Author Biography

Merrily Grashin is an illustrator and bartender living in Brooklyn. Her business, Greet'n'Potatoes, produces letter-pressed cards and prints featuring food- and beverage-themed illustrations and groan-worthy jokes. She received her BA from NYU's Gallatin School with a concentration in Community Activism & Political Art Theory. Merrily got her first job bussing tables at 15 and has since worked in restaurants and bars across New York, from Bar Boulud on the Upper West Side to Roberta's Pizza in Bushwick.

Review

Praise for Women's Libation!

"Finally, a celebration of strong women and strong cocktails! How rare is the book that will educate you on authors, artists, philosophers, revolutionaries, and make you a better host?  Lovingly hand-drawn and deliciously punny, Merrily Grashin's collection of enhanced classic cocktails and original artwork is a tribute to women—like Grashin herself—who inspire us to break all the rules."—Stephanie Danler, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter

Review Quote

Praise for Women's Libation! "Finally, a celebration of strong women and strong cocktails! How rare is the book that will educate you on authors, artists, philosophers, revolutionaries, and make you a better host? Lovingly hand-drawn and deliciously punny, Merrily Grashin's collection of enhanced classic cocktails and original artwork is a tribute to women--like Grashin herself--who inspire us to break all the rules."--Stephanie Danler, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetbitter

