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Making a great cocktail is harder than it looks. Ice shape, shaking technique, timing – they all play a part in the final serve and if you don’t get it quite right, the result can be a

sickly, watery mess. Do get it right, however, and the drinking experience is ethereal; after all, there’s a reason why people splash out big bucks at cocktail bars. So, it’s time to raise

the bar (ahem) and up your cocktail-making game. Learn to make the perfect margarita for date night or whip up a round of crowd-pleasing mojitos for your mates – all you need is one of the

best cocktail books. Great cocktail books aren’t just about recipes. They teach you what goes into making a fabulous drink, shedding insight into the mechanics behind delicious mixes –

balance, alcohol level, complementary and contrasting flavours – as well as helping you refine your technique. It goes without saying that recipes should be easy to follow. But the best

cocktail books should provide a spark of inspiration, too. Unless you’re a big planner, you might not always have everything you need in the house to make an impromptu drink, and the finest

tomes give you room to adapt. Even if you aren’t going fully by the, er, book, these written collections will teach you how to innovate like a real bartender. We looked for personality in

our best cocktail books, too. Some of the below are themed very specifically; others are beginners’ bibles or are geared at enthusiasts who have mastered the classics and are looking for

something different. We judged each on their individual merits because they’re all trying to achieve something unique. Just as you may prefer a negroni to a caipirinha, one book will

probably suit you better than the rest. READ MORE: THE BEST COCKTAIL RECIPE BOOKS FOR 2021 ARE: * BEST OVERALL – ‘The Cocktail Guy’ by Rich Woods: £16.99, Waterstones.com * BEST FOR GINS

FANS – ‘Gin O’Clock’ by Craft Gin Club: £10.80, Craftginclub.co.uk * BEST FOR BEGINNERS – ‘The Curious Bartender: Cocktails at Home’ by Tristan Stephenson: £17.95, Amazon.co.uk * BEST FOR

HOLIDAY VIBES – ‘The Pikes Cocktail Book’ by Dawn Hindle: £13.59, Whsmith.co.uk * BEST FOR ICONIC BAR LOVERS – ‘The Infused Cocktail Handbook’ by Kurt Maitland: £12.99, Amazon.co.uk * BEST

FOR COCKTAIL THEORY – ‘Cocktail Codex’ by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald and David Kaplan: £20.49, Blackwells.co.uk * BEST FOR BREADTH – ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’ by Harry Craddock: £14.99,

Waterstones.com * BEST FOR PARTY DRINKING – ‘Summer Drinks’: £8.19, Whsmith.co.uk * BEST FOR DOWNTON ABBEY FANS – ‘Downton Abbey Cocktail Book’ by Annie Gray and Julian Fellowes: £14.99,

Waterstones.com * BEST FOR CLASSIC COCKTAILS – ‘Cocktails of the Movies’ by Stacey Marsh and Will Francis: £9.99, Waterstones.com