Dale degroff the essential cocktail

Dale DeGroff is widely regarded as the world’s foremost mixologist. Hailed by the New York Times as “single-handedly responsible for what’s been called the cocktail renaissance,” he earned this reputation during his twelve years at the fashionable Promenade Bar in New York City’s Rainbow Room.

It was there in that he not only reintroduced the cocktail menu to the country but also began mixing drinks from scratch, using impeccably fresh ingredients instead of the widespread mixes used at the time. Known especially for crafting unique cocktails, reviving classics, and coaxing superior flavor from his ingredients, DeGroff has selected his essential drinks and of their best variations—including many of his signature cocktails—for this premier mixology guide.

The Essential Cocktail features only those drinks that stand out for their flavor, interesting formula, or distinctive technique.

These are the very ones every amateur and professional bartender must k