So as part of my pet hobby this year, I want to learn more about cocktails, both making them and drinking them, and essentially figuring out what I like and how to order it. Other than a blitz of a time in college buying things off the cheap shelf and downing shots of whatever, I've never actually *known* anything about real drinking. During the past few years I've enjoyed the craft beer renaissance (I regularly hit up Beer Crazy during my beer-inspired moments). I've also slowly been sampling various wines. And now finally cocktails are making a comeback (so I've read, though that may just be because *I* am now interested so it seems like they are...).

This is not a quick project and may take all year since I'm not a heavy drinker at all (as much as I say I drink beer and wine and now spirits, I have maybe 1-2 drinks every few days, or less), so I thought I'd get an early start, since I'm also an extreme newbie to the world. Drinking cheap shots in college made with best guesses doesn't count.

So I bought a few books to get me started, and I'm actually really glad I did. Watching YouTube videos is helpful, but they're painfully not informative, and web searches pretty much fill in little bits of information, but nothing in a concise format with meaty information. Here are the books I've purchased with some comments of my own. (I use the term bartender to describe cocktail makers and mixologists; the former is a mouthful and the latter is just stupid.) By the way, I do like all of these books in their own rights.

If there is anything left out of these books, it's really more information to an absolute newbie. For instance, some advice on how to best get into things slowly, for instance a series of drinks that help you to slowly build a liquor cabinet, such as adding one thing at a time. Or possibly some grouped suggestions on drinks that share fruit juices so you don't have a half a lemon left over or something. Granted, that's pretty specific, but easing someone into trying things out could be a useful section to one or two of these books.

I grabbed Bartending for Dummies off the "Wines & Spirits" shelf of my local bookstore on a whim. In paging through some of the other books on the shelf, I realized that some of them really are just "cookbooks" of recipes. I've looked through cookbooks: not all of them are newbie friendly. So I spontaneously picked this one up, being quite familiar with the Dummies books as a usually good intro, but eventually not a book a purist or non-newbie would want on their shelf. But, hey, I'm a newbie! And honestly I'm really glad I picked up this book.

I like...the amount of introductory detail given for various spirits, bartending lingo, glassware, tools, and the drinks. Between this book and the DeGroff book below, I feel quite pleased with the treatment for a newbie. Like many Dummies books, this one has some icons next to the recipes to denote things like glass type, non-alcoholic, or classic drinks. In fact, the very detailed single index has an entry, "classic drinks," that lists most (it misses some) of the drinks it labels as classic. (There is a second "Topics" index, but is less useful, so I don't count it.) No other book really gives a newbie this sort of indication on classic drinks that I think one should know. The recipe list is just one simple, big list that is alphabetical. Like other Dummies books, this one has some extra content which can be interesting, such as hangover suggestions, lists of drinks to try, and those to avoid, and other little one- or two-page tidbits.

I don't like...the generic lists of spirits brands. While it is nice to see examples, it should be important to know which brands are considered cheap and which ones are premium, especially when every book in this list (including this one) highly recommends only serving premium (though not necessarily the highest-end) spirits.

Overall, if I had to suggest one book for an absolute newbie like me to buy first, this would still be the book I'd recommend. It might get placed in a drawer more than displayed on a shelf, but you can't argue with the newbie friendly help is gives.

The Craft of the Cocktail, by Dale DeGroff is one of those classic books that is probably on every bartender shelf and is at the top of most recommended lists for experts and newbies alike. It is hardcover and features some full-color pictures throughout

I like...the qualification of various spirits in a category as either value, premium, or super-premium brands. While I will no doubt re-reference recipes in the future, I'll also primarily use this book as an entry-level guide to avoiding value spirits and instead steer myself towards the premium ones. The intro section is great for talking about various spirits, tools, and techniques for a bartender. As I've mentioned before, this paired with the intro section in the Bartending for Dummies makes for a very complete treatment. I really like the personal anecdotes and stories and opinions that Dale brings to various drinks and sections, often in sidebars. Also, Dale includes a rather extensive list of other sources of information for anyone looking to get more into bartending and cocktails; definitely beyond what I want, but useful for someone who might like to make a job or revenue-creating hobby out of this. I do like some of the pictures, such as a whole spread of shots on different garnishes, which I don't think is found in any of these other books. The glossary is a nice touch.

I don't like...this book is geared a little bit above me, which while nice to grow into, isn't necessarily what I'm going for. For instance, I'll likely never flame an orange twist. Also, whenever I look up a recipe in here, I know that I'm going to likely get the most complicated version of something (compared to these other books) or his own take on the recipe. Nice to know for an opinion, but definitely something a bit over my head as a casual mixer.

