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Your steps make sense so I'll give that a try. > once you pick a starting point, you can just incrementally explore the graph without having to buy a pile of i

Your steps make sense so I'll give that a try. > once you pick a starting point, you can just incrementally explore the graph without having to buy a pile of ingredients. That's exactly what I was picturing so thanks for the tips. Especially your intro steps and the coverage points. I specifically want to be able to make cocktails for friends at regular hangouts or as a fun activity at get-togethers/parties, so having good coverage is an especially important goal for me. I feel motivated to give it a shot now; I think I'll try Death & Co since a past coworker got into that, or just look around and see what's popular these days. One more follow-up question, after getting some experience with cocktails, have you been able to replicate cocktails you try at bars? That's another skill I'd enjoy having because I really enjoy most craft cocktails at bars, but I draw complete blanks when I try making my own recipes at home (unsurprising since I haven't really gotten into the craft), so I'd love to be able to replicate ones I try

bcbrown 4y ago
It hasn't been updated in a while, but www.drinkboy.com is a nice site for learning cocktail recipes. The author also has a series of videos demonstrating how to mix various cocktails on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87FA3F25BCD5B827 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87FA3F25BCD5B827
munificent 4y ago
I haven't been as into cocktails as I used to be (having kids and getting older curtailed it), so it's been a long time since I've tried to replicate the cocktail experience I've had at bars. I don't know if I ever tried to directly replicate cocktails that I've had in bars. I mostly just focused on picking recipes and then iterating on them until I got them dialed in. It's a fun place to just explore. What I did learn, though, is that almost all of the craft cocktails I see on menus are really just variations on a few basic classic cocktails. They'll give it a fancy name and tweak a few secondary ingredients, but in general, if it's got whiskey, it's often a variation on an old fashioned or Manhattan. (City names are a clue for the latter.) If it has simple syrup and citrus, it's in the ballpark of a sour.
- silicon2401 4y ago
  Great point. That helps reduce the perceived solution space in my head for how a cocktail is made. as a noob it sometimes feels like a black box where these crazy recipes and ingredients come together to make something tasty. I'll start looking for core or common ingredients and preparation methods
alisonatwork 4y ago
I highly recommend the book Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. It categorizes cocktails into logical groupings that explain how to methodically substitute an ingredient to adjust the flavor without creating an imbalanced drink. Most unique cocktails you find at bars are twists on existing themes, so once you grok those fundamentals it becomes easier to recognize what was tweaked.
- silicon2401 4y ago
  that sounds awesome, thanks for the recommendation. that sounds like exactly how I'd want to start, and the explanations sound like exactly what I'd want, too.
2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
Sounds like you want to pick up Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.
- silicon2401 4y ago
  will check that out as well, thank you!

bcbrown 4y ago

It hasn't been updated in a while, but www.drinkboy.com is a nice site for learning cocktail recipes. The author also has a series of videos demonstrating how to mix various cocktails on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87FA3F25BCD5B827 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87FA3F25BCD5B827

munificent 4y ago

I haven't been as into cocktails as I used to be (having kids and getting older curtailed it), so it's been a long time since I've tried to replicate the cocktail experience I've had at bars. I don't know if I ever tried to directly replicate cocktails that I've had in bars. I mostly just focused on picking recipes and then iterating on them until I got them dialed in. It's a fun place to just explore. What I did learn, though, is that almost all of the craft cocktails I see on menus are really just variations on a few basic classic cocktails. They'll give it a fancy name and tweak a few secondary ingredients, but in general, if it's got whiskey, it's often a variation on an old fashioned or Manhattan. (City names are a clue for the latter.) If it has simple syrup and citrus, it's in the ballpark of a sour.

silicon2401 4y ago
Great point. That helps reduce the perceived solution space in my head for how a cocktail is made. as a noob it sometimes feels like a black box where these crazy recipes and ingredients come together to make something tasty. I'll start looking for core or common ingredients and preparation methods

alisonatwork 4y ago

I highly recommend the book Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. It categorizes cocktails into logical groupings that explain how to methodically substitute an ingredient to adjust the flavor without creating an imbalanced drink. Most unique cocktails you find at bars are twists on existing themes, so once you grok those fundamentals it becomes easier to recognize what was tweaked.

silicon2401 4y ago
that sounds awesome, thanks for the recommendation. that sounds like exactly how I'd want to start, and the explanations sound like exactly what I'd want, too.

2muchcoffeeman 4y ago

Sounds like you want to pick up Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.

silicon2401 4y ago
will check that out as well, thank you!