Welcome to the new By the Book, where the Sauce editors choose a monthly theme and pit cookbooks in a head-to-head battle to see who comes out on top. And the winner? We hand the champion over to you in a By the Book Facebook giveaway. In honor of our annual Guide to Drinking, we’re kicking the new BTB off with cocktail books. First up: GQ Drinks, edited by Paul Henderson.
GQ Drinks: The Cocktail Collection for Discerning Drinkers doesn’t mess around. It’s straightforward: The chapters are divided into base spirits, Champagne, modern cocktails, classic cocktails and a few alcohol-free drinks. The layout is simple: There’s a photo of a cocktail, followed by a recipe. In short, it’s a reference book. It’s definitely handy, but you won’t display it on your coffee table.
A classic Pegu Club seemed simple enough to shake up and intrigued me, as it called for both orange and Angostura bitters. GQ editors called for Beefeater – a good intro for anyone easing their way into gin. Beefeater has a clean, neutral flavor, unlike peppery Small’s or Hendrick’s with its more pronounced botanical notes.
Overall, GQ’s Pegu Club was clean tasting, if on the tart side. I’d swap the proportions of lime to Cointreau for a more balanced drink. I’d also be a bit heavier-handed with the bitters to achieve the orange color in the photo; my cocktail had a definite pinkish hue.
The Rundown
Skill level: Intermediate. Most recipes are easy, but occasionally require additional recipes, like a lemon sherbet or a ginger cordial.
This book is for: The occasional cocktail drinker and dabbling home bartender – not quite nerd-alert level.
Other recipes to try: The Bramble, a mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and crème de mûre, or It’s Called a Pineapple Head, which includes rum, maple syrup and pineapple.
The verdict: TBD. Check back next week when we pit GQ Drinks against Cocktails on Tap.
The Pegu Club 1 serving
1¼ oz. Beefeater gin
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz. Cointreau
1 tsp. sugar syrup
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
• Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Reprinted with permission from Octopus Publishing
This article appears in September 2015.
