Book Review: Eddie Muller's Noir Bar

My alcohol consumption consists of roughly half a glass of red wine every three or four years, so one might assume the new book EDDIE MULLER'S NOIR BAR: COCKTAILS INSPIRED BY THE WORLD OF FILM NOIR wouldn’t be for me.

However, I love film noir and I love reading cookbooks — don’t ask how many I have — so I was intrigued by this brand-new book from Turner Classic Movies and Running Press.

EDDIE MULLER’S NOIR BAR is beautifully designed, a great read, and educational — pretty much everything I could want, even as someone who doesn’t imbibe. For those who love cocktails, the book will be that much more enjoyable and useful.

I may not plan to make these drinks myself, but I loved the way Eddie explained the mysteries of muddling, simple sugar, and stirring.  Reading the book was broadening, and I feel it will deepen my understanding and appreciation for film noir, where exposition often takes place over drinks.  

In some movies, such as THE BIG CLOCK (1948) and THE BLUE GARDENIA (1953), the drinks play key plot roles. (Remember the stinger in THE BIG CLOCK?) Pairing 50 films with drink recipes, Eddie explains the classic drinks referenced in some films, while in other cases he has created his own recipes. “Eddie originals” include the “Belita” to honor ice skating film noir star Belita and “Sailor Beware” in honor of Rita Hayworth in THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947).

One of the things I love about the book is that it’s clearly authentically “Eddie,” not a ghostwritten book of drink recipes. Earlier in his life Eddie was a bartender, and he’s also an enthusiastic collector of barware. (Some of you may have seen his backyard Tiki bar in intros for Noir Alley on TCM.) He has considered opinions about what works and why when making drinks, and he shares the information with love and enthusiasm.

Naturally, Eddie also works in fun details on the films he discusses; there’s not room for extended commentary, but his comments, combined with the book’s beautiful visuals, are evocative.

A majority of the book’s 224 heavy, glossy pages contain stills, posters, and cocktail artwork. It’s a treat to page through it.

The films are arranged alphabetically, and there’s also an ingredients index at the back of the book which will be helpful for those mixing the book’s drinks.

In the interest of thoroughness I noticed one prominent typo (the chapter header for IN A LONELY PLACE) which escaped the editing process. Otherwise this is an exceptionally well-produced volume. It’s a smaller, square book along the lines of Jeremy Arnold’s TCM-Running Press book CHRISTMAS IN THE MOVIES. It weighs roughly 1.75 pounds.

Those interested in this book might also want to check out my review of Eddie Muller’s DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR (REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION).

Thanks to TCM and Running Press for providing a review copy of this book.

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