GSN Alert: Cocktail Book Preview – Spring 2017 (April-June)

Yes, it’s time to once again drool over all of the new boozy books coming out in the next few months. Well, don’t literally drool on them. Regardless, these libatious literary works will be bound to leave an impression on you. Ok, enough with the puns…

Whisky Rising: The Definitive Guide to the Finest Whiskies and Distillers of Japan by Stefan Van Eycken (Author), Jim Meehan (Foreword) Cider Mill Press Raise a glass to Japanese whisky! Whisky Rising is the essential reference with revolutionary new insights into the emerging world of Japanese whisky, featuring profiles on distilleries new and old (some so new, they don’t even have whisky yet!), interviews with master distillers and blenders, and reviews and tasting notes for the best of the best, plus a definitive catalog featuring all of the must-drink whiskies! Follow the whisky bar guide and learn something new from the nosing and drinking tips. Whisky Rising will give you a taste of the good stuff!

The Periodic Table of Cocktails by Emma Stokes Abrams Image The Periodic Table of Cocktails is a fun, concise, and appealingly geeky new concept to cocktail appreciation. The foundation of the book is a periodic table organized by cocktail styles (Martinis and Up, Fruity/Tropical, Highballs/Muddles, Collinses/Fizzes, etc.) and by predominant base alcohols across the chart’s rows (vodka, gin, tequila, etc.). If you like one cocktail in the table, you should enjoy all the cocktails that surround it. The book also offers the background history and make-it-yourself recipe for each of the more than 100 “elements” or cocktails. The book will be published with a companion volume, The Periodic Table of Wine.

The Craft Cocktail Compendium: Contemporary Interpretations and Inspired Twists on Time-Honored Classics by Warren Bobrow Fair Winds Press Whether you’re new to mixing drinks or have been creating your own cocktails for years, The Craft Cocktail Compendium has everything you need to know to mix, shake, or stir your way to a delicious drink. With over 200 craft cocktail recipes, expert mixologist Warren Bobrow will help you broaden your skills and excite your taste buds with unique takes on timeless favorites and recipes you’ve likely never tried before.

The Curious Bartender’s Rum Revolution by Tristan Stephenson Ryland Peters & Small The Curious Bartender’s Rum Revolution is the fifth book by bestselling author Tristan Stephenson. Explore rum’s remarkable history from its humble origins to its status as life-blood of the Royal Navy and its love affair with Cuba. Discover its darker past, with tales of devils, pirates and its reputation as the revolutionary spirit. This fabled drink is in the midst of another revolution, transforming from uninspiring grog to premium product, with aged and spiced premium varieties leading the charge. Learn about how rum is made, from the science of sugar cane and molasses to distillation and unique ageing techniques. The Rum Tour will transport you to the most exciting rum distilleries the world has to offer, with Tristan’s signature tasting notes guiding you towards the right rum at the right time. Explore the legendary Caribbean home of rum to the pioneering rum makers around the world-embracing dynamic new techniques and taking flavor to dizzy new heights. Finally, Tristan’s mixology skills will help you master jazzed-up versions of the Mai Tai and Mojito, perfect a Planter’s Punch and keep you on trend with Brazil’s famous Caipirinha and Batida cocktails, made with rum’s sister spirit, cachaça.

Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World’s Spirit by Fred Minnick Voyageur Press Once the drink of sailors and swashbuckling pirates, rum is the most versatile — and the most varied — spirit in the world. It is consumed neat as a sipping drink, on the rocks, and in a dizzying variety of cocktails like the mai tai, mojito, and pina colada. In Rum Curious, author Fred Minnick first takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the world of rum, describing its many styles; explaining the great variety of fermenting, distilling, and maturing processes; and highlighting distillers and distilleries. He then teaches the reader about tasting rum — revealing the experience offered by brands ranging from the familiar to the unusual and obscure. A final section provides recipes for classic and innovative rum cocktails from around the world. Rum Curious is the one book the reader will need to understand and appreciate rum in all its glorious variety.

