Acknowledgments

I was walking down Fourteenth Street, in Manhattan, during an unseasonably warm afternoon on February 2, 2017, when, on a whim, I emailed Emily Timberlake, my editor at Ten Speed Press. “I wonder if it’s time for a new Martini book?” I wrote. She responded one hour and forty minutes later: “Let’s do it!”

It’s the quickest book pitch turnaround I’ve ever experienced. For this I thank her, and her boss, publisher Aaron Wehner, deeply. I also humbly thank Julie Bennett and Ashley Pierce, who took over as editors when the beloved and much-missed Emily left the Ten Speed fold; as well as the rest of the Ten Speed team; and Lizzie Munro, who furnished all the beautiful photos herein.

I would also like to thank my agent, David Black, who always has my back, and ever lends a sympathetic ear, and all the helpful folks over at the Black Agency.

Additional thanks to Amber Appelbaum, Talia Baiocchi, Douglas Biederbeck, Greg Boehm, Dàmaris Castellanos, Toby Cecchini and St. John Frizell (for their exquisite cocktail styling), Brother Cleve, Sarah Coffin, Barnaby Conrad III, Federico Cuco, Dale DeGroff, Kevin Denton, Martin “The Librarian” Doudoroff, Lowell Edmunds, William Elliott, Simon Ford, Chloe Frechette, Kenta Goto, Philip Greene, Allison Hamlin, Bobby Heugel, John Kass, Allen Katz, Jim Kearns, Marty Marcuccilli, Ryan Maybee, Francois Monti, Will Nazar, Nicolas Palazzi, Troy Patterson, Del Pedro, Agostino Perrone, Adam Platt, Bianca Prum, Leonid Rath, Rodolfo Reich, Andy Rieger, Audrey Saunders, Adam Schuman, Anna Scudellari, Thomas Waugh, Christine Wiseman, David Wondrich, and Naren Young. I also thank the staffs at the “destination” Martini bars and restaurants: Bix, Connaught Bar, Dry Martini, Dukes Bar, the Bar at the Grill, Harry’s Bar in Venice, Maison Premiere, Musso & Frank Grill, Pegu Club, and Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

Thanks, also, to my father, Robert Odin Simonson Sr., for his Martini memories, and for the love and support he has shown me over the years. Finally, my love and thanks to the two most important people in my world, my son, Asher, and my love and soulmate, Mary Kate Murray.