Cocktail books are a dime a dozen.

And everyone will purport to teach you “the secrets” and all the usual blather about cocktail lore and such. But only a few deliver. A Bartender’s Guide to the World is one such book and it’s refreshing in its conceit. Toronto-born Lauren Mote has travelled the world winning competitions, consulting for hospitality groups, and…oh, she also launched the lauded Bittered Sling brand. Cocktail newbies and experts alike will find inspiration and instruction here, as Mote presents recipes inspired by the places she’s visited — a modest 75 destinations. So, for example, trade your daiquiri for a “daiquirita,” inspired by a visit to Taipei, where Mote’s husband ordered a drink to “satisfy his craving for both dark rum and blanco tequila.” This is fun stuff, as Mote explores the frontier of cocktails with a firm basis in the fundamentals. Her recipes for cordials, shrubs and vermouths are the bricks with which you will build great cocktails. Whether they are as pretty as hers is up to you.

—DICK SNYDER

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