Lost Recipes of Prohibition: Notes from a Bootlegger’s Manual by Matthew Rowley Countryman Press American Prohibition was far from watertight. If you knew the right people, or the right place to go, you could get a drink―most likely a variation of the real thing, made by blending smuggled, industrial alcohol or homemade moonshines with extracts, herbs, and oils to imitate the aroma and taste of familiar spirits. Most of the illegal recipes were written out by hand and secretly shared. The “lost recipes” in this book come from one such compilation, a journal hidden within an antique book of poetry, with 300 entries on making liquors, cordials, absinthe, bitters, and wine. Lost Recipes of Prohibition features more than 70 pages from this notebook, with explanations and descriptions for real and faked spirits. Readers will also find historic and modern cocktails from some of today’s leading bartenders.
Full-color illustrations throughout.

Absinthe: The Exquisite Elixir by Betina J. Wittels (Author), T.A. Breaux (Editor) Fulcrum Publishing Take an intimate look into the contemporary world of absinthe. International in scope, Absinthe: The Exquisite Elixir is a visually rich journey into an alluring subculture. Filled with color reproductions of classic and current lithographs, posters, cartoons, as well as photos of antiques, glassware, and other tools of the absinthe drinker, this new and comprehensive guide explains and illustrates the history, culture, and mystique of the drink known as the Green Fairy. The authors provide insights into the controversy and effects of the Green Fairy through the stories of famous connoisseurs, including Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. In addition to a rich history, this detailed new guide includes recipes, reviews of existing Absinthe brands, and absinthe’s contemporary culture and ritual. Confirmed absinthe drinkers, neophytes, the curious, and collectors will all find this book equally intriguing and seductive.

 

 

GSN Alert: Cocktail Book Preview – Spring 2016 (April-June)

GSN presents our annual roundup of new books coming onto the market this spring.  Everything from spirits, aperitifs, cocktails both classic and new, tiki drinks and even marijuana tinctures!  It’s all here folks.

Craft Spirits by Eric Grossman (DK) – The first book to combine reference and practical how-to information from the most pioneering distillers around the world, and the first global catalog with photographs of every important craft spirit. Small-batch artisan spirits have arrived in a big way, with micro-distillery start-ups hitting record levels around the world and hand-crafted spirits crowding the top shelf. From vodka to rum to moonshine and more, Craft Spirits is your guide to which spirits to try and which pioneering distillers to watch. Craft Spirits will bring out your inner mixologist with cocktail recipes for each spirit it features, and will inspire you to shake or stir your own unique signature cocktail. Tasting notes, step-by-step advice, and profiles of the key micro-distilleries in every category make this book a must-have for enthusiasts. Highlighting more than 250 of the most important craft spirits, Craft Spirits is the first book of its kind, and author Eric Grossman, a key influencer within the industry, brings his knowledge of craft spirits and international cocktail trends to its pages.

Southern Spirits: Four Hundred Years of Drinking in the American South, with Recipes by Robert F. Moss (Ten Speed Press) –  Ask almost anyone to name a uniquely Southern drink, and bourbon and mint juleps–perhaps moonshine–are about the only beverages that come up. But what about rye whiskey, Madeira wine, and fine imported Cognac? Or peach brandy, applejack, and lager beer? At various times in the past, these drinks were as likely to be found at the Southern bar as barrel-aged bourbon and raw corn likker. The image of genteel planters in white suits sipping mint juleps on the veranda is a myth that never was–the true picture is far more complex and fascinating. Southern Spirits is the first book to tell the full story of liquor, beer, and wine in the American South. This story is deeply intertwined with the region, from the period when British colonists found themselves stranded in a new world without their native beer, to the 21st century, when classic spirits and cocktails of the pre-Prohibition South have come back into vogue. Along the way, the book challenges the stereotypes of Southern drinking culture, including the ubiquity of bourbon and the geographic definition of the South itself, and reveals how that culture has shaped the South and America as a whole.

Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy by Marisa Huff (Rizolli) – Kick off the evening as the Italians do, with these recipes for drinks and small dishes from the best bars and restaurants of Venice, Milan, Turin, and beyond. Aperitivo takes the reader on a spirited ride through this cocktail culture, covering variations on all the classics including the Negroni, the Bellini, and the spritz and stopping at the chicest bars that have elevated this ritual to an art form. Many of the drinks are structured around vermouths and other botanical-infused liqueurs, which offer a new world of complex flavors. They yield enticingly simple cocktails that refresh—without stunning the palate (thanks to a lighter alcohol content). But Aperitivo is just as much about the food because in Italy, drinking and eating go hand in hand. Recipes feature fried sage leaves, oven-roasted eggplant, and carbonara tramezzini, as well as many delicious riffs on crostini, frittata, and focaccia. Whether planning a party or just having a friend over for a quick drink, Aperitivo brings a whole new spirit of conviviality and true Italian style to the occasion.

