Marx Design and StrangeLove team up on a fun and foolproof recipe book, ‘Drinks You Can’t F*ck Up’

As a reunion with long-term collaborators StrangeLove and Marx Design, ‘Drinks You Can’t F*ck Up’ is an embodiment of the Melbourne-based beverage brand’s distinctively casual and humorous approach to premium beverages. Thanks to the team’s close alignment and deep understanding of the brand, the collaboration was effortless, according to Director Prudence Marx. “They seed the project,” she says, “we get excited and present some options – they then elevate and add to our ideas, and that’s how the book came to life.” With 30 foolproof cocktail recipes, the book speaks to those who don’t want the complex pageantry of bartender skills or elaborate shopping lists. It’s all in the title – you can’t get these drink mixes wrong. Likewise, the publication’s design adopts a playful tone, with plenty of nostalgia, featuring a spiral-bound format with clean, modern layouts that present the content in well-organised, numbered sections. “We wanted it to feel textbook-like with a waterproof cover, a sticker book page and space for jotting notes,” explains Marx. They describe the guiding philosophy as “borrow from the past, modernise for the future,” whereby the team referenced ’70s and ’80s nostalgic cookbooks and textbooks. This spirit particularly stands out in the photography where the team worked with photographers Kristoffer Paulsen and Yuki Sato, who referenced the “heyday of ‘at home entertainment’ and cocktails” in their approach. “The retro interiors and sets create a vibe but also dial up the flavour with the rich colour palette,” Marx adds. “Sato is here in Auckland with us, so we loved heading to his studio to create the sets, make cocktails, and art direct the shots. Paulsen is in Melbourne near StrangeLove, and they directly collaborate with him.”