What is CookImprov?

A visual toolkit for cooks and mixologists that teaches systems over scripts, so you can improvise with confidence.

Who is it for?

• Those who want to cook and mix drinks with confidence and creativity, not just follow instructions

• Anyone who loves the idea of putting together a meal or cocktail with whatever's on hand, and impressing themselves with the result

• Those craving both structure and freedom, curious when to follow the rules and when to break them

What makes CookImprov different from other cookbooks and cocktail books?

Most cookbooks and cocktail books give you rigid instructions to follow. CookImprov gives you the architecture behind the instructions. Once you see the patterns, classic dishes and drinks become starting points you can adapt, remix, and reinvent based on what you have, what you're craving, and who you're cooking for.

Do I need experience to use these books?

CookImprov works at any experience level. The frameworks build from foundational concepts to advanced techniques, so beginners can start at the front while experienced cooks and bartenders can skip directly to specialty chapters. The visual format makes concepts quick to absorb.

What’s inside Volume 1: Fresh Foundations?

Volume 1 opens with Principles of Improv for Cooking and the mental model “Everything Is a Salad”: a way to see meals as components you can balance and remix. From there, it breaks archetypal dishes into flexible frameworks: five types of Feature Salads; then Bowls & Boards; Breakfast & Brunch; and Bread Platforms (sandwiches, avocado toast, tacos, flatbread wraps, savory and sweet crepes). You’ll learn techniques for Fundamental Veggies and finish with Foundational Proteins: chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, and tofu—suited to both meal prep and quick weeknights.

What's inside Volume 2: Cocktail Creations?

Volume 2 reveals the underlying architecture of mixology through flexible, visual frameworks. The book opens with foundational principles, then moves through timeless classics into specialty frameworks like egg-based drinks, tiki cocktails, and nightcaps. Advanced chapters explore clarified cocktails, custom tinctures and bitters, and techniques for reverse-engineering and inventing drinks from scratch. Each spread pairs a visual chart with concise guidance that builds instinct.

When will CookImprov: Cocktail Creations pre-orders ship?

September 2026

Will there be Volume 3: Mastery Methods?

Yes, it’s on track to launch in 2028.

Who is Tucker Herbert?

Tucker Herbert is a sommelier-trained host who has invented hundreds of dishes and cocktails. With degrees from Stanford and UCLA Anderson and a career in strategy consulting and tech, he breaks complex subjects into clear, flexible frameworks. He established this approach in his Kirkus-starred debut, CookImprov: Fresh Foundations, and now brings it to the bar in CookImprov: Cocktail Creations.

Bulk or educational orders

For classrooms, teams, or events, contact: tucker@cookimprov.com