocktail Book (April)
- A Guide to Drinking in Venice: A modern guide to Venice’s best coffee, wine, beer and cocktail spots (April)
- The Bartender’s Collection: Good drinking in more than 300 recipes (April)
- Coconuts & Carnage: Fifty Fiery Originals from the Emerald City (April)
- Everyday Sake: The Go-To Guide for Choosing, Pairing, and Serving (May)
- The Classic Cocktail Sessions: A Bartender’s New-Fashioned Approach to the World’s Most Beloved Recipes (June)
- Solid Wiggles: Recipes and Techniques for Phenomenal Jelly Shots and Cakes (June)
- Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution (June)
- Your Tasting Brain: A Sensory Approach to Wine, Beer, and Other Pleasures (June)
- Dryads: Spirits of the Trees (July)
- Equal Parts Cocktails: The Simple Ratio for Spectacular Drinks (July)
- Good Spirits: The Joy of Cocktails and the Stories Behind Them (September)
- The Curious Bartender’s Vodka Chronicles: Discovering and sampling the world’s most versatile and purest spirit (September)
- The Tequila Bible: The complete lowdown on the spirit – more than 200 tequilas tried and tested (September)
- The Bartender’s Library: A Guide to Curating Spirits and Creating Cocktails―From the Multnomah Whiskey Library (October)
- The Goto Bartender’s Guide: A Philosophy of Cocktails, Hospitality, and How to Make Great Drinks Every Time (October)
- Korean Cocktails: From Traditional Spirits to Modern Drinks (October)
- Bourbon and Rye Cocktails: The History of American Whiskey in 73 Recipes (October)
- Cinematic Cocktails: 65 Recipes Inspired by Your Favorite Movies (October)
- Yacht Rock Cocktails (November)
- Searching for Don the Beachcomber: Inventor of the Tiki Bar (December)
May 1, 2026
Glow in the Dark Ants in Ice Cubes

I was trolling the dollar store for things to freeze into ice cubes, as I do, and found these large fluorescent ants.

I froze them into ice cubes using my Clearly Frozen tray. Then I shined a blacklight on them. They look awesome, even better in a glass with a drink.

There is a video of that here on my YouTube channel.

For more fun tips, check out The Ice Book.

June 24, 2025
Halloween Ice Round-Up
I'm a total sucker for Halloween, and my only artistic medium is ice, so every year I do a post or two or three with dumb stuff I've frozen into cubes, blocks, etc. Here is a round-up and gallery of some:
Or read about how to do all this stuff in The Ice Book!
October 16, 2023
Financial Times: It’s cocktail hour – so put a flower in it

In Alice Lascelles' latest cocktail column for the Financial Times, she covers the summertime trend of using flowers in cocktails and includes a photo from The Ice Book.

Read the story here: It’s cocktail hour – so put a flower in it

July 5, 2023
More Death Star Ice Spheres

A few years back I showed how you can make the Death Star ice mold turn out clear. There are more tips and detailed information in The Ice Book, and you should probably purchase a copy!

Below are some more pics from a 2023 round of making more Death Star spheres for some friends.

May 4, 2023
All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2019

It's time for my annual post of (almost) all the cocktails and spirits books published this year, in consideration for gifting to others or keeping to read yourself. I know my shelf of to-read books is looking pretty menacing already, and I still have to buy some of these.

If I forgot your favorite book please do let me know and I'll add it! I am not excluding any cocktails/spirits books on purpose.

Links are to Amazon.com but you are encouraged to support your local independent bookstores when possible.

Low and No Alcohol

Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt

Alcohol-Free Cocktails: The Redemption Bar by Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters

All Day Cocktails: Low (And No) Alcohol Magic by Shaun Byrne and Nick Tesar

The Art of the Garnish by Leeann Lavin

Gin Books

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World's Greatest Drink, with Recipes by Robert Simonson

Sip: 100 gin cocktails with just three ingredients by Sipsmith

The World Atlas of Gin by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley

The Big Book of Gin by Dan Jones

Gin Made Me Do It: 60 Beautifully Botanical Cocktails by Jassy Davis

Ginspiration: The Best Distilleries, Infusions, and Cocktails by Klaus St. Rainer

Gin Cocktails: Classic & contemporary cocktails by Hamlyn

Aged Gin Cocktails: 25 Cocktails for Gin's Newest Style by Aaron J Knoll

International Books

The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages by Stephen Lyman, Chris Bunting

Great Northern Cocktails by Shawn Soole

Drunk in China: Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture by Derek Sandhaus

Whisky Books

World of Whisky: Taste, Try and Enjoy Whiskies From Around the World by David Wishart, Neil Ridley

The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes by Robin Robinson

The Whisky Dictionary: An A Z of whisky, from history & heritage to distilling & drinking by Ian Wisniewski

