Book Review: The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book

As a recently-minted member of the “olds,” it is my solemn duty to maintain a blissful level of ignorance when discussing the zeitgeist of coolness within the entertainment industry. I do not take this responsibility lightly, so I posit the question: Do we need a Lebowski-themed cocktail book in 2023? Has there been a new wave of cult followers for the movie, just in time to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary? It is not out of the realm of possibility. For all I know, there could be Lebowski cons happening in my own city this year. Furthermore, how can one really expand and develop cocktails on the Coen Brothers movie, when it almost single-handedly revived the White Russian? Isn’t that the only cocktail one really needs while enjoying the movie?

The answer is almost certainly yes, but if you’re a nihilist hell-bent on exhausting every last scene for its worth, then Andre Darlington’s latest book is the one for you. Over 50 cocktails (including five variations on the White Russian) are spread out throughout this book, with names paying homage to certain places, characters, and scenes throughout the movie. And like all of Darlington’s books, there are also curiously named bar food recipes included for good measure, which may come in handy if you’re hosting a viewing party or listening to the Eagles.

Like all good cocktail books, this one takes time to explain techniques, tools, and terminology at the beginning, and the book places a premium on accessibility, so you’re not having to construct anything too technical or elaborate. There is also a song paired with every recipe, keeping in form with Darlington’s successful Booze & Vinyl series of cocktail books. And points for also supplementing the book with behind-the-scenes and little-known facts about the making of the movie.

If there’s a Lebowski fanatic in your life, you’d be hard-pressed to go wrong in delivering this as a gift. They will exhaust this book from cover to cover. But that’s just like, my opinion, man.

B+ / $20 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

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