This book was written by David A. Embury, first published in 1948, then in Britain in 1953 and lastly with permission by his wife by Mud Puddle Books. This book is on demand and it’s no surprise why it a popular cocktail book because it is not your traditional cocktail books made by professional bartenders but a ‘lawyer’ who enjoy and respected his cocktails in his prime to his golden years.

The intimidation of having to be a bartender is cleaned straight off the bat because the first sentence of the foreword states that “Anyone can make good cocktails” making it friendly to every adult to try out cocktailing making. If you are new to the cocktail world then this book is for you.

With a simple structure of information regarding toprincipleskills, important equipment and basic cocktails with each spirit in detail information. Embury has suggested for most cocktails to be in the ration of 1:2:8 in a simple format of the base, modifying agent and special flavouring or colouring agent that would guarantee a satisfactory cocktail for most.

The words, grammar and structure are nicely written in a casual tone but there are few minor typo’s but wouldn’t affect the reading. This book have inspired many people to become home or professional bartenders as he suggests to “Roll Your Own” meaning to make you own ratio that suit your taste and more than satisfactory, they would even call themselves “Emburian” who have the beliefs that anyone can become a bartender and you’re not confined to the recipe but free to create, invent and experiment your own cocktails.

I give this book a 8/10 rating, as this book is ideal for people starting out to become home bartenders, it won’t be anything new for a professional or even starting to become one as it lacks in bartender experiences behind the actual bar.

Overall, David A. Embury was an average lawyer with excellent taste in cocktails and has acknowledge his daughter and her husband’s wishes to “commit to paper the wisdom and learning herein contained, this book is affectionately dedicated”

Thank you for reading

Next review would be on “The Joy of Mixology” by Gary Regan