Visual Works / Editorial Storytelling
On the countless reasons behind a single glass of cocktail
An illustrated guide to finding the right drink for every mood and moment.
Overview
More Than a Collection of Recipes
People choose cocktails for many reasons: to celebrate, unwind, spend time with someone, or simply enjoy a particular flavor.
This editorial project reorganizes cocktail information around the drinker’s mood, preferences, and occasion. Rather than asking readers to begin with expert knowledge, the book helps them discover a drink through familiar experiences.
- Role
- Editorial Design, Illustration
- Duration
- Sep-Dec 2024
- Tools
- Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
- Format
- Cocktail Guidebook
The Question
How Can a Cocktail Guide Begin With a Reason?
The project started from the idea that people rarely choose a cocktail only by spirit or technique. They often begin with a situation: wanting to relax at home, celebrate with someone, recover from a difficult day, or try something new.
Instead of organizing the book around expert cocktail categories, I reframed the guide around the drinker’s reason, mood, and moment.
How can cocktail recipes be classified by the everyday reasons people want a drink?
- Reason
- Situation
- Mood
- Taste
- Occasion
Content Strategy
Classifying Recipes by Mood and Context
The book includes 76 cocktail recipes grouped into four situation-based categories. Each category explains why a particular drink might fit a reader’s mood, environment, or social context.
Alongside the recipe itself, each page includes category rationale, descriptive keywords, tasting notes, and a short personal point of view so that the guide feels approachable rather than purely technical.
- Low-proof and sweet cocktails for staying clear the next morning
- High-proof and sparkling drinks for releasing frustration after a long day
- Warm, easygoing cocktails for quiet moments at home
- Memorable drinks for sharing stories and celebrating with others
Information System
Making Cocktail Knowledge Approachable
A consistent information hierarchy was developed so that readers could understand and compare cocktails without prior knowledge.
Simple rating scales communicate alcohol content and sweetness, while repeated page structures make the recipes easy to scan.
- 01Cocktail Name
- 02Alcohol Level
- 03Sweetness
- 04Flavor Keywords
- 05Ingredients
- 06Preparation
- 07Recommended Mood or Occasion
Illustration System
Giving Each Cocktail a Visual Character
Original line illustrations highlight the glass, ingredients, garnish, and personality of each cocktail.
A consistent line weight creates unity throughout the publication, while hand-drawn details introduce a casual and personal tone. The illustrations make each drink recognizable without relying on photography.
Editorial Design
A Guidebook Designed for Exploration
The publication uses a flexible editorial grid that balances illustrations, ratings, recipes, and descriptive keywords.
Each spread works as an individual cocktail guide, while the repeated structure creates continuity across the book. Readers can follow the original sequence or browse freely according to their interests.
Outcome
Finding a Reason for a Cocktail
The completed book reframes cocktail selection as a personal experience shaped by taste, emotion, and occasion.
By combining editorial design, original illustration, and information visualization, the project makes cocktail culture more approachable. Rather than prescribing what readers should drink, it helps them discover a cocktail that feels right for their moment.