The Curious Bartender Volume I

In this new small-format edition of Tristan Stephenson's original best-selling book, he explains the origins of the cocktail and showcases classic drinks alongside his own ingenious reinventions.

A true master of his craft, in this book bartender, restaurateur, spirit consultant, brand owner and drinks author Tristan explores and experiments with the art of mixing the perfect cocktail, explaining the fascinating modern turns mixology has taken. Showcasing a selection of classic cocktails, he explains their intriguing origins, introducing the colourful historical characters who inspired or created them. Moving on, he reinvents each drink from his laboratory, adding contemporary twists to breathe fresh life into these vintage classics. Stay true to the originals with a Sazerac or a Rob Roy, or experiment with some of his modern variations to create a Green Fairy Sazerac topped with an absinthe ‘air’ or an Insta-age Rob Roy with the ‘age’ on the side. Also included is a reference section detailing all the techniques you will need, making this an essential anthology for the cocktail enthusiast.

Tristan Stephenson is an award-winning bar operator, bartender, barista, chef, journalist, and bestselling author of the Curious Bartender series of drinks books. In 2009 he placed 3rd in the UK Barista Championships, was awarded UK bartender of the year in 2012, and in the same year was included in London Evening Standard’s top 1000 most influential Londoners.

Having started his career in the kitchens of various Cornish restaurants, Tristan was eventually given the task of designing cocktails and running bar operations for Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant (in Cornwall) back in 2007. He opened his first London bar, Purl, in 2010, and then the Worship Street Whistling Shop in 2011. Worship Street Whistling Shop was awarded Time Out London’s best new bar in 2011 and placed in the ‘World’s Fifty Best Bars’ for three consecutive years. In 2014 Tristan opened Surfside, a seafood restaurant on Polzeath beach in North Cornwall, which was awarded the No. 1 Position in the Sunday Times ‘Best alfresco dining spots in the UK 2015’. Tristan served as head chef there for the first year and continues to manage the food and beverages menu. Tristan has gone on to open a further three venues in London, including Black Rock whisky bar which, as of 2019, has won CLASS Magazine's coveted Best Specialist Bar Award for three consecutive years.

Tristan’s first book, The Curious Bartender: The Artistry & Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail was published in October 2013 and shortlisted for the prestigious André Simon Award. His second book, The Curious Bartender: An Odyssey of Malt, Bourbon & Rye Whiskies hit the bookshelves in October 2014. In Spring 2015 he published The Curious Barista’s Guide to Coffee (having previously successfully harvested, processed, roasted and brewed the first cup of UK grown coffee from the Eden Project in Cornwall). Subsequent books have covered topics of gin and rum. Tristan has travelled to over 300 distilleries around the world, in over 50 countries, including the Netherlands, Scotland, Mexico, Cuba, France, Lebanon, Italy, Guatemala, Japan, America and Spain.

Tristan is husband to Laura and father to Dexter and Robin. In his spare time he rides a Triumph motorcycle, takes photos, cycles and runs ultramarathons.