Pretty Simple Cocktails

Introduction

If you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to assume that you appreciate a good cocktail. Maybe you’ve been shaking up drinks for decades, or maybe you’re just starting to set up the bar of your dreams in your first apartment. Whoever you are, welcome to the party—we’ve got plenty of booze, bubbles, and mocktails to go around.

If you’re used to ordering cocktails from professionals (aka mixologists or your best friend who is really into home bartending), mixing a drink can seem mysterious and even intimidating. But as I’ve learned, you don’t need a commercially stocked bar full of specialty liqueurs and bitters (or even any crazy tools) to make a perfectly balanced, impeccably garnished drink. There really is no right or wrong entry level for making great drinks at home—anyone can do it. At the end of the day, at-home bartending isn’t so different from cooking. It’s all about being inventive with the fresh ingredients you have on hand and keeping an open mind toward experimentation.

I still remember the moment it all clicked for me. I was in my early twenties, and my uncle Brad invited me over for a mini bartending lesson. Knowing that I was starting to take a budding interest in cocktails, Brad cleared off his kitchen island to set up two identical bartending stations, one for me, one for him. Each was equipped with ingredients, shakers, and recipes for three classic cocktails: the old-fashioned, the Aviation, and the sidecar.

With the first sip of my homemade sidecar, I knew this was only the beginning for me. With just three ingredients and some shaking and straining, I had made a drinkable piece of art—something that would have cost upwards of $15 at a bar but can cost an estimated $4 per drink at home.

Since then, I’ve made hundreds (maybe thousands) of drinks for friends, family, and the passionate community of Internet cocktail folks who know me as Join Jules online. My uncle Brad and I even host a podcast called The Art of Drinking, where Brad takes on a classic every week and I add a modern twist.

My recipes focus on approachability and fresh flavors. You don’t need professional experience behind the bar to make an herbaceous, floral masterpiece that channels the smells and sights of walking through a garden.

As someone who grew up in a family that’s been farming in Northern California for more than 150 years, I draw a lot of inspiration from the seasons. I like to peruse the farmers’ markets and grocery stores in San Diego, where I live, and explore seasonal flavor combinations from what I see there.

As you’ll learn from the juices, syrups, and shrubs in this book, there are endless ways to preserve atpeak produce to bring more life into your cocktails.

Whatever you have growing in your garden or ripening on your counter, I hope that reading this book will help you create the happiest of happy hours in the comfort of your own home and empower you to improvise when inspiration strikes.

Make a cocktail right the first time so you know what good tastes like. From there, all that matters is what you like. Like it sweeter? Add a little extra syrup. More tart? Use the whole lime. With a little kick? Add salt to the rim. So, let’s grab a glass from the shelf, throw some ice in that shaker, and find you the perfect drink.