The book's greatest strength is its accessibility-300-bottle backbar not required.forgoing the formulaic structure of many cocktail books today: drink beauty shot, cocktail headnote, cocktail recipe. Instead, each hero drink is illustrated with its specs written on an old business card, coaster or matchbook from a notable bar, and is then followed by an illustration and a page full of recipes inspired by that drink. It's unexpected, and it works-drawing important connections between classics and their modern counterparts. -PUNCH magazine
Michael Madrusan is the founder of The Everleigh and The Elk Room, a golden-era cocktail bar overlooking Melbourne’s Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. The Everleigh, which opened on 4th July 2011, was named Bar of the Year by
Gourmet Traveller in 2013,
Time Out’s Cocktail Bar of the Year 2014, Bar of the Year 2015 and Cocktail Bar of the Year 2016. The Everleigh has also placed in the highly coveted Drinks International’s World’s 50 Best Bars list 2013, 2014 and 2015. Michael spent many years bartending in London and New York before returning home to Australia to open the country’s first and only outpost of the Milk & Honey family. He has worked in some of the most revered bars in the world, including New York’s Milk & Honey, Little Branch and PDT.
Zara left London in 2013 and began working with Michael on the growth and development of The Everleigh family. Zara completed her Masters in Theatre & Performance Studies at King's College London, specialising in immersive events and the relationship between hospitality and the arts industry. Before leaving London, Zara worked as host and events manager for the Experimental Cocktail Club group, as well as in production and marketing for popular immersive theatre/film company, Future Cinema.