TITLE: Diffords Guide Cocktails # 7: over 2,250 cocktails
AUTHOR : Simon Difford
PUBLISHER: Diffords Guide
COST : $35 
TYPE: Drinks recipes
REVIEWED BY: Chris Carlsson, SpiritsReview.com

Simon Difford, a master mixologist, bon vivant, and author, has published a series of Diffords Guides, each on a classic and well worth buying. They cover all manner of drinks (with many of his own creations), atmospheric bar shots, spirits reviews, and mixology tips. How he manages to produce so much material and still have any sort of social life (or get out at all) is a wonder and inspiration to the rest of us.

His latest masterwork Cocktails # 7, could be considered The Whole Earth Catalog of mixology (or possibly the bartenders version of the Physicians Desk Reference or PDR for those familiar with it).

Over 400 pages of tips, techniques, a massive section on drinks (with pictures), spirits reviews and a guide to the worlds best cocktail bars. Heavy enough to qualify as a weapon in most jurisdictions, it is solidly bound, well laid out, and printed in a large format. So unlike most drinks books, it is easy to read, nicely indexed in various ways, and can be used as a reference for years to come without falling apart.

As a repository of all cocktail knowledge and wisdom it easily surpasses the Mr. Boston Bartenders Guide (long considered an industry standard manual and now in its 66th edition), in quality, depth, breadth and sheer numbers of cocktails. If you are going to buy any cocktail book, this is the one to have.

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