Day, Fauchald & Kaplan Cocktail Codex

Last updated: April 11, 2022


The craft of mixing drinks is presented here in a novel way, using a easy-to-digst "root cocktail" approach to teach the basics. The drinks are divided into six basic categories; when you learn how they work you'll be able to make create infinite variations within them.

We looked at the top Mixology Books and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Mixology Book you should buy.

Product Details

Key Takeaway: Learn about cocktail "templates" to get a real understanding of fundamentals and how to fashion modern drinks.

In our analysis of 19 expert reviews, the Day, Fauchald & Kaplan Cocktail Codex placed 5th when we looked at the top 6 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

From the authors of the bestselling and genre-defining cocktail book Death & Co, Cocktail Codex is a comprehensive primer on the craft of mixing drinks that employs the authors’ unique “root cocktails” approach to give drink-makers of every level the tools to understand, execute, and improvise both classic and original cocktails. JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • WINNER OF THE TALES OF THE COCKTAIL SPIRITED AWARD® FOR BEST NEW COCKTAIL OR BARTENDING BOOK • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY CHICAGO TRIBUNE. “There are only six cocktails.” So say Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan, the visionaries behind the seminal craft cocktail bar Death & Co. In Cocktail Codex, these experts reveal for the first time their surprisingly simple approach to mastering cocktails: the “root recipes,” six easily identifiable (and memorizable!) templates that encompass all cocktails: the old-fashioned, martini, daiquiri, sidecar, whisky highball, and flip. Once you understand the hows and whys of each “family,” you’ll understand why some cocktails work and others don’t, when to shake and when to stir, what you can omit and what you can substitute when you’re missing ingredients, why you like the drinks you do, and what sorts of drinks you should turn to—or invent—if you want to try something new.

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

Thorough and engaging explanation of the major cocktail families. More than just a collection of recipes - this explains the frameworks and how the different ingredient categories interact, with examples.
Incredibly accessible in its scope, this book is for the home mixologist who wants to progress from beginner to intermediate, completely demystifying cocktail-making at its core. We also love the big, gorgeous photos, which generate an extra level of excitement and inspiration when you're wading into a new cocktail-making endeavor.
Teaches you to make your own recipes. Beautiful illustrations. Coffee table book quality.
Cocktail Codex has broad appeal be it for bartenders, cocktail enthusiasts or home bartenders. A cocktail novice may find the Death & Co book more approachable until they’re ready to master the six templates in Cocktail Codex. Once the principles are grasped, it inspires creativity behind the bar.
In this book, they reveal their simple approach to mastering cocktails with just six “root recipes” that are easy to identify, memorize and use as templates for all cocktails. We love the simple approach to a world that can be complex and technical and recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand how cocktails and made and e.g. how you can substitute ingredients.

What reviewers didn't like

The main criticism is that, due to covering everything, nothing is covered in great detail.
Pricey.
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