The Cocktail Seminars - Hardcover

Brian D. Hoefling

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0789214008 ISBN 13: 9780789214003

Publisher: Abbeville Press, 2026

Synopsis

A tongue-in-cheek "textbook" that offers a complete education in the history and practice of mixology, in five "seminars" covering thirty drinks each

As a senior at Yale, Brian Hoefling realised that his classmates were about to enter the real world with an imperfect knowledge of how to order, prepare, and enjoy cocktails. To remedy this dangerous deficiency, he devised and taught The Cocktail Seminars. In his subsequent career as a cocktail teacher and writer, Hoefling has developed and refined The Cocktail Seminars into the present book. Each of the five seminars herein (from beginner to advanced) covers 30 different drinks, which are arranged so as to progressively introduce the ingredients of mixology, as well as its history and its core principles - souring, bittering, sweetening, aromatising, drying, lengthening, and mouthfeel.

Problem sets and exams challenge readers to apply what they've learned to the creation of new and variant drinks. Those who are less serious about their cocktail education may also consult The Cocktail Seminars for drink recipes as needed, or display it as a handsome accessory on their bar cart - but they are only robbing themselves of a brighter future through the gift of education. The Cocktail Seminars is handsomely bound in vegan leather and furnished with all the charts and photographs one would expect from a proper textbook. It will make an excellent gift for all but teetotallers.

About this title

About the Author

Brian D. Hoefling is the founder of the Herzog Cocktail School, which has been educating the public on cocktail history and preparation since 2012. He is the author of Distilled Knowledge: The Science Behind Drinking's Greatest Myths, Legends, and Unanswered Questions.

From the Back Cover

As a senior at Yale, Brian Hoefling realised that his classmates were about to enter the real world with an imperfect knowledge of how to order, prepare, and enjoy cocktails. To remedy this dangerous deficiency, he devised and taught The Cocktail Seminars. In his subsequent career as a cocktail teacher and writer, Hoefling has developed and refined The Cocktail Seminars into the present book. Each of the five seminars herein (from beginner to advanced) covers 30 different drinks, which are arranged so as to progressively introduce the ingredients of mixology, as well as its history and its core principles - souring, bittering, sweetening, aromatising, drying, lengthening, and mouthfeel.

Problem sets and exams challenge readers to apply what they’ve learned to the creation of new and variant drinks. Those who are less serious about their cocktail education may also consult The Cocktail Seminars for drink recipes as needed, or display it as a handsome accessory on their bar cart - but they are only robbing themselves of a brighter future through the gift of education. The Cocktail Seminars is handsomely bound in vegan leather and furnished with all the charts and photographs one would expect from a proper textbook. It will make an excellent gift for all but teetotalers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0789214008
• ISBN 13: 9780789214003
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 376