The book is divided into sections and starts by covering the history of the cocktail, the "correct" way to make the drinks and the equipment you'll need. It then moves on to the main body of the work: the 550 recipes, grouped by drink type. For each drink there's a list of measures and ingredients, a step-by-step guide to preparation and a very nicely photographed picture of what it should look like if you've done it right.

Later on there are sections on which snacks to serve with the various drinks; how different spirits are made and the differences between them; a glossary of the terms used; an A-Z list of recipes; a list of cocktails by main and secondary ingredients (so you can see at-a-glance what you can make with what you have to hand!) and, finally, a list of which cocktails are best served at particular times of day, season, as remedies and so on!

It's all very comprehensive as well as being beautifully and thoughtfully laid out. My only small gripes are that it's such a nice book that I'm terrified of ruining it when I'm making drinks (there's no spiral binding to keep the thing flat!) and that the amount used as a "measure" is based on the French double measure of 40ml - this is tricky to come by in the UK so some adjustments are necessary.

One of my favourite sections is on page 41, and it's a list of bar stocks for beginners, amateurs and professionals which is great for getting yourself set up and ready to go. That said, the prices of the spirits and liqueurs need to be borne in mind, and the book itself is only part of what you'll end up spending if you get interested.