Overall, the quality in this book is probably the best in the bunch. While Dummies is a bit more newbie friendly and the next book has better pictures, this one is an all-around winner, and probably applies to both newbies like me, as well as experts looking to learn more.

When I picked up the previous book, I also saw The Art of the Cocktail on the shelf and immediately liked the inclusion of pictures for almost every drink presented, so I also took this one home as well. The book is softcover, but certainly not cheap as it contains high quality pictures on almost every page, and is a size that suggests being at home as much on a coffee table as a bookshelf.

I like...no, I love the pictures of the various drinks in their natural glassware habitat. For a newbie like me, it really is helpful to see drinks, glassware, colors, presentation, garnishes, and basically how things are supposed to turn out.

I don't like...the organization of the drinks, which is not alphabetical, but rather grouped into categories that still don't make sense to me as a newbie. Still, this isn't necessarily a reference book so much as a book you flip through to see some new things. Speaking of new things, this book does feature some really weird concoctions which are present, as is admitted in the book text, just for fun and exposure. The glossery is again a nice touch.

Overall, the pictures alone make this book worth the money and time to include on a newbie's shelf.

Along with DeGroff's book, I've often seen The PDT Cocktail Book on must-have lists as well. This hardcover book is really new, and is a bit different. I didn't know it before, but PDT is an actual lounge in New York City, situated next to (or rather, inside) Crif's Dogs, which is essentially a hot dog-serving restaurant. You walk through a phone booth (yes, really!) inside Crif's Dogs to get to PDT, and the story behind this is entertaining and in the book. The book itself is partly a quick guide to PDT's and how to run a lounge, partly a hot dog recipe book, and partly a cocktail recipe book.

I like...the qualify of the book material and the large list of recipes, though don't be fooled by the size, since cocktails are only one of several sections to this book.

I don't like...or rather, don't really need the inclusion of the whole hot dog recipe section of the book. I also really don't need the introduction to PDT's (though it is fun to read), and the intro is more about running a lounge (don't get me wrong, this is still very brief) than it is an intro to cocktails or spirits or barware. There are only some floorplan and glassware illustrations, and no pictures. Also, many recipes actually give named/branded ingredients, which may take some effort to realize what it really is, and what might make a good substitute (such as Templeton Rye rather than just saying any Rye Whiskey). The parts a newbie would be interested in are actually towards the back, where the author finally talks about spirits, types, and other intro-type stuff. Nice, but pretty short and in a strange place.

Overall, this is a good book to add to the cocktail bookshelf, but I wouldn't fall over myself to pick it up over the other books in this list, especially for a beginner.

Lastly, I picked up The Little Black Book of Cocktails. This was not originally a book I intended to purchase, but I had heard about it, read positive reviews, and it looked pretty interesting. The book itself is small with a ring binder and elastic strap on the back, much like a Moleskine notebook, but I have no idea really why it's included.

I like...the ring binder which allows the very inocuous book to lay flat on any page, which I can't say works with any of the other above books very well. There is a section in the front with "classic" drinks (which leaves them out of alphabetical order from the rest). There are several indexes in the back which list drinks by name, by primary spirit (e.g. rum), and by flavor (e.g. coconut or tropical). That's kinda neat, though an extra series of page flips to find a drink by name, when other books are simply flat out organized by name. I also liked the quick glossary in the back. While woefully lacking in detail on various spirits, it does hit on most every spirit name I might encounter, and gives a sentence of two describing it in some way. There are some less-used spirits that get no or not enough mention in any of the books above, but at least get a line or two in this book, which is enough to get a newbie started.

I don't like...the organization of the recipes, which are roughly grouped into a few very broad categories. Without the indexes, this book would be confusing to use. In addition, when space gets awkward, the book chooses to move recipes out of alphabetical order to keep the flow going, which is strange.

Overall, I'd recommend this little book as a nice reference for the bartop (since it can lay flat and is small) and various little tidbits it brings to the table, but I'd still place it as the fourth book to buy in this full list. Out of all of these books, this one is one I'm liking more and more as I use it and make things, though maybe for it's quaint size than anything, I'm not sure.

I'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions. Why does one need to wait for some honorary time delineation in order to make statements on ways you want to change your life or person? I don't know. But I guess it's as good an excuse as any to put to writing some ideas and goals for the coming year!

The sad (or maybe adult?) part of these resolutions is how many of them are going to end up directly costing money. But I guess that's ok as long as I'm getting benefit out of it well beyond the cost!

I think hobbies and continued, non-career-bounded, life-learning is a fun thing. This past year I stuck my head down in the well of men's fragrances, and really feel like I came out of that with good knowledge so I don't look (and smell) like an idiot about the topic. It's not a bad idea to come up with some new topic to pursue on the year, both as a sort of hobby but also as a way to be a better person (or man).