The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail with Recipes by Philip Greene (Sterling Epicure) – When the Manhattan came along, it changed everything. As Gotham’s finest watering holes embraced the new concoction, the original cocktail soon became old hat and known as the Old-Fashioned. Cocktail historian Philip Greene expertly traces the evolution of this new drink from its competing origin stories through its continuing influence and extensive progeny, including the almighty Martini itself. Richly illustrated with vintage ads and artwork and luxe photographs, this definitive, illustrated story of the Manhattan also offers 65 easy-to-follow recipes. Classic variations and contemporary updates range from the Brooklyn and the Vesper to the Little Italy and Red Hook. If you’re thirsty for a good story, you’ve come to the right place.

The Curious Bartender’s Gin Palace by Tristan Stephenson (Ryland Peters & Small) – An innovative, captivating tour of the finest gins and distilleries the world has to offer, brought to you by bestselling author and gin connoisseur Tristan Stephenson. The Curious Bartender’s Gin Palace is the follow-up to master mixologist Tristan Stephenson’s hugely successful books, ‘The Curious Bartender’ and ‘The Curious Bartender: An Odyssey of Malt, Bourbon & Rye Whiskies’. Discover the extraordinary journey that gin has taken, from its origins in the Middle Ages as the herbal medicine ‘genever’ to gin’s commercialization and the dark days of the Gin Craze in mid 18th Century London, through to its partnership with tonic water–creating the most palatable and enjoyable anti malarial medication – to the golden age that it is now experiencing. In the last few years, hundreds of distilleries and micro-distilleries are cropping up all over the world, producing superb craft products infused with remarkable new blends of botanicals. In this book, you’ll be at the cutting-edge of the most exciting developments, uncovering the alchemy of the gin production process and the science of flavor before taking a tour through the most exciting distilleries and gins the world has to offer. Finally, put Tristan’s mixology skills into practice with a dozen spectacular cocktails including a Purl, a Rickey, and a Fruit Cup.

Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails by Michael Dietsch (Countryman Press) – After decades of being seen as an old man’s drink, whiskey is booming in popularity. Craft distilleries are popping up all over the United States, making whiskeys not just from corn, rye, and malted barley, but also from grains such as quinoa, blue corn, and triticale. Cocktail lovers, moving away from sweet and fruity flavor profiles, have embraced the earthy, bitter, savory notes that come from the “brown” spirits. In this collection, Shrubs author Michael Dietsch reaches out to those cocktail drinkers with recipes both classic and original, in historical order. He begins with colonial-era drinks such as Cherry Bounce and the Stone Fence, moving to early whiskey drinks like the Toddy and Julep, and then into the cocktail explosion of the Jerry Thomas era circa 1880s. This leads to the drinks of pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, and post-Repeal, and then to a section on the cocktail renaissance of the last 15 years. Author Michael Dietsch writes, “Whiskey is a spirit with a story,” and he includes an overview and some history without losing sight of the pleasures in drinking the stuff. His cocktail recipes are also infused with stories, making this book a joy to both read and use.

Brooklyn Bartender: A Modern Guide to Cocktails and Spirits by Carey Jones (Black Dog & Leventhal) – A first-of-its-kind collection, The Brooklyn Bartender gathers 300 of the most innovative, exciting, and authentic cocktail recipes from this booming, destination borough at the height of its international popularity. Brooklyn is one of the top trendsetting places today anywhere. Its neighborhoods, artists, writers, restaurants, and, yes, drinking establishments set the pace for the rest of the nation. Brooklyn Bartender takes us behind the bar to experience 300 of the best and most inventive drinks being served today, plus tips for at-home mixologists. Organized by spirit, the recipes allow readers to replicate bartenders’ signature drinks, including everything from the ornate juleps and cobblers of Maison Premiere to the party-friendly “Frozemonade” at Extra Fancy to the namesake gin cocktail of Clover Club. Additional features include “5 Takes on the Martini” and variations on other classic drinks, as well as bartenders’ recommendation for events, infused spirits, and more.

Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations by Warren Bobrow (Fair Winds Press) – Combining cannabis and cocktails is a hot new trend, and Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonicsshows you how. Featuring a collection of 75 recipes of cannabis influenced cocktails and drinks; The Cocktail Whisperer Warren Bobrow will show you the essential instructions for de-carbing cannabis to release its full psychoactive effect. Learn the history of cannabis as a social drug and its growing acceptance to becoming a medicinal. Look beyond cocktails and create successful tonics, syrups, shrubs, bitters, compound butter and exotic infused oil to use in any drink. Start your day with coffee, tea, and milk-based cannabis beverages for healing and relaxation. Get your afternoon pick-me-up with gut healing shrubs and mood enhancing syrups. Make cooling lemonades and sparking herbal infusions to soothe the fevered brow. Then, have an after dinner herbal-based cannabis drink for relaxation at the end of a good meal. The options are endless with Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics!

Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin and Rebecca Cate (Ten Speed Press) – Cast aside your cares and worries. Make yourself a Mai Tai, put your favorite exotica record on the hi-fi, and prepare to lose yourself in the fantastical world of tiki, one of the most alluring—and often misunderstood—movements in American cultural history. Martin and Rebecca Cate, founders and owners of Smuggler’s Cove (the most acclaimed tiki bar of the modern era) take you on a colorful journey into the lore and legend of tiki: its birth as an escapist fantasy for Depression-era Americans; how exotic cocktails were invented, stolen, and re-invented; Hollywood starlets and scandals; and tiki’s modern-day revival. Featuring more than 100 delicious recipes (original and historic), plus a groundbreaking new approach to understanding rum, Smuggler’s Cove is the magnum opus of the contemporary tiki renaissance. Whether you’re looking for a new favorite cocktail, tips on how to trick out your home tiki grotto, help stocking your bar with great rums, or inspiration for your next tiki party, Smuggler’s Cove has everything you need to transform your world into a Polynesian Pop fantasia.

Drink Like a Man: The Only Cocktail Guide Anyone Really Needs by Editors of Esquire (Chronicle Books) – Drink Like a Man distills 83 years of drinking wisdom into this indispensable manual. With more than 125 cocktail recipes and 100 photos, including 13 drinks every man should know how to make, variations on classic cocktails, and drinks batched large enough to satisfy a crowd, it’s an essential guide to cocktail making, but also a manual for how to drink. As a host, at a bar, with a friend, on your own—whatever the situation may be—Esquire offers wisdom, encouragement, and instructions. And also a damn good drink.

 

 

 

GSN Bookshelf: Spring 2015 Spirits, Cocktail & Beer Books in Review

Here once again is a round-up of just a few of the books that have made their way across the GSN review desk this spring.

The Craft Cocktail Party by Julie Reiner (Grand Central Life & Style)  Julie Reiner is arguably the most successful female bartender in the industry, so it is only fitting that she finally has published her own book.  Starting as a student of Dale DeGroff who provides a lovely forward, Julie was instrumental in bringing cocktail culture back from the dead in NYC.  Opening bars such as the Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club and Clover Club over the past dozen years, her insights and recipes are welcomed into our homes with her first book.  After a  brief chapter on bar tools, garnishes and syrups, Julie gets right to it with enough recipes to satisfy anyone.  Broken into seasonal libations, there are the classics (Martinez, Scofflaw, Hurricane) but more often there are her own luscious creations.  What sets this book apart is her down to earth writing style and easily obtainable ingredients.  Anyone can make these with a minimum of effort both in the liquor store and in the home.  GSN Rating: A-

Imbibe! Updated & Revised Edition by David Wondrich (Perigee)  One of the most important mixology books published in the first decade of the 21st century, Dave Wondrich’s insightful volume into that most American of pursuits gets an upgrade.  Using the life of Professor Jerry Thomas, author of the first cocktail guide back in 1862 as a jumping off point, Wondrich focuses on the histories of early cocktails including the ubiquitous Mint Julep which surprisingly dates back to colonial times.  New information reflecting other prominent bartenders who preceded Thomas, the revival of long-lost spirits and liqueurs, and nearly two dozen excellent Golden Age cocktails that you have never enjoyed before.  This one book will give the reader more of an appreciation for the art of mixology than any other.  Like Jerry Thomas, David Wondrich is a showman and captures the reader with well mixed and tasty prose.  GSN Rating: A++