Excerpt from Book

The Essentials Tools of the Trade We''ll get to the booze soon enough, but before anything else, a bartender needs to be outfitted with the right tools. Though we''ve all needed to get creative from time to time and been forced to mix up tipples with a butter knife in a pinch, being equipped with the right barware can go a long way toward creating consistent cocktails and improving the quality of your game. Here''s an introductory set of suggestions to get you started. Jigger (measuring cup for drinks): Most jiggers have two sides to measure different increments. While they come in many sizes, a good place to start is with one jigger that has a 1-ounce small cup and a 2-ounce large cup, and another that has a -ounce small cup and a 1-ounce large cup. Mixing glass: A classic pint glass usually works just fine, but you can also find a hardy mixing glass designed for this sole purpose. Shaker: A Boston shaker is best-the important part is the metal tin. These can have two metal parts, or the large half can be paired with a mixing glass, which is easily replaceable. Strainers: A Hawthorne strainer is preferred-it has a flat top affixed to a coiled spring. These are commonly used for straining shaken drinks. "Julep strainers" are round, spoon-shaped strainers with no coil and are generally used for stirred drinks. If you''re only going to opt for one for your home bar, however, go with the Hawthorne. Bar spoon: These are long, slender spoons that help stir drinks without aerating the liquids too much. Muddler: A dense wooden or metal tool used to crush or mix solid ingredients. Peeler: A good peeler is a bartender''s best friend when crafting the right garnish. A small, sharp knife works, but a Y-shaped peeler with the blade perpendicular to the handle is preferable. Make sure the blade is fresh! Fresh Ice: Make sure it tastes and smells, well, like nothing. This is super important. You wouldn''t believe how much an ice tray that has been sitting next to your frozen chili for two weeks tastes like two-week-old frozen chili and how much it affects the taste of your drink. (It''s definitely a bonus to have ice on the bigger side in most cases, since it melts less quickly and won''t water down your drink, but size is nowhere near as important as freshness and purity.) Breaking the Glass Ceiling on Glassware No need to abide by conformist glassware suggestions! But, hey, just in case, here''s a list for reference. Rocks/Old Fashioned Glass (can hold 6-8 oz) Coupe Glass (5-7 oz) Cocktail/Martini Glass (4-5 oz) Highball/Collins Glass (10 oz) Flute (6 oz) Wineglass (Bourdeax or Burgundy/White or Red) (varies) Pint Glass (16 oz) Hurricane Glass (20 oz) Mug (Irish Coffee) (10 oz) Cordial or Sherry Glass (4 oz) (Brandy) Snifter (12 oz) Shot Glass (2 oz) Creating Your Perfect Drink Most cocktails, as with most everything in life, rely on a certain principle of balance. Begin with the understanding that your alcohol (spirit) is the star of the show. You want to both complement and emphasize its taste with a balance of the sweet (think sweet liqueurs, sugar, vermouth) and the more bold or even harsh flavors (think acidic citrus, bitters, herbal liqueurs). Of course, there are exceptions, but if you stick to this basic framework, it''ll be easier not only to remember recipes but to experiment with making your own drinks. A good rule of thumb is that most classic cocktails have between 1 and 3 ounces of total alcohol, in addition to a wide range of other components, mixers, and water. Bar Tips Learning these simple terms will allow you to understand most basic drinks, streamline your techniques, and sound like a pro when whipping up your favorite cocktails at home. "Build": If the cocktail calls for a "shake" or a "stir," you''re generally meant to create, or "build," the drink in a separate mixing glass, which is then strained into its preferred glassware. This process helps evenly distribute the ingredients. It''s good to get in the habit of building your cocktail using the same order of ingredients each time. I build mine from the bitters on up, which means I start with a dash of bitters (if the recipe calls for it), then the juices or syrups (the less vitally important, or cheaper, ingredients-this is in case you''ve made a mistake and need to start over; you can''t be wasting that precious booze!). And, finally, I finish with the spirit or spirits. Some drinks are simple enough to be built directly in the glass (usually if there are only two parts or it''s topped with a fizzy soda that can''t be shaken), but others are more complex. "Layer": Layered cocktails create a visible layering of ingredients and are often just for appearances. Sometimes the layering or separating of ingredients adds a complexity to the drink, allowing the tastes to evolve and change with each sip. Other times the layered drinks can be stirred after they''ve made their grand debut. "Shake": Any drink that contains fruit juice, dairy, or eggs is generally meant to be shaken. To do this, fill your mixing glass with all ingredients, top with ice, and cover it with the shaker at a slight angle. Then tap the metal shaker with the heel of your hand until the two are sealed. Use both hands (especially if you''re a beginner!) to shake it like hell. "Stir": All drinks made solely from liquors and syrups should generally be stirred. In a mixing glass, build your cocktail (in the order you''re in the habit of-bitters on up for me), fill the glass with ice, and stir gently with a bar spoon for about 15 seconds, until the drink is chilled and the ingredients are dispersed. "Strain": Whether you''re trying to separate your cocktail from the ice that chilled it, or you''re trying to strain out ingredients you may have used while mixing (mint or muddled cherries, for example), using your strainer is key. It also minimizes mess by keeping the contents safe inside your mixing glass. To use a Hawthorne strainer (the one with the coil, which can be found at most kitchen or home-ware stores), place the flexible coils on the inside of the glass until the inner plate is flat on top, hold in place, and pour. "Garnish": Often an oversight with home barkeeps, these finishing touches are integral to many drinks. Common garnishes such as lemon, orange, or lime wedges can allow the imbiber to adjust the flavors to their liking. Other garnishes like citrus twists and mint sprigs add a final touch of soft oils and aromas to a drink. Cherries and olives? Eating these is often one of the best parts of Martinis, Manhattans, and the like. Whatever the garnish, don''t overlook it! Bar Terminology Don''t be intimidated by all the cocktail jargon spouted out at your local haunt! Here are some of the most useful ways to describe and modify your classic cocktails. "Perfect": Believe it or not, there''s not just one type of perfect in this world. Different standards of beauty, you say? Yes indeed! You can have a Perfect Martini or Perfect Manhattan. It just means instead of sticking to one type of vermouth (whichever the standard recipe calls for), you use equal parts sweet and dry. Yes, we can have it all! "Dry": Less vermouth than the standard recipe calls for. So the less vermouth you use, the drier the Martini is considered to be. This has nothing to do with the type of vermouth being used (dry or sweet), just the amount. "Very Dry"/"Extra Dry"/"Bone Dry": Just a whisper of vermouth, if any-a rinse of the glass works just fine. To most, an extra-dry Martini means you can probably just omit the vermouth altogether (when in doubt, just ask your Martini-loving pal to clarify their exact preference). "Wet": Refers to the amount, or ratio, of vermouth to spirit. A wet Martini, for example, just refers to more vermouth than the recipe''s standard. "Dirty": The addition of a splash of olive juice (equal parts with your dry vermouth) to a Martini before mixing. "Extra Dirty": The addition of a bigger splash of olive juice to a Martini. "Up": In a chilled coupe or Martini glass. (Best if you get all riled "up" and demand your cocktail to be served cold and without ice!) "On the Rocks": Served over ice. "Neat": Served in a rocks glass with no ice. ALCHEMY: Role of bitters, sugar, mixers, syrups, herbs & elixirs. (A nod to the history of alchemy and "stirring things up.") Alchemy, essentially, is the process of mixing certain solutions or ingredients together to create or convert matter. Translation? Chemistry . . . or, ahem, cocktail-crafting (some even call it "mixology"), depending on how you look at it. The earliest records of Western female alchemists date back to the third century AD. Mary the Jewess and Cleopatra the Alchemist, allegedly knew the formula to create the Philosopher''s Stone, an elixir that could transform mercury into gold and provide longer, healthier lives-even immortality. Now, I''m not saying the perfect Rye Manhattan has been known to produce similar results, but I''m also not not saying that. Alchemy is universal and noted in all recorded history, very often associated with the occult and magic. In essence, it''s an evolving science of cause and effect; precision as well as improvisation; and sensitivity to the senses. Mixing drinks is the same. It''s art and science: when you measure correctly and with all v

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