A Round of Bar Guides for Everyone!: A Comparative Review of Alcoholic Beverage Preparation Manuals Available to Purchase

The consumption of alcoholic beverages has been a social custom throughout the world since the beginning of recorded history. Various wines, beers, and liquors have been a part of almost every culture since ancient times. The modern cocktail originated in Elizabethan England and quickly spread throughout the world. And just as new experiments continually add to the variety of known alcoholic beverages, new books appear describing these drinks and the recipes required to mix them. From yesterday's mulled wine and cider to today's Mai Tai, Margarita, and Tequila Sunrise, bartenders and home party planners refer to these sources when making both traditional and exotic drink recipes. This review is a comparison of thirteen currently available commercial bar guides. While libraries have not traditionally collected in the bar guide genre, every library should have at least one in its collection for use as a reference source or for patrons to use in their homes.