Cocktails & Conversations

By Joel Finsel
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Paperback, 222 pages
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Cocktails & Conversations
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"You can learn a lot about someone from what they order to drink..." A tie-slackened executive spilling his guts over his fourth Pernod, the late night exploits of a perverted chef, the poetic sensibilities of an addict obsessed with starting rumors about herself, a retired orchestral percussionist intent on teaching his son the ways of a gentleman, these and other stories based on real experiences from the Astral Plane, where the owner's sledgehammer brought down a wall to create enough room for Mick Jagger's entourage. Inside are their stories, with splashes of barroom lore and award-winning recipes from one of Playboy's "top ten bartenders in the nation." Bartender Magazine calls it, "Often intriguing, always fun and surprisingly informative."
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Jun. 19, 2009 By bill mcilwain
"Cocktails & Conversations from the Astral Plane"
If I were Joel Finsel, I would begin work right now on a movie script
based on my book. It has all the right elements:

SETTING--Eccentric, famed restaurant in Philadelphia, the Astral
Plane, where the regular drinkers/diners wander in night after night,
day after day. It is an unusual bunch, indeed, and each has a story to
tell. Joel Finsel, the author of this book, was a young wizard mixing
drinks at the Astral Plane. He won bartending prizes for his
especially innovative recipes. Joel now tends bar at Caffe Phoenix in
downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.

CHARACTERS—Reed,... More > the restaurant boss and greeter. He says it this
way: "Hiiiii, how are yoouuu? It is soOo nice to see you!" Eyes
intent, hands folded behind him, his head nodding…His greeting, Finsel
writes, helped keep the Astral Plane in business for more than 35
years. And "Reed was the kind of boss who in the slow months of
summer would write on our schedule, 'If anybody needs a loan to get
by, just let me know. No problem…"

Rachel—"I think I'll have a Rachel's Panty Remover," she says. "It is
two parts vanilla vodka, one part Chambord, and the rest pineapple
juice."
"Rachel's Panty Remover? I was dumbstruck."
"Yeah," she said. "Unless you think you can come up
with a better name?"
"Coming right up."

Cliff---"From the large window at the front of the bar, I watched him
standing on the corner staring at traffic like a disgruntled gnome,
looking lost the way seniors often do, having lived through so much
change in their lives. Whenever I could manage, I would go around and
hold open the door for him as he shuffled inside."

Michelle---To see Michelle within your mind, think Whoopi Goldberg but
with more edge, rolling into the bar once or twice a week to savor
Godiva milkshake martinis, who by the time she ordered her second had
everyone in tears. Michelle was known to say, "Man, that girl is
crazy. I think she be letting the grapes speak to her."

The book is made up of 36 short stories and numerous
well-written histories of various drinks. About brandy, Finsel
writes, "You may recall a scene from the Titanic where an eminent
businessman upon recognizing his imminent doom, dresses in his finest
suit and asks his man for brandy. He wasn't going to ask for tequila
to calm the chaos around him, that's for sure; neither the dancing
girls of rum, nor the weather-numbing effects of Scotch. He was not
headed to the mines of Siberia with a flask of vodka, nor to Martini
hour for dinner was most certainly over. Instead, realizing his end,
the man called for a snifter of noble calm to comfort his mind during
his last moments before drowning in a frigid sea."

Interspersed throughout the book are splendid recipes for
drinks--the kind that make Finsel a prize-winning bartender. He has
high skills as both a mixer and a writer. < Less
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Dec. 19, 2008 By Gerald Zinner
"Cocktails and Conversations from the Astral Plane – by Joel Finsel"
RE: Cocktails and Conversations from the Astral Plane – by Joel Finsel

Did not know what to expect - I sat down late last evening with a cup of tea and some Christmas cookies that a friend had left here and started reading the book. I was hooked early on. The cast of characters is priceless - Rudy, Henry, Ms Drastic, Mr. Matthew and the whole crew. I became really interested with the story of Henry and his son, and it just built from there.

After a busy day, I was so happy to start again at about 9:45 PM - a cup of tea, more cookies, and the rest of Joel's book and I was back in Philly. The... More > stories have such a comfortable feel (I do not know it that is good or not, but that is how I felt) about them. And the unusual thing is that I can visualize you easily, but the rest of the characters are just pictures in my mind.

My favorite line of the whole book is on page 68. "She stripped me of the sandbags grounding my heart, infused me with fire, and slashed the ropes of complacency staking me to the ground." You romantic dog, you!

"Twinkle toes" is my favorite story - the part about Henry and the gay porno movie (Spruce Bruce!!) was a hoot as well. (OK - did he really make the movies?) I am told me some of the characters are fictitious - how accurate is that? I thought they were all part of your surreal world at the Astral Plane.

Also found the history lessons about various "beverages" interesting as well. For a non- drinker, that is pretty good. But I will admit I skipped all the recipes for drinks - that would be expecting too much of me.

You talk in the book about the various chores you do as part of your job, and I am so glad you did, because it made the book more relevant to me. I now realize the adventures and various experiences that a bartender lives every day, and I can see how this would make great material for a book.

I may not be a literary expert, but I feel I am in a good position when it comes to good writing. I read a lot, and I know what I like and what I do not like. Your book hooked me early on, and the more I read it the more I liked!

You have given me two wonderful evenings here at home with your book. (Now I'm going to read it again!)

Jerry Zinner


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Sep. 15, 2009 By Michal Wisniowski
"Taste of the Spirit World" Filled with colorful characters, award-winning mixtures, and a deeper look into the history and practices behind mixology, Cocktails & Conversations serves to both entertain and educate. Finsel weaves a tapestry replete with all those elements which serve to imbue "the drink" with its allure.

Drifting through its pages you will no doubt develop a thirst for some of the beverages within. This is where Cocktails & Conversations presents recipes to let you try your own hand at creating some of the most successful tonics, and start out on the road to becoming a seasoned mixologist.
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Jun. 4, 2009 By djames6
"Cocktails and Conversations"
Having been an occasional patron of The Astral Plane restaurant in Phila,which is what the book is mainly about, I looked forward to reading about what was really going behind the scenes there. As I expected there was lots of interesting and strange stuff that the casual customer might never suspect. Since Joel(the Author) was the bartender was there for over two years he had a unique vantage point to view the carryings on by both the customers and the staff. I knew the place had a unique ambiance but there were was much more going on besides the preparation and delivery of good but somewhat quirky cuisine.

Joel does an excellent job of giving one... More > a feel for the place and the characters that inhabited it. There are many funny stories interspersed with some sad ones, and there are also great drink recipes. What more do you need? I would recommend this book to anyone who actually experienced The Astral Plane and also to the unfortunate ones that were never there so they can see what they missed.
Dave James < Less
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Product Details

ISBN 978-0-578-00330-6
Copyright Joel Finsel (Standard Copyright License)
Edition Second Edition
Publisher Nexus Press
Published June 22, 2011
Language English
Pages 222
 
Binding Perfect-bound Paperback
Interior Ink Black & white
Dimensions (inches) 6.0 wide × 9.0 tall