Distilled by Joel Harrison & Neil Ridley (Mitchell Beazley)  When faced with shelf after shelf of spirits at your local liquor store, how do you choose which ones to take home for an evening of getting to know one another?  This book by the authors of the popular website CaskStrength.net do your homework for you.  Focusing on the most interesting versions of everything from absinthe to whiskey (and then some), the reader gets some insights from craft distillers from around the world, 10 spirits in each category to try, and some cocktail recipes.  Loads of evocative full-color photographs make this more than just a treatise of alcohol though.  You will have fun trying to track down some of the spirits and perhaps even having a tasting party at home with friends.  GSN Rating: B+

Bitters & Shrub Syrup Cocktails by Warren Bobrow (Fair Winds) “Bring me a shrubbery!” This classic line from Monty Python’s Holy Grail was not about fruit vinegars, although it could have been as they have been around for hundreds of years in the Arabic speaking world.  Mr. Bobrow’s latest book in his cocktail trilogy is all about the bitters and the shrubs.  Geared for the experienced home enthusiast, this 150+ page volume is full of recipes for making your own cocktail mixers and bitters.  Be prepared to invest in a lot of bottles and labels as well as setting aside plenty of room in your refridgerator to keep them all.  The drinks are creative, clever and a bit on the tart and aromatic side.  You may find each recipe needs a little tweaking to find the right balance for you.  Overall though, this is a fun book for those who don’t mind waiting a few days to a few weeks to have house-made ingredients on hand.  GSN Rating: B+

Beer For All Seasons by Randy Mosher (Storey)  We here at Good Spirits News sometimes do take a break from hard liquor and cocktails to enjoy the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, beer.  This book serves as an introduction to the hundreds of styles, flavors and brands available.  Plenty of background on the history of brewing, sprinkled with beautiful photographs of glasses and bottles of beer and people enjoying them makes up the first third of this quick read.  The middle section is devoted to seasonal beers (bocks, shandys, Märzens and stouts to name but a few), and the book is concluded with a list of the 100 top beer festivals around the world.  Any beer lover will appreciate this book, but for the most part this book is geared for the drinker just starting their journey.  GSN Rating B-

GSN Alert: Coming Soon – 2015 Cocktail Books (April-June)

Here are some GSN recommended books to be on the lookout for in the next few months.

Wild Cocktails from the Midnight Apothecary: 100 Recipes Using Home-grown and Foraged Fruits, Herbs, and Edible Flowers by Lottie Muir  (April 5, 2015) Lottie Muir is the creator of the Midnight Apothecary pop-up cocktail bar, set in a roof garden in the heart of London, where she also grows many of the ingredients for her mixes. On Saturday nights she sheds her gardening gloves and dons her apron to become the Cocktail Gardener mixologist. Moving from flowerbed to bar, she rustles up seasonal plant-powered cocktails, made with the harvest from her garden and from foraging trips nearby. Starting with The Cocktail Cabinet, Lottie explains both gardening and cocktail-making basics. She tells you what botanicals you will need year-round, including edible flowers, and gives tips on getting the best from your growing space, as well as advice on foraging if you want to venture further than your back garden.

Tea Cocktails: A Mixologist’s Guide to Legendary Tea-Infused Cocktails by Abigail R. Gehring (April 7, 2015) In classy bars and cocktail lounges across America, tea is making a big splash. Absolut has launched a line of tea-infused vodka, companies such as Owl’s Brew are springing up with teas crafted specifically as cocktail mixers, and foodie magazines such as Saveur and Food & Wine are featuring hot chai toddies and gin-spiked iced teas. Here organic tea company Teatulia partners with Gehring to provide a stunning collection of hot and cold tea cocktail recipes sure to impress any mixologist or tea lover. Learn how to balance the unique flavors of herbal and black teas with just the right spirits to create drinks.

