Liquid intelligence
by Dave Arnold · first published 2014
12mentions
10recommended by
11HN commenters
2016–2026first – last mentioned
91% recommend9% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explains the science behind cocktails, including how temperature, dilution, and water affect taste, with practical recipes like a homemade tonic and a perfected gin and tonic. Suits home bartenders and the curious.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Arnold provides practical tips for preparing drinks by the pitcher, making homemade sodas, and building a specialized bar in your own home. For devotees seeking the cutting edge, chapters on liquid nitrogen, chitosan/gellan washing, and the applications of a centrifuge expand the boundaries of traditional cocktail craft.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
…opinionated than Kenji is. If Dave's opinionated demeanor isn't a problem for you, then opinionation (is that a word?) isn't really your problem with Kenji. I highly, highly, highly recommend Arnold's book, Liquid Intelligence.
on “J. Kenji López-Alt is Seattle’s reluctant powerful food influencer” ↗Sounds like you want to pick up Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.
on “Brazil's answer to the Sichuan pepper” ↗The most recent is Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold[1] [1]https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect-C...
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗…Schlosser. A history of America's nuclear weapons program and it's many near-disasters. Raven, by Tim Reiterman. Biography of Jim Jones by one of the journalists who'd reported the story the longest. Liquid Intelligence, by Dave Arnold. Everything you need to know to understand cocktails and make good ones. On Food and Cooking, by Harold McGee. An exhaustive reference on the history and science of food and ingredients.…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?” ↗Existing Conditions is probably my favorite bar in the world. I think nowhere else can you get (relatively) unpretentious drinks that are as perfectly executed. (And if you read Dave's Liquid Intelligence, you'll know why.)
on “Ike Jime, the Japanese Slaughter Method for Tastier Fish” ↗It’s bitter because it’s actually quite poisonous, and your tongue is warming you about that. Dave Arnold’s excellent Liquid Intelligence has a section on making your own tonic with pure quinine powder, and he admonishes the reader to mix with a blender, because an ubcombined chunk of pure quinine could actually hospitalize someone if it…
on “Eating Too Much Rice Almost Doomed Japan's Imperial Navy” ↗There's an entire chapter in Arnold's Liquid Intelligence dedicated to his quest to perfect the G&T. It's an amazing book, highly, highly recommended. Spoiler for the mere-mortal version: store your gin in the freezer, use a fresh bottle of tonic water stored…
on “The Intoxicating History of Gin” ↗…almost as well, although I've only used canned, which generally contains salt. I don't mind it, but it doesn't work in every cocktail.) [0]: If you're interested in this stuff, I highly recommend the book Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.
on “Aquafaba” ↗I like Dave Arnold’s “Liquid Intelligence”, but I cannot stand his podcast. Comically, I don’t really like Kenji / Serious Eat’s written content, but his YouTube channel is great.
on “J. Kenji López-Alt is Seattle’s reluctant powerful food influencer” ↗…ability to taste it, as our tongue is less sensitive when cold. (If you're interested in the science of how water and temperature affect our experience of drinks, I highly recommend Dave Arnold's book Liquid Intelligence).
on “Bourbon and Branch Water” ↗Yes! Also his book "Fix the Pumps" https://a.co/d/0intXOn1 which has a bizarre title and cover art, but is right up there with "Liquid Intelligence" for traditional sodas.
on “DIY Soft Drinks” ↗…used for mixology (and other things like oils). Put ingredients in a whipping siphon, pressurize and then rapidly vent. https://culinary.isi.com/en-GB/culinary/applications/aromati... Dave Arnold’s Liquid Intelligence has instructions and popularized it with that specific brand of whipper (who also sell an infusion attachment).
on “Kenji/Serious Eats – 30-Min Pressure Cooker Pho Ga” ↗