Whisky Cocktails by Hamlyn

The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius by Bob Batchelor

Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2020: North American Edition by Jim Murray

Rum and Tiki

Rum Cocktails by Hamlyn

The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails: A Spirited Journey Through Suburbia’s Hidden Tiki Temples by Tom Morgan and Kelly Reilly

Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails by Shannon Mustipher

Minimalist Tiki by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith

A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World by Joseph Piercy

(new translation) D. KERVÉGANT – Rhum and Cane Eau-de-vie (1946)

Other Spirits

That's the Spirit!: 100 of the world's greatest spirits and liqueurs to drink with style by Jonathan Ray

The Tequila Dictionary by Eric Zandona

Understanding Mezcal by James Schroeder

Misc Recipe Books

Schofields Classic Cocktail Cabinet by Joe Schofield, Daniel SchofieldHow to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen

Gather Around Cocktails: Drinks to Celebrate Usual and Unusual Holidays by Aaron Goldfarb

Vogue Cocktails by Henry McNulty

Cocktails with a Twist: 21 Classic Recipes. 141 Great Cocktails. by Kara Newman

Flask: 41 Portable Cocktails to Drink Anywhere by Sarah Baird

Happy Hour: The Cocktail Card Game by Laura Gladwin and Marcel George

Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World by Derek Brown and Robert Yule

The Complete Home Bartender's Guide: Tools, Ingredients, Techniques, & Recipes for the Perfect Drink by Salvatore Calabrese

Bar Chef: Handcrafted Cocktails by Christiaan Rollich

Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion by Maggie Hoffman

Floral Libations: 41 Fragrant Drinks + Ingredients by Cassie Winslow

From Garden to Glass: 80 Botanical Beverages Made from the Finest Fruits, Cordials, and Infusions by David Hurst

French Moderne: Cocktails from the Twenties and Thirties with recipes by Franck Audoux

Fancy AF Cocktails: Drink Recipes from a Couple of Professional Drinkers by Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval

The Postmodern Bartender by Hayden Wood

The NoMad Cocktail Book by Leo Robitschek

The Aviary: Holiday Cocktails by Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, Allen Hemberger

How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen

Let's Get Blitzen: 60+ Christmas Cocktails to Make Your Spirits Bright by Sother Teague

Misc Books: Industry, Bitters, Distilling

Botany at the Bar: The Art and Science of Making Bitters by Selena Ahmed, Ashley Duval, Rachel Meyer

How To Get U.S. Market-Ready: Wine and Spirits by Steve Raye

The Art of Distilling, Revised and Expanded: An Enthusiast's Guide to the Artisan Distilling of Whiskey, Vodka, Gin and other Potent Potables by Bill Owens, Alan Dikty, Andrew Faulkner

Cocktail and Culture Books

The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions

Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming, the Official Cocktail Book

Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time by Brad Thomas Parsons

Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for '90s Kids by Sam Slaughter

Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us by Jeff Cioletti

A Sidecar Named Desire: Great Writers and the Booze That Stirred Them by Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp

Gin Austen: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen by Colleen Mullaney

Gin Rummy: Gin Lovers Playing Cards by Emma Stokes and Jean Andre

Glass and Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court and Alcohol by Nancy Maveety

Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America by Brian F. Haara

Beer, Cider, and Wine Books

Drink Better Beer: Discover the Secrets of the Brewing Experts by Joshua M. Bernstein

Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard by Jason Wilson

Spritz Fever!: Sixty Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails by Elouise Anders

The Cider Insider: The Essential Guide to 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now by Susanna Forbes

The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal

Natural Wine for the People: What It Is, Where to Find It, How to Love It by Alice Feiring

Celebrate Rosé: Cocktails & Parties for Life's Rosiest Moments by Ashley Rose Conway

Cheese Beer Wine Cider: A Field Guide to 75 Perfect Pairings by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley

Sakepedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage by Jeff Cioletti

The Bucket List: Beer: 1000 Adventures " Pubs " Breweries " Festivals by Justin Kennedy

The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

YES WAY ROSÉ A Guide to the Pink Wine State of Mind by Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir

Not enough books for you??? Check out:

All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2018

All the drink books that came out in 2017

All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting

All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting

More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting

December 3, 2019
More Eyeball Ice Balls and Ice Fangs for Halloween

I made more fun ice for Halloween. Recently I put some bouncy eyeballs into ice balls and froze a Halloween mask into an ice block.

This time I put some big glass eyes into ice balls and put vampire fangs into other ice balls. The glass eyes were an idea from bartender Ramon Pinon – they are available on Amazon at this link. I got these super large ones that fit into the ice ball mold that I use atop the Thermos Funtainer similarly to how I made these bugs and spider ice balls last year.

For the vampire fangs, I found colored ones at CVS and put them into the IceOlogy ice ball trays. The trick here is to put them in sideways so that air pockets don't form underneath them.

