Apothecary Cocktails Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today by Warren Bobrow

Warren Bobrow’s new book has the cure to what ails you by Shaun “The Bartender” Daugherty

What is an apothecary?

If you were to look this up in the dictionary, he/she was one who would formulate medicines to administer to patients for various ailments; an old-fashioned pharmacist. What they were to most of their customers were doctors for those who had nowhere else to turn as far back as ancient civilization – up until the turn of the twentieth century. They would concoct herbal combinations with the freshest ingredients, usually using distilled alcohol as its base due to it being safer to drink than water. When you really look at it, they were the original craft bartenders.

In his book, “Apothecary Cocktails: Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today”, Warren Bobrow has taken us back in time by reformulating some of these cocktails, bringing us some history how some of the brands seen even today were originally formulated to assist in curing common ailments back in the day. A craftsman of cocktails himself, he reintroduces some of the remedies that were probably consumed by your great-grandparents when they were feeling under the weather. Along with the easy-to- follow recipes, beautiful photos enhance and complement the text. This is a book that should be read by, not only ones who wish to have more options on natural cures but, also for the novice bartenders and seasoned bartenders who want to know a little more about the history of what they serve.

Bobrow, “The Cocktail Whisperer”, has put a lot of time and effort on this project and it shows the minute you begin reading this book. His passion on this subject shines throughout its pages. His book will be a favorite for everyone who appreciates history and a good home remedy. Cheers for his attention to detail and thorough information. It will be a read that you will find yourself going back to again and again. I enjoyed reading this and am looking very forward to trying some of these recipes out.