Distilled: From absinthe & brandy to vodka & whisky, the world’s finest artisan spirits unearthed, explained & enjoyed by Neil Ridley & Joel Harrison (April 7, 2015) Harrison & Ridley are at the forefront of providing expertise and innovation in the spirits world. From whisky to gin, cognac to exotic drinks, the duo has a wealth of knowledge to share with audiences across the globe. They write about whisky on their award-winning website Caskstrength.net and regularly pen articles and whisky features for a number of different publications such as Whisky Magazine, Imbibe and the Evening Standard, as well as becoming judges for the World Whisky Awards and the prestigious I.W.S.C. awards. Joel and Neil approach the drinks world with an irreverent, independently-minded spirit and, in the last two years, the duo have hosted over 250 whisky and other spirits tastings around the world from Japan to Lithuania.

Imbibe! Updated and Revised Edition: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to “Professor” Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich (April 7, 2015) The first edition, published in 2007, won a James Beard Award. Now updated with newly discovered recipes and historical information, this new edition includes the origins of the first American drink, the Mint Julep (which Wondrich places before the American Revolution), and those of the Cocktail itself. It also provides more detail about 19th century spirits, many new and colorful anecdotes and details about Thomas’s life, and a number of particularly notable, delicious, and influential cocktails not covered in the original edition, rounding out the picture of pre-Prohibition tippling.

Classic Cocktails (revised) by Salvatore Calabrese (April 21, 2015) Salvatore “The Maestro” Calabrese is one of the world’s foremost cocktail experts—and drinks lovers will salut this expanded version of his classic guide. The New York Times called the original edition “a must-have,” and now it contains even more: new chapters and loads of new images; up-to-the-minute information on the most exciting cocktail trends, tastes, and techniques; and newly uncovered historical tidbits (like the true origin of the Bloody Mary). Fifty new recipes include long-buried favorites like the turn-of-the-century New Orleans classic Absinthe Suissesse, a barrel-aged Blood and Sand, and the Prohibition-era The Angel’s Tit. This elegant volume also includes DIYs for essential cocktail ingredients like Velvet Falernum, recipes for flavored syrups and homemade shrubs, and advice on throwing the very best at-home cocktail parties ever.

The Tippling Bros. A Lime and a Shaker: Discovering Mexican-Inspired Cocktails by Tad Carducci & Paul Tanguay (April 21, 2015) In The Tippling Bros. A Lime and a Shaker, Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay, who collectively have 55 years of professional experience in the beverage industry, step in to provide their expertise on Mexican cocktails. Their 72 exciting recipes go past the classic margarita and include traditional, craft, and spicy drinks such as the Blood-Orange-Cinnamon Margarita, San Fresa Frizz, and Smokey Pablo. The authors also cover the history of tequila, explain the difference between different tequilas, and offer bonus recipes for aguas frescas, syrups, salts, and some of their favorite Mexican dishes. With vibrant photographs throughout, this is the must-have book on the subject, perfect for home cooks, bartenders, and those who just want to know more about tequila and mezcal.

Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails: Restorative Vintage Cocktails, Mocktails, and Elixirs by Warren Bobrow & Philip M. Dobard (May 1, 2015) The Cocktail Whisperer, Warren Bobrow, has been using bitters and shrubs in his quest for added zest in many of his craft cocktails, adding depth and mystery to a generic mixed drink. Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails will send your taste buds back in time with 75 traditional and newly-created recipes for medicinally-themed drinks. Learn the fascinating history of apothecary bitters, healing herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and vinegars that are making a comeback in cocktail and non-alcoholic recipes. If you love vintage cocktails, you’ll surely enjoy this guide to mixing delicious elixirs.

The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore by Gary Regan (May 5, 2015) The Negroni is one of the simplest and most elegant drink formulas around: combine one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part Campari, then stir and serve over ice. This bitter, sweet, and smooth drink has inspired countless variations as well as legions of diehard aficionados. In The Negroni, Gary Regan–barman extraordinaire and author of the iconic book The Joy of Mixology–delves into the drink’s fun, fascinating history (its origin story is still debated, with battling Italian noblemen laying claim) and provides techniques for modern updates (barrel aging and carbonation among them). Sixty delightfully varied and uniformly tasty recipes round out this spirited collection, which is a must-have for any true cocktail enthusiast.

