101 Martinis

"Kim Haasarud's culinary approach to the cocktail embraces fresh ingredients and a playful disregard for the ordinary. A fine addition to the home library and a great resource for a young bartender."
—Dale DeGroff, author of The Craft of the Cocktail

Martinis are the toast of the town! They're evocative. Sophisticated. Sensual. They appeal to those who are savvy. Suave. Confident. With liquid elegance and glamorous mystique, martinis launched today's discriminating cocktail culture and turned bartenders into "bar chefs."

101 Martinis goes beyond gin or vodka and vermouth classics to include adventurous recipes with rum, scotch, fruit infusions, liqueurs, ice cream, and even herbal supplements. Freshen up your martini repertoire and entertain stylishly with these intriguing variations for every season and occasion. Try standards like the Classic Martini and Dirty Martini or offbeat concoctions like the Lavendartini and the Ginseng Sling Martini. Serve Moroccan Mint Teanis for brunch or high tea, or Ultimate Chocolate Martinis for after-dinner cocktails. Enjoy Lemon Granita Martinis poolside or Hot Chocolate Martinis fireside. Serve the guys Men's Yang Martinis and the gals Women's Yin Martinis, or bring them together with Flirtinis!

Recommendations help you pair martinis with foods they'll complement—salty, sweet, spicy, or sour. Chill the glasses, get out the cocktail shaker, and become a bar chef yourself. Your quest for the ever-elusive "perfect martini" begins here.

Kim Haasarud conceives her signature cocktails much as an Alice Waters or a Wolfgang Puck would create a specialty dish, taking inspiration from market-fresh, high-quality ingredients. Her liquid cuisine has stirred up a huge following on both coasts. Her cocktails have been seen in Maxim, Wine Enthusiast, Lucky, Genlux, and Cosmopolitan and at premier events like the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Sundance Film Festival, HBO Comedy Festival, Rolling Stone Magazine Oscar Party, and Maxim Super Bowl parties. Her Web site is www.liquid-architecture.com.

Alexandra Grablewski is a well-known food and beverage photographer whose work has appeared in Gourmet, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, and Wine Spectator as well as in many cookbooks.