When media outlets and organizations from Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and New York magazine to the Culinary Institute of America are looking for the go-to guy in the elegant cocktail circle, they go to Dale DeGroff. Now, with The Craft of the Cocktail, Dale presents the ultimate cocktail book -- a cookbook for cocktails. All the elements of a great cocktail book are here: the history of spirits and mixed drinks, tips on stocking the essential bar, mastering basic mixing techniques, big, eye-catching photographs, and hundreds of recipes for classic and up-to-the-minute drinks. And most of all, like the key ingredient that gives a cocktail its special kick, here is Dale DeGroff himself, the bartender's bartender, called "a master" by Martha Stewart. With his vast knowledge of cocktail arcana and sparkling anecdotes gathered from his 25 years behind the bar, he's the ideal guide to a world where the perfect martini always beckons and good times are always part of the mix.