Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home

James Beard Award–winning food and travel writer Hirsch (editorial director, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street) states that he is aware that some cocktail books require making secondary recipes or using techniques and ingredients that go beyond what readers can do or keep on hand at home. Thus he offers a collection of recipes that are both exciting and simple to make. Take, for example, “That Wascally Wabbit”: a quick infusion of carrot in vodka using a blender, with the rest of the process simply shaking and straining until done. Hirsch smartly maps out flavor profiles of classic cocktails to help readers find recipes that they might want to try next. Illustrations by Lika Kvirikashvili are marvelous as well. This book invites readers to explore and to try, and many are sure to do so extensively.