The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion by Julie Reiner & Kaitlyn Goalen (May 5, 2015) Julie Reiner, the co-owner of The Clover Club in Brooklyn and The Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan, has written a book that provides inspiration for the rest of us, not only the cocktail geeks. She wants to balance the needs of the everyday drinker with those of the passionate mixologist. Recipes are organized around seasonality and occasion, with different events and themes appropriate to the specific time of the year. Each section will include a mixture of holiday-inspired drinks, classic cocktails, and innovative new drinks, all along with fun cocktail lore. Tricks, tips, and techniques–such as batching and infusions, tools of the trade, notes on spirit types, and easy substitutions to utilize what you already have on hand–will round out the amazing amount of information in Reiner’s book.

Cocktails & Dreams: The Ultimate Indian Cocktail Book by Yangdup Lama & Gitanjali Chaturvedi (May 15, 2015) Cocktails and Dreams is put together by people who represent the modern, young India a bartender and a well-travelled development professional in some senses an unlikely cocktail. It comes at a time when India now exposed to the outside world does not consider drinking as a social taboo but enjoys a fine cocktail or two. With a significant change in urban lifestyles, the fifty original recipes help people to look beyond the traditional whisky on the rocks and rum and Coke.

Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America’s Cocktail Culture by Adam Ford (June 1, 2015) Previously fallen from grace, vermouth is once again the next big thing in spirits. Over the years, vermouth has fallen from grace, but the truth is, without vermouth, your martini is merely an iced vodka or gin. Now, once again, vermouth is being touted as the hottest trend in spirits. It is showing up in copious amounts on the best cocktail menus in the best cocktail lounges around the country. Vermouth has a rich history, deeply intertwined with that of America, and this book offers the first-ever detailed look into the background of this aromatized, fortified wine, as well as vermouth’s rise, fall, and comeback in America.

The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance with Jigger, Shaker & Glass by Paul Clarke (June 15, 2015) From Paul Clarke, the 2014 Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer and founder of the groundbreaking spirits blog, The Cocktail Chronicles, comes an approachable guide to the cocktail renaissance thus far and—as the name implies—a chronicle of the cocktails that have come along the way. The Cocktail Chronicles is not a lab manual for taking the cocktail experience to a molecular level; nor is it an historical monograph tracing the details of our forebears as they developed and mixed the drinks we enjoy today. Instead, The Cocktail Chronicles is a collection of approachable, and easily replicable drinks that all share the same thing: a common deliciousness and a role — both big and small — in the ongoing and thriving cocktail renaissance. This collection of expertly curated recipes represent a photo album of sorts—snapshots of people encountered over the years, with some close friends and family members depicted alongside a few dimly remembered strangers.

GSN Review: Winter 2013 Cocktail Guides

With the holidays well under way, it’s once again time for the Good Spirits News annual round-up of new cocktail, spirits and bartending books.  You’ll be sure to find a few books to gift your favorite bartender or cocktail aficionado.

Schiller’s Liquor Bar Cocktail Collection by Keith McNally (Clarkson Potter)  An interesting publication composed of four small hardcover books in a slipcase, this set lists over 150 of the cocktails available at NYC’s Schiller’s Liquor Bar.  One book is devoted to barware and techniques of mixology.  The other three are filled with classic cocktail recipes, seasonal drinks and original drinks.  As well, each volume has a short introduction by Keith McNally, but I was left wanting more information on the bar itself and why it became the success it is.  The recipes are interspersed with photographs of the drinks and the bar itself, making this a miniature set of coffee table books.  You may not learn much here, but it will give you an idea of what drinks a successful bar should have on its menu.  GSN Rating: B-

Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick (Lyons Press)  Dorothy Parker penned the famous witticism “I love a martini, but two at the most.  Three, I’m under the table; four, I’m under the host.”  Of course, there is much more to her than these few lines, including a hefty dose of other prohibition era cocktails.  In this small volume, you will learn about her friendship with some of the leading literary lights of the day at the famous Algonquin Round Table; as well as archival photographs and illustrations from the era.  Many of the recipes are available elsewhere, but seeing them all clustered together one quickly realizes in spite of a lack of quality booze in the 1920’s, people still enjoyed a well-made tipple.  A book for fans of the roaring 20’s, Miss Parker or speakeasies.  GSN Rating: B

Winter Cocktails: Mulled Ciders, Hot Toddies, Punches, Pitchers, and Cocktail Party Snacks by Maria del Mar Sacasa (Quirk)  Just what the title says.  This is a cookbook for wintery beverages and edibles.  Many of the recipes are variations on classic drinks such as hot chocolate, egg nog and sangria.  As well, this book definitely leans toward a sweet tooth.  Loads of color photos along with easy to follow drink recipes make up the majority of pages, but there is also a section on homemade infused liquors, syrups, sour mixes and tomato juice.  If you’re looking for dessert in a glass, you’ll find one here.  GSN Rating: B-

