Paso Robles’ Yes Cocktail Co. pens the ultimate mixology manual

“Whenever we teach a mixology class at the Yes Cocktail Co. tasting room (in Paso Robles), we start by talking about what makes a cocktail or mocktail truly great,” write proprietors Brandon Alpert and Lauren Butler in The Happy Hour Book. “The answer is simple: balance. Not booze for the sake of booze (that’s called a shot), but a thoughtful mix of flavors that work better together than they ever could alone.”

Authored by the couple and published by Edible San Luis Obispo in July, the book is the second in a planned series of annual cookbook releases by the regional magazine, helmed by publisher Gail Cayetano Classick of Paso Robles. 

“We had been wanting to produce cookbooks for a long time,” Classick said. “We’ve seen other Edible publications do it. Edible San Luis Obispo is part of a network of over 80 Edible publications from across North America, and we have witnessed how their books have uplifted their food communities. We wanted to bring that energy here to the Central Coast.”

The magazine’s first book release in June 2025—the Etto Pasta Cookbook, published in collaboration with Paso’s Etto Pastificio and owner Brian Terrizzi—sold out of its first run and is now in its second print. 

For its latest cookbook, “we were so lucky to collaborate with Lauren and Brandon,” Classick said.

“The two have built exactly the kind of business we admire,” she continued. “Yes Cocktail Co. (YCC) has become a nationally recognized brand, with products in thousands of retailers across the country, and no matter how much they’ve grown, they’ve never stopped showing up for the SLO community. We still see them at farmers’ markets, partnering with local businesses, hosting holiday parties at their tasting room, and finding ways to bring people together. 

“Our community knows them not just because of their success, but because they’ve remained genuinely invested here at home. Also, they’re two of the most fun people you’ll meet. Of course, I want their drink recipes. I want what they’re having.”

The comprehensive, 164-page The Happy Hour Book delves into every aspect of beverage creation, including the necessary tools of the trade, such as strainers, juicers, and jiggers; appropriate glassware; tips and philosophy on balancing flavors; and it even devotes space to bar-snack recipes ranging from tea cakes and spiced nuts to party wings.

The couple dives deep into their own backgrounds and also dedicates a section to San Francisco-based designer Ayca Kilicoglu, one of the book’s two illustrators—the other being Central Coast local Jenna Hartzell.

The heart of the book, however, spotlights more than 65 beverage recipes grouped by method of preparation—shaken, stirred, muddled, blended, built in glass, and punch bowl and big-batch cocktails.

Roving California photographer Mary Lagier adds her artistic flair with full-color shots accompanying nearly every recipe.

Highlights of the shaken category range from the rum-based Lumberjack Espresso Martini, Banana Bread Old Fashioned, and Spice Merchant Sour to gin-hibiscus favorite the Persian Cloud. Interesting blended cocktails include the tequila-forward Avocado Margarita and gin-vermouth Negroni Sloshy.

While YCC promotes its own mixers and bitters throughout the book, it also offers a section on do-it-yourself syrups, liqueurs, and even vermouth.

Additionally, any drink can be converted from a cocktail to a mocktail by substituting a nonalcoholic spirit.

The building blocks are the same for either version, the authors write.

The perfect cocktail, they explain, contains the base spirit, the backbone of the drink; sweetener, which smooths edges and rounds acidity; acid, such as citrus, to bring brightness and lift; bitterness, which adds depth and complexity; dilution and temperature with a proper amount of ice, if needed; and finally, aromatics and garnish to elevate aroma and aesthetics.

“A mocktail follows the exact same logic, just without alcohol,” the authors add.

Swap the base liquor for a nonalcoholic spirit, juice, or tea, and create the same structure.

“The goal is still balance,” they stress. “Sweet needs acid. Bright needs depth. Texture matters. A good mocktail shouldn’t feel like a compromise—it should feel intentional.”

YCC’s book, listed at $35, can be purchased from its website, at its tasting room and bottle shop, or at select retailers across the country. When visiting the tasting room, guests can peruse YCC’s lineup of all-natural mixers, syrups, bitters, bitters-infused sugar cubes, and its nonalcoholic aperitif Amaro or book a cocktail flight, mixology class, or private party.

Edible SLO’s next cookbook, slated for summer 2027, is still under wraps, “but it’s all about entertaining and will be authored by two of the most talented professionals in the hospitality and—hint—host-ess-ing world,” Classick said.

“It will feature seasonal menus and cocktails, thoughtful hosting tips, food gifts—all the little details that result in something really memorable,” she added. “We can’t wait.” ∆

Flavor writer Cherish Whyte will be in her kitchen whipping up refreshing YCC concoctions. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.

This article appears in Education Today 2026.