Greg has a real penchant for opening up a batallion of queries. I think the argument between Vic & Don as the reigning kings of tiki will rage on, & I'm less interested personally in establishing either title than understanding/respecting the differences & individual merits. Especially as we're in a period of the cocktail's history where we're each pursuing our own unique styles, less the cult of personality (though there are & will always be those who have this as their primary goal) than a mounting respect for the craft itself.

In terms of last 3-5 years, Art of the Bar can't be underestimated. Less history of the cocktail than coffee table accoutrement, it's an invaluable addition by some profoundly gifted bartenders (Absinthe was, in its heyday when these guys were back there, producing the best cocktails before people were really even thinking in that direction). In addition to some tres cool new recipes, it really addresses technique in a very pragmatic sense (whereas the historians' books are each based on how to make at home, w/o fretting over production on a daily basis). Going back a little further, the profession owes a great debt to Regan's Joy of Mixology & DeGroff's Art of the Cocktail (though Appletinis & lemon drops still hold strong in those documents).

I do, however, argue that this discussion would benefit more from looking at it more bird's eye; i.e., what are the volumes each of us feels are vital to a library. Sure, we all know Bon Vivant's & Savoy, but I believe Baker's Gentleman's Companion is far & away the best read I've had exclusively about cocktails; just an authentic record of original recipes, with the best narrative of any book. Also, David Embury's Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (still waiting to bite the $250 bullet on that one, so if anyone sees it cheaper...)

Another quick note: one of my regulars lent me Trader Vic's original print, which has 5 opening chapters removed from subsequent editions: How to spot a con artist, who we hate to serve, general bartending etiquette, etc. It's some of the funniest &most astute examinations of the praxis of the job.

I picked up three of the Beachbum books this year. "Intoxica" "Grog Log" and "Sippin' Safari" and really came to enjoy them. I have always had a soft spot for Tiki and learning to make some of the more unusual and less popular tiki cocktails was really satisfying and eye opening, so I think I'll lean towards those books as my favorite of the year. I really liked "Imbibe", but like Lance said, it just kind of filled in some blanks. It was a lot of info I had come across at some point over the years and it didn't really help me advance as a bartender at all. Good read, though. I haven't read the Felton book. There is a good discussion over at Jeff's site from a few months back about books. You'll have to scroll through the archives, but that's not such a bad thing. "Art of the Bar" is the book I recommend to anyone who asks me for a definitive guide on how to be a professional bartender.

It's fascinating that Tiki dominated the cocktail culture for so many decades, and practically disappeared sometime in the '70s, leaving little footprint but a few bright lights, some fallen Tikis, and an endless supply of chintzy "tiki party" plastic goods.

The past few years have been good for the resurgence of Tiki, thanks to the works of Jeff Berry, Sven Kirsten, Otto, Hanford, and even the pop-art of Shag.

Okay, I'm about to go into spiel mode. Feb 19th, Tiki Tuesday at Teardrop. I'll save my speeches for that night, but anyone interested in sampling some drinks in true style, just pop me an e-mail (blair at tradertiki dot com).

"Sippin Safari" is a GREAT book, and a very important one for anybody even remotely interested in the Tiki/Exotic Drink era. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

The first book I always direct folks to is of course David Embury's "Fine Art of Mixing Drinks", used to be that these were about $45 or even less on eBay... but no more. Take heart however, a reprint is in the works, and "should" be available at Tales of the Cocktail this year, and in bookstores soon afterwards. The publisher was determined to get the rights to reprint the book and after a lot of research, phone calls, and dead ends, finally located the person who "owned" the copyright (even though she didn't realize it), and was able to negotiate a reprint deal.

Same publisher will be publishing several other classic/historic reprints as well.

And speaking of reprinting, I should point out that while Ted Haigh's "Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktail" has gone out of print, the publisher was so inundated with complaints about this that they've realized they need to do a reprint. Ted says they are even going to give the book a bit of a face lift and add some additional content.

-Robert

I got mine around the end of January, but I did have to check stock at local stores and ended up driving to the Tigard Borders. Good news about the reprint.