A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World [A Cocktails Book]

Robert Simonson, a New York Times cocktail writer and recognized expert on the subject, presents A Proper Drink as the first comprehensive account of the contemporary craft cocktail revival. He draws upon interviews with more than two hundred key players from around the world to construct this narrative history. The work focuses on the last twenty-five years of modern drink-making, highlighting the bars, bartenders, patrons, and visionaries who reshaped the industry. Simonson organizes the text as a rollicking story that remains slightly tipsy in tone, capturing the energy of the movement without losing factual accuracy. The book also features a curated selection of approximately forty cocktails to emerge from this era. This collection includes twenty-five modern classics alongside an additional fifteen to twenty rediscovered classics and classic contenders. Readers will find the text grounded in the specific traditions and periods that defined the craft cocktail renaissance. It suits those interested in the biography and history of alcoholic beverages and bartending. It may not appeal to readers seeking only a straightforward recipe collection without historical context or narrative depth.