The history of swing, the story of Prohibition, the inspiration for tiki, and the secret life of absinthe. Cocktail-O-Matic is the killer-diller guide to all things cocktail. Not just a step-by-step guide to the care and handling of the classics-the Manhattans, martinis, Bronxes, sidecars and more-it's the story of how those cocktails came to be. From Esquivel to Trader Vic, James Bond to Frank Sinatra, mambo to Space Age Bachelor Pad, Cocktail-o-matic is the little black book of swank. Includes more than one hundred recipes for the aspiring mixologist.