The NoMad Cocktail Book

July 15, 2019
Robitschek, the bar director for New York’s Eleven Madison Park and NoMad Hotel, once studied to become a doctor, and in his debut, he shows a surgeon’s precision in crafting cocktails. Attention to detail and creative flourishes are the hallmarks of the more than 230 recipes culled here from the drinks Robitschek and his colleagues have created for the NoMad since its 2012 opening. An opening chapter of intense aperitifs includes a cocktail called Hot Broth—made with chicken jus, spiced tomato water, sherry, and absinthe—as well as a Pimm’s cup variation called The Cup of Joe, with vanilla and cinnamon syrups, citric juices, and coffee-infused vermouth. Subsequent chapters are titled “Light Spirited” (which includes a red pepper-passion fruit daiquiri made using three kinds of rum), “Dark Spirited” (in which the Doyers Street contains a blended rye whiskey and St. Germain), “Classics” (such as a Bijou of Plymouth gin, sweet vermouth, green chartreuse, orange bitters) and “Soft Cocktails” (nonalcoholic concoctions such as the Gotham Parksider with green tea and maple syrup). Each recipe begins with a concise description (The Lowrider, for example, is “a mezcal Manhattan with fig”), and ingredients are listed from smallest-volume component to largest. This volume is best suited for professional or experienced mixologists with well-stocked bars and pantries. Fresh ingredients fuel fresh thinking in this concise and inspired collection.

September 1, 2019

This book from the bar director at the NoMad in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas brings the hotel bar's creative cocktails home. A Service Guide offers a deep dive into ingredients, garnishes, tools, ice, and techniques, and details Robitschek's drink-making methodology as well as suggestions for developing one's own creations. Helpfully organized into Aperitifs, Light Spirited, Dark Spirited, Classics, and Soft Cocktails, each of the nearly 300 recipes includes a short description--the Original Sin is "a fig-forward, rich brandy sour with hints of young coconut"--along with the preferred glass and type of ice. A welcome chapter of nonalcoholic cocktails re-creates Tiki drinks and classics such as Guidara's Sober Manhattan (seedlip spice, verjus, maple syrup, cold brew coffee, and walnut bitters), which are just as complex as their boozy brethren. Recipes for the necessary syrups and infusions--from orgeat to kabocha squash water--are also included. Some obscure ingredients and multiple homemade syrups may make this a challenging book for mixology novices, but straightforward design, easy-to-follow instructions, and detailed front matter will help committed home bartenders create wow-worthy drinks. VERDICT A meticulous guide to inventive cocktails, with behind-the-scenes information on drink-making at the NoMad Bar.--Katy Hershberger, School Library Journal

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.