In Dave Arnold's world, the shape of an ice cube, the sugars and acids
in an apple, and the bubbles in a bottle of champagne are all
ingredients to be measured, tested, and tweaked.
With Liquid Intelligence, the creative force at work in Booker & Dax,
New York City's high-tech bar, brings readers behind the counter and
into the lab. There, Arnold and his collaborators investigate
temperature, carbonation, sugar concentration, and acidity in search of
ways to enhance classic cocktails and invent new ones that revolutionize
your expectations about what a drink can look and taste like.
Years of rigorous experimentation and study--botched attempts and
inspired solutions--have yielded the recipes and techniques found in
these pages. Featuring more than 120 recipes and nearly 450 color
photographs, Liquid Intelligence begins with the simple--how ice forms
and how to make crystal-clear cubes in your own freezer--and then
progresses into advanced techniques like clarifying cloudy lime juice
with enzymes, nitro-muddling fresh basil to prevent browning, and
infusing vodka with coffee, orange, or peppercorns.
Practical tips for preparing drinks by the pitcher, making homemade
sodas, and building a specialized bar in your own home are exactly what
drink enthusiasts need to know. For devotees seeking the cutting edge,
chapters on liquid nitrogen, chitosan/gellan washing, and the
applications of a centrifuge expand the boundaries of traditional
cocktail craft.
Arnold's book is the beginning of a new method of making drinks, a
problem-solving approach grounded in attentive observation and creative
techniques. Readers will learn how to extract the sweet flavor of
peppers without the spice, why bottling certain drinks beforehand beats
shaking them at the bar, and why quinine powder and succinic acid lead
to the perfect gin and tonic.
Liquid Intelligence is about satisfying your curiosity and refining
your technique, from red-hot pokers to the elegance of an old-fashioned.
Whether you're in search of astounding drinks or a one-of-a-kind journey
into the next generation of cocktail making, Liquid Intelligence is
the ultimate standard--one that no bartender or drink enthusiast should
be without.