Figure out what cocktails I like and how to make/order them. I never know what I want at the bar, so I usually just get a regular ol' beer. And I certainly am lost when it comes to cocktails. I'm not a big drinker, but I do dabble in strange beers and varied wines in spurts. Why not spirits as well? I wouldn't mind dabbling in cocktails and bar drinks and becoming more familiar with and comfortable with ordering/making such and knowing what I like. Really, it's just about knowing what I like and knowing what to do when presented with a cocktail bar, both for ordering, but also fumbling my way into making something for someone else.

Find a primary care doctor. I truly do not know the last time I visited a physician or primary care doctor; probably as a child, if ever. I'm not getting younger, and someday I will need medical care. And certainly it would be helpful to already have some medical history that I can refer to, like blood pressure levels, and so on. This year should be the year I begin.

Have my eyes checked. This is more of a sooner-than-later thing, but it's one of those things that I easily can put off as not being immediate. I had lasik surgery about 10 years ago, but the reality is I'm the worst judge of my vision because it only gradually will get worse. I'd rather know ahead of time and be able to chart any degradation, which will almost certainly occur as I age.

Find a real barber. I've had cheap haircuts for as long as I can remember, and it probably looks like it. My hair is hard to manage, but half that battle might be poor barbership. I think I know what I like now and what effort I want to spend to manage it, so getting a good barber is really the only next step I have. That and actually going in for a trim before I noticably need one... Either way, this can only be a benefit to me.

Continue improving my bad habits: more exercise, more cooking my own meals. I have more specific goals here, but they're personal, really! I'd like to hit 200 lbs by summer, with a bonus of 180lbs. Also, run at least 3 times every week, 'eat out' only 2 times a week, with bonus goals of more runs a week and even looking into weight-lifting again. Honestly, I'd love to get into weight-lifting again, but I really want to start out by solidifying my eating habits and dropping some excess weight first. If I mix in weight-lifting too early, I'd have to re-work my goals because weight goals aren't compatible when you're also building dense muscle, and "how I feel" goals aren't measurable.

Buy an amazing, well-fit real leather jacket for 3+ seasons. I'm not sure I've ever really had one that really fits and works for me. It's about time to, and not balk at the price. Well-fit pretty much means something that resembles typical motorcycle jackets, only less gaudy and more fashionable.

Actually finish out my living room. I've had my living room basically half-outfitted for a few years now. I need a new television and entertainment stand to support it. I also should get a cabinet to hold my movies, plus another table or bookshelf for books and stuff, with a side goal of getting closed things that aren't just open-faced and gather dust. The more things I can put away somewhere in a closed piece of furniture, the better. Honestly, the biggest thing keeping me from finishing this is just the effort needed to get purchased equipment back to my place, since I don't have a large vehicle.

Replace much of my work wardrobe with better-fit stuff. I'm about 10 years past college now, and just this past year I've started the process of parting with my way-too-old or never-used-in-years clothes. This also means getting new stuff, and I've become very interested in buying and wearing clothes more like a man than a boy, ya know? I even already picked up a couple suit coats...for pleasure and not just for some event! Holy crap! My pants/jeans have actually come a long way lately, but my shirts are still average fit and thus have way too much material. Really this means finding more tailored shirts that fit me, and even dabbling further in blazers/sportcoats and even a few suits. A good pair or two of dressier shoes, brogues.

Plan for emergencies. Recent years and movies and events (I lost power just 2 nights ago) illustrate the need to have some sort of personal emergency planning, and I'd like to put forth some real effort to tackle this. This comes in one of two types off the top of my head: emergency "move now!" events, and emergency "stay home!" events. For events where I need to move now (fire, weather), there are plans that can be made for leaving immediately, in 60 seconds, in 60 minutes, and so on. For staying home (contagion), there are plans for surviving 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month, with whatever else comes up like personal protection, food, or the eventual need to then move (zombies!). Either way, it should be useful, to not only plan what I would do, but also acquire supplies and set them aside as well. At least, to start on this road. This is a big task, and a bit difficult for someone like me in an apartment with little storage, but a good exercise to begin tackling. Somewhat inspired by a Mogull post.

Invest. I don't feel like I invest my money very well, and I'm not in the red anymore at all! This really means I need to figure out long-term investment for my future, and I should do it sooner than later. I'm probably already pretty late, and I'll admit I know almost nothing about the topic beyond what's immediately in front of me (savings account, 401K...). I should be a bit more proactive with investment. While I don't want to make monetary goals this year, I really want to at least dive into some research and maybe even find a personal advisor to fill in the gaps in my knowledge, plus dip my toe into whatever works for me. As long as I have the luxury of living in the black, I really need to keep this resolution moving forward.