Published this month, a new book by food and drink writer Tim Hayward celebrates the ritual and nostalgia of the cocktail hour.

(Image credit: Tim Hayward / Decanter magazine September 2026)

More than a recipe book – though it does teach you how to make 50 classic and modern mixes from his five cocktail ‘families’ with due care, using the right equipment and good ingredients – The Cocktail Hour: A Drinker’s Companion (£20 Quadrille) is a veritable ode to the cocktail.

Bookish in the best kind of way, Hayward notes the numerous writers, artists, statesmen, actors and thinkers who’ve been inspired by the joy of a well-made cocktail, acknowledging that a sometimes troubled relationship with alcohol was part of their brilliance.

But in his words, this book isn’t about ‘getting hammered’, rather it’s about the delicious ‘frisson’ that accompanies setting aside time to make and savour a cocktail.

With eloquent essays delving into the science of temperature and dilution, as well as the romance and history of cocktails, this is a book that you can dip into each time you mix yourself a Martini and sit back in your chair to enjoy it.

A Negroni Seltz at Giacosa in Florence.

(Image credit: Tommy Phorpo)

Florentine bar Giacosa lays claim to being the birthplace of the Negroni in 1919 – at which time it was known as Casoni – and its modern menu celebrates creative takes on this classic cocktail.

Among them is the Negroni Seltz, lengthened with soda water for a lighter taste with less alcohol.

‘In recent years, there’s been a growing focus on interesting lower-alcohol drinks,’ says Luca Manni, F&B manager at Giacosa.

‘The Negroni Seltz fits perfectly into this evolution: it’s an alternative that allows you to stay within a mature, structured flavour profile, but with greater drinkability. It’s a cocktail you can start as an aperitif and keep enjoying without getting tired of it.’

Head bartender William Franci recommends adding a drop of Ms Betters Bitters’ vegan Miraculous Foamer (£22.80-£27.50/12cl Widely available) to give the drink an appealing frothiness.

Luca Manni, F&B manager at Giacosa in Florence.

(Image credit: Tommy Phorpo)

• Glass Highball
• 30ml Hendricks Gin
• 30ml Carpano
• 20ml Campari
• 10ml Bitter Casoni soda water to top

• Add all ingredients except the soda to a chilled glass
• Stir gently to mix
• Top with soda