Having an adult beverage while bowling is common, although many people you will see may have a beer. But in some cases, you may see a cocktail. In part we have cocktail culture expanding everywhere, but I hope we see cocktails spread into the bowling alleys, thanks to the movie, The Big Lebowski, and now this book, The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book.
This book has over 50 pages of cocktails that pay homage to the Big Lebowski. All the recipes are for a single-serving, but there are a few pages of punches for more communal imbibing. Before getting into the cocktails, the author, André Darlington, first covers some basics upon which you can make successful cocktails, like the plans you need before constructing a house. The need for a jigger to measure your liquid ingredients and other tools to shake/stir/strain your cocktails, the need for fresh ice, garnish to add aroma and flavour to your cocktail, 12 bottles of liqueurs and spirits to start your cocktail bar, and of utmost importance, how to clean your glass before making a cocktail. There are more points, but I will leave it to you to read about in this easy-to-read book.
Each drink gets its own page in the book, some funny anecdote about the movie related to the cocktail, and a sketch showing the drink with related symbols around it. As an example, the drink, “Where’s Bunny?” talks about Bunny Lebowski, the trophy wife of the Big Lebowski, and her disappearance. She is known for tanning poolside and green nail polish. The sketch shows the components of these items and the cocktail ingredients contain a green liqueur (I won’t say which one). There are many funny names for the cocktails, like Logjammin’ and Bowling with Jesus.
The last section of this book covering cocktails is the White Russian cocktail and a few variations. The Dude, Jeffrey Lebowski, drinks White Russians throughout the day. It figures prominently in the movie.
With your cocktail, you may want something to snack on. André has a few recipes such as Da Jesus Salad and Little Lebowskis, and which cocktail to pair with each dish.
This is a very entertaining book. You may want to invite over some friends and whip up some of these cocktails and dishes, then play the Big Lebowski on your TV. The movie is available to rent/buy via Amazon Prime Video and youtube.
Where Can I Buy This Book?
This book is published by Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. This book is available via Amazon.ca.
