The fact there’s only five scant pages of introduction before you’re into the cocktail recipes themselves probably tells you this is really just a book of cocktail recipes. We accept all major credit cards including American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna. From the ABC to the Manhattan and the Negroni to the Zombie, The Cocktail Bible is an A-Z collection of 200 classic and contemporary cocktails. There’s no way we knew that we could use vodka for the Gimlet without reading through the alternatives under the recipes in the Gin chapter. This was a thoroughly refreshing drink – we used a very dry craft cider with fine bubbles, guessing that we should try to replicate the qualities of champagne – and could easily become a hot summer evening’s favourite (obviously we’ll have some fizz in the house to try the original recipe next time).

No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins. The flavours were well balanced, producing a sipping cocktail the equal of or better than most we’d had made for us.Refunds will be made once the items are received by us and a confirmation e-mail will be sent advising the refund amount. There’s a Capsule Cocktail Cabinet in the Introduction of 26 items (supplemented with other items in other Introduction sections) with “all the essential mixers, spirits, bitters and syrups you’ll ever need to take your creativity to the next level” – you should note that this doesn’t by any stretch of the imagination cover all the cocktails in the book (lemon vodka is used in one recipe but not mentioned elsewhere, not even in the Index, the same with Poire Williams).

We expected this to be the bible its luxurious purple and gold cover implied it to be, offering a comprehensive overview of all the basics, an easy way to make use of the spirits and liqueurs you may have in the cupboard, a guide to adding to the stash, and foolproof tips and techniques to become a decent home mixologist. With over 200 recipes, Home Cocktail Bible tells you everything you need to know - from the essential spirits, mixers, syrups and kit that will open up the world of cocktails, to every recipe you could possibly ever want. Pyramid publishes books on a wide range of popular subjects including cookery, reference, mind body spirit and gift. Whether you’re planning a lavish party or just indulging in a nightcap, The Classic Cocktail Bible gives you a range of inspirations to create the exotic and the timeless.Saying that, we did use the book’s positives and flaws to lead us to a recipe we wouldn’t have found without a thorough read through, the Jelly Bean, and to make a variation on the French 75 by trawling options for a recipe that included cider (another ingredient that slipped through the unhelpful Index’s net). Beautifully illustrated with mouth-watering full colour photography, the book includes long and short drinks, still and sparkling, fruity and refreshing as well as creamy and indulgent – you’ll never tire of trying the new concoctions.