Anyway, good times, enjoy.

October 30, 2019
Eyeballs Inside Ice Balls – Halloween Ice

I did another stupid thing!

I bought some bouncy eyeballs in the Halloween section of the drug store and put them inside the IceOlogy clear ice ball maker.

The balls float inside the ice ball molds so when they freeze they're touching the outside of the ice ball- I'd prefer them to be fully enclosed in ice. Because the balls are not food safe I would not recommend serving these to customers in a bar setting, and because they touch the outside of the ice I'd not recommend serving them in alcohol, lest it degrade the plastic.

But anyway, another fun ice project for home. If you liked this, you might also enjoy these Spiders and other Insect Ice Balls I did last year.

For an index of all sorts of exciting clear ice projects, visit the Index of Ice Experiments!

September 28, 2019
Dinosaur Head Ice Block

I was recently in Shanghai judging a cocktail competition and saw a dinosaur hand puppet for kids in a store. Naturally, I thought, "I bet this would fit in my cooler and make an awesome ice block."

Ice fans, I was correct.

The head fit perfectly into my igloo cooler. I filled it with water along with the cooler and stuck it near the water's surface. It was just touching the sides so I didn't need to support it- perfect fit.

If you're not up to speed on how the block came out so clear, it is because of Directional Freezing. I didn't allow the entire cooler to freeze, but removed it before the whole block froze; about 2 days. (In fact the bottom side of the dinosaur isn't frozen enough and pokes out of the ice a bit – if I do it again I will leave it in a little longer.)

This would be a fun presentation as a display block for events.

Even better, if I made yellow-tinted ice balls (saffron-infused water) and put mosquitos inside them, for a full Jurassic Park themed cocktail service!

For more information about directional freezing and wacky ice projects of all types, check out the Index of Ice Experiments page here on Alcademics.

September 13, 2019
Color Talk Resources from Tales of the Cocktail
For attendees of my talk on Color in Cocktails and Spirits at Tales of the Cocktail 2019, below are notes and links from the slides.

Product links are to Amazon.com.

For all the natural colorings to use in cocktails, see Cocktail Coloring – Natural Food Colorings to Use in Drinks
- Cocktail Techniques book by Kazuo Uyeda
- Alchermes/Alkermes – Heirloom liqueurs from Bittercube
- Cochineal – Product [link] Note that it's not marked as food safe. Book about cochineal A Perfect Red.
- Mauve book [link]
- Purple and pH color changing drinks – anthocyanin – see this blog post
- The Standard Manual of Soda and Other Beverages (1906) [link]
- Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold [link]
- Black coloring information – activated charcoal on CocktailSafe.org
- Methods of Removing Color
  1.Distillation/Redistillation
  
  2.Charcoal Filtration
  
  3.Milk Washing – Article on Cook's Illustrated
  
  4.Citrus Clarification
- Extracting Natural Colors – Freeze-thaw method for extracting natural colors
- Colored Ice Ball molds – Mini Rainbow Ice Balls
- Xanthan Gum to keep color dispersed when freezing
- Instagram Inspiration: #garnishgame scottcbeattie onedrinkaday
- Book: The Secret Lives of Color
For anyone who missed it, the talk was:

Saturday, 7/20/2019

Color in Spirits and Cocktails

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

This seminar will examine color in spirits and in cocktail ingredients, from the history of naturally-derived colors (and how to use them today) to artificial coloring, to ways to remove color from cocktails and spirits.

Until the creation of synthetic dyes – a laboratory accident in the attempt to synthesize quinine – food and beverage dyes were naturally derived from materials including tree barks (oak bark used to dye curacao liqueur), minerals including copper and iron to make things green and blue (and often, toxic), and insects (kermes scale insects, later replaced by the New World discovery of Oaxacan cochineal). The first synthetic dye (mauve), derived from coal tar, gave way to dozens of others that ended up in food and drink, including most colored liqueurs today as well as those neon maraschino cherries. We’ll study the history of synthetic dyes and modern safety concerns (did you know red M&Ms were taken off the market for 11 years due to a cancer scare?), as well as touch upon how some spirits use different coloring in different countries. And of course we’ll talk about blue wine, because yuck.

These days there is a renewed interest in natural colorings for cocktails, with cochineal making the strongest comeback but bartenders using everything from beet powder to butterfly pea flower tea to annatto to alter the color of drinks and garnishes. We’ll talk through the options and pros and cons of using various natural colorings in your drinks at home and the bar.

We'll also study the most popular natural coloring in the spirits world: caramel that’s used in rum, whisky, and tequila, and other spirits. And finally, we’ll review ways to remove color from cocktails and spirits: by charcoal filtration as is done with aged rum and cristalino tequilas, and we’ll briefly touch on how milk washing works to filter color from cocktails.
July 19, 2019