Hollywood Cocktails

I actually saw this book lying on a stand-up comedian's art-deco coffee table on a home-improvement program on the Home and Garden Network, and the cover piqued my interest. I bought it on a whim to discover the book reflects a novel idea, a cocktail recipe book in the guise of a Hollywood classic movie tribute. As someone who enjoys watching classic films and doesn't mind the occasional mixed drink, I was immediately drawn to this creative melding. After all, films of the golden era always had glamorous stars imbibing a smart cocktail to establish a mood or simply as a means to move the plot along. Author Tobias Steed has an obvious love for old Hollywood and a wellspring of knowledge from which he writes fluidly (pardon the pun) matching classic films with classic cocktails. The presentation is appropriately sleek with silvery duotone, black-and-white print (though honestly the white type can be a bit difficult to read on the field of light gray tone). There is a two-page spread for nearly every drink recipe provided, which includes a photo from which the movie was consumed, a quick synopsis of the film, a relevant quote from the movie, sometimes an interesting factoid about the drink or its salient ingredients and naturally, the ingredients for the cocktail itself. Steed recruited Ben Reed, the manager of the Met Bar in London and the 1997 Cocktail Barman of the Year, to concoct the libations. The resulting recipes are very straightforward. The author also organizes the cocktails cleverly into four sections - the first on the cocktail hour ("After Office Hours"), then aperitifs and digestifs ("Dinner at Eight"), drinks considered ideal for any occasion ("From Here to Eternity") and inevitably, drinks for the day after the night before ("Remember the Night"). It's all done in quite an entertaining way, and you'll discover trivia like (and see stills of) Bette Davis drinking a Gibson as Margo Channing in "All About Eve", or Rita Hayworth nursing a Rob Roy in "Angels Over Broadway", and Alec Guinness in a tropical bar serving mojitos, of course, in "Our Man in Havana". Steed has pulled together a delightful book, one that is far more creative than a standard cocktail recipe book.

Gorgeous book to delve into the "sophisticated" world of Cocktails. Yes, I know, sophisticated is a dubious description but this book brings to life the glamor of Hollywood in its heydey of movie tycoons and temptress starlets. It makes a great gift coupled with a cocktail shaker and a starter bottle of Angostura bitters. Enjoy!

Hollywood Cocktails:Tobias Steed with cocktail recipes by Ben ReedHollywood Cocktails is a great book for lovers of both classic cocktails and film. Leafing through the book takes the reader to a time when drinking and Hollywood were two happy-go-lucky friends. The book starts off with brief introduction and cocktail etiquette pages. These inform the reading without being too stale. Topics include; the basic equipment and types of alcohol, mixes, and garnishes used to make the classic cocktail. With the right equipment and accessories it's time to make some drinks.The first of the four majors sections of Hollywood Cocktails, After Office Hours covers drinks for after work or before dinner. This section mostly covers the king of all drinks, the Martini and some of the many variations and twists one can use when making this classic. Other drinks include the Bacardi Cocktail, and Champagne Cocktail. The drinks are coupled with classic Hollywood movies that feature scenes involving libation. Some of the movies featured in this section include After Office Hours (1935), The Thin Man (1934), and Casablanca (1942). Feeling good? Let's proceed to dinner.Dinner at Eight is the next section covering aperitifs and digestifs. This is the longest section of the book covering such popular drinks as the Manhattan, Rusty Nail, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, and Gimlet. Movies include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Pal Joey (1957), and The Big Sleep (1946). The theme here is to offer options to the Martini. From Here to Eternity, Drinks for all occasions. These are drinks that are a little more light-hearted, fun, or sweet. Here we see such concoctions as the Mint Julep, Planters Punch, and the hang-over-in-a-glass known as the Zombie. Many of the drinks are more complicated, requiring numerous ingredients and some even need a blender. Movies include From Here to Eternity (1953), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941), and Double Indemnity (1944). Now that you've had all these drinks, what's a person to do?The final section, Remember Last Night, covers drinks to cure what ails you. These include the Corpse Reviver, Prairie Oyster, and the classic stand by Bloody Mary. If they don't cure the hang over then they will definitely get your day started Movies include Remember Last Night (1935), The Girl Can't Help it (1956), and Underworld (1927).The book is very stylish and slick in its look and feel. The information is crisp, clear and concise. The drink recipes are easy to follow and understand. The movie stills are great and feature some of the biggest names to ever grace the silver screen. Hollywood Cocktails would make a nice addition to the bookshelf or coffee table. I would suggest taking notes and using the notes in place of the book while behind the bar.On the down side, I found some of the text hard to read. The silver text on the white background and white text on silver background took away some of