Apothecary Cocktails by Warren Bobrow (Fair Winds)  There are literally hundreds of cocktail guides designed to inebriate, but next to none with the goal of restoring and reviving the imbiber.  Warren Bobrow has taken up the challenge with his book of historical and modern recipes crafted to revive the drinker’s corpse, as it were.  Spiral-bound (God bless him!) this book will have you on your feet in no time, whether you’re feeling under the weather, suffering from the common cold, or trying to recuperate from a night of too many drinks.  None of the recipes are difficult to make, and yet each is extremely flavorful and well thought out.  Most of the drinks are accompanied by artfully depicted photographs.  Overall, a well done book which you’ll find yourself reaching for whenever you’re feeling a little under the weather.  GSN Rating: A

The Long Pour by Adam McDonald (TheBarTenderBook.com)   We all have stories from behind the stick.  Most of them remain as personal memories shared with close friends.  Adam McDonald has done us the favor of collecting dozens of mind-blowing stories from bartenders around the globe.  These aren’t your typical “nudge, nudge” stories either.  Vivid descriptions of sex, drugs and truly idiotic patrons will have your jaw dropping and your eyes tearing up in laughter.  It makes you realize that most of life can indeed be seen while bartending.  I particularly enjoyed the story about the cocaine snorting bartender being hog-tied around a toilet by an undercover cop.  HBO, take note!  These episodes can be your next hit series!  GSN Rating: A-

Raise the Bar by Jon Taffer (New Harvest)  People either love or hate Jon Taffer’s television show Bar Rescue.  Personally, I find it interesting because it educates the public on what goes on behind the scenes of a bar, successful or not.  If you’ve seen the show, this book will fill in the banks and give you a less volatile (read, reality tv friendly) version of what Jon does in his makeovers.  I wouldn’t say this is required reading for bar owners or employees, but it does make you think.  The real substance of this book are the many practical applications to work ethic and presentation.  If you ever thought you could run the bar you work at, read this and you will at the very least have a better understanding of the business.  GSN Rating: B

Drink More Whiskey by Daniel Yaffe (Chronicle Books)  More than just a history of whiskey production and a treatise on the vast array of styles available, this small book also has several intriguing cocktails contributed by many of the most accomplished bartenders around the USA.  This is particularly worthwhile since, there is a dearth of non-bourbon and rye based cocktails in publication.  Broken down into country specific chapters including everything from unaged white dog to the latest Japanese styles, you will learn the basics of each style of whiskey.  An interesting blend of entry-level learning, along with leading edge cocktails.  GSN Rating: B-

Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails by Eric Prum & Josh Williams (W&P Design LLC)  A cocktail guide published by the duo who created the clever Mason Jar Shaker (reviewed by GSN here).  Their vision for this book is three-fold.  Cocktails should be 1) fun 2) simple, 3 social.  Keeping this premise in mind, don’t expect anything that will challenge Tony Conigliaro.  But, these are great original drinks anyone can make at home.  What is particularly engaging, is that each drink is placed within a seasonal section based on what is available in your local market.  You’ll find drinks calling for kale, caper berries, lilac flowers and even cava.  You don’t necessarily need their bespoke shaker to make these drinks, but it helps.  Oh, and the book is liberally filled with beautifully photographed pictures of each drink in a style reminiscent of blueprints.  GSN Rating: B

The Curious Bartender: The Artistry and Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail by Tristan Stephenson (Ryland Peters)  A fun and well researched volume on recreating the classic cocktails of the past 150 years using modern methodology.  If you’re a fan of Chef Heston Blumenthal’s creativity, you will find much here to whet your mixological appetite.  Techniques ranging from ageing to smoking cocktails with many stops along the way, will give you plenty of opportunity to experiment.  With 25% of the book devoted to techniques, the remainder is filled with beautiful photographs of both the original and re-envisioned versions along with histories, insights and recipes.  A one page section on resources is helpful, if you’re trying to track down hard to find ingredients and equipment.  GSN Rating: A-