The Basics

From the best bottles, tools and techniques for building your home bar to the history of classic cocktails and the best bars for drinking them, these are all the basics you'll need.
Cocktail books
5 Cocktail Books to Give You a Taste of Your Favorite Bar
Dale DeGroff
The 9 Most Important Bartenders in History
Moscow Mule illustration
The History and Secrets of the Moscow Mule
Bottles
american vermouths
6 Great American Vermouths to Try Now
Rioja bottles
Rioja: What to Know and 5 Bottles to Try
American whiskeys
12 New American Whiskeys to Try Right Now
Low-ABV beers
5 Low-ABV Beers to Try Right Now
Bar Tools
Do Wine-Purifying Products Actually Prevent Headaches?
The Most Brilliant Cocktail Tool on Kickstarter
An Abridged History of Blenders in Bars
Diagonal composite of various cocktail and spirits titles, including Batch Cocktails by Maggie Hoffman, Romantic Cocktails by Clair McLafferty, SakePedia by Jeff Cioletti, and others. Covers range from green to blue to red to black and are against a textured light gray background
8 Cocktail Books to Read in Spring 2019
Tips & Tricks
Cocktail books
12 Cocktail and Spirits Books to Read in Spring 2021
Grenadine bottle
How and Why to Use Grenadine in Your Drinks
Agave bar books
3 Agave-Centric Books Every Bartender Needs to Read
Bright Lights by Ivy Mix incorporates a syrup made with rosé cava.
How to Use Wine Syrups in Your Drinks
History & Trends
Liquor bottle illustration
Scotch and Bonds: How to Invest in a Liquor Collection
New York City’s Compagnie des vins Surnaturels transformed an empty B&B in Cayuga, New York, into Supernatural Lake, a hotel complete with cottage rentals, a wine bar and a full restaurant on the shores of a lake.
8 Trends That Will Define How We Drink in 2021
To-go cocktail prep at The Snug in Sacramento.
7 Trends That Defined How We Drank in 2020
Channel Orange cocktail
Why Aperitivo Hour Has Taken Over America
Drinking Out
The backbar at 400 Rabbits
Seek the Holy Spirit(s) at this ‘Mezcal Church’
Death & Co's Low Tide Beach Bar at the Sound View hotel in Greenport, N.Y.
Are Pop-Ups Saving Bars?
Hotel Distil in Louisville, Ky.
This Hotel Is All About Bourbon
The bar at Rye Street Tavern at Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore. A blond wood bar, enormous windows and bartenders in bowties
5 American Distilleries Where You Can Also Dine