GSN Alert: Cocktail & Spirits Book Preview – Summer 2019 (July-September)

 

Just a few summer books to be on the lookout for in the next three months.  Make yourself a drink and read a book. Pretend you’re on vacation.

Botany at the Bar: The Art and Science of Making Bitters by Selena Ahmed, Ashley Duval, et al. Roost Books (July 2, 2019) Not only are bitters the backbone to every great cocktail, these plant-packed elixirs have long been used to support health and well-being, add flavor, and stimulate the senses. Take a trip around the world with ingredients like saffron, grapefruit, hibiscus, and lemongrass and then bring them home to your kitchen. Be your own alchemist and mixologist, with recipes for creating bitters, syrups, shrubs, and cocktails. With these unique flavor combinations of spices, roots, fruits, and flowers, your drinks will never be the same.

How the Gringos Stole Tequila: The Modern Age of Mexico’s Most Traditional Spirit by Chantal Martineau Trinity University Press (July 9, 2019) Once little more than party fuel, tequila has graduated to the status of fine sipping spirit. How the Gringos Stole Tequila traces the spirit’s evolution in America from frat-house firewater to luxury good. But there’s more to the story than tequila as upmarket drinking trend. Chantal Martineau spent several years immersing herself in the world of tequila–traveling to visit distillers and agave farmers in Mexico, meeting and tasting with leading experts and mixologists around the United States, and interviewing academics on either side of the border who have studied the spirit. The result is a book that offers readers a glimpse into the social history and ongoing impact of this one-of-a-kind drink. It addresses issues surrounding the sustainability of the limited resource that is agave, the preservation of traditional production methods, and the agave advocacy movement that has grown up alongside the spirit’s swelling popularity. In addition to discussing the culture and politics of Mexico’s most popular export, the book takes readers on a colorful tour of the country’s Tequila Trail, as well as introducing them to the mother of tequila: mezcal.

Flask: 41 Portable Cocktails to Drink Anywhere by Sarah Baird Chronicle Books (July 23, 2019) A compilation of portable drinks, Flask comprises 41 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes that can be transported anywhere. From imbibing in the great outdoors to ringing in the New Year, the book offers recipes for all of life’s greatest moments. Bold, vivid infographics detail drink recipes for 6- and 17-ounce flasks, perfect for sipping solo or sharing with friends. Accessible and fun, the book includes a brief history of flasks, common dos and don’ts, and an interactive quiz, all within a sleek, handsome package featuring a die-cut window and bright silver foil endpapers.

All Day Cocktails: Low (And No) Alcohol Magic by Shaun Byrne & Nick Tesar Hardie Grant (August 20, 2019) Celebrating seasonal ingredients, and with a focus on sustainability, All Day Cocktails showcases nearly fifty varieties of citrus, berries, tropical fruits, stone fruits, pome fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts. Each variety features a versatile prep recipe that can extend into your cocktails and beyond, meaning All Day Cocktails is much more than your average cocktail book. All Day Cocktails brings you ninety cocktail recipes + fifty prep recipes, including: bitters, caramels, cordials, coulis, granitas, honeys, jams, jellies, juices, kefirs, liqueurs, sherbets, shrubs, syrups, tisanes and vinegars.

Cocktails with a Twist: 21 Classic Recipes. 141 Great Cocktails by Kara Newman Chronicle Books (August 27, 2019) For anyone looking to expand their palate and discover a new favorite go-to drink, this inventive cocktail book is just the thing. Each chapter is based on a classic (like the Manhattan), but inside the unique gatefolds, readers will discover numerous riffs (like swapping Irish whiskey for rye to make a Blackthorn, or substituting amaro for vermouth to make a Black Manhattan). More than 100 variations on 21 modern classic cocktail recipes are accompanied by helpful tips on keeping a well-stocked bar, garnishing drinks, and throwing a party. With bold coloring and a foil cover, Cocktails with a Twist is a handsome addition to any home bar. And with 21 gatefolds, with classic recipes and intriguing variants, this is a cocktail book unlike any other.

Gin Galore: A Journey to the Source of Scotland’s Gin by Sean Murphy & Alison Soye Black & White Publishing (September 1, 2019) With a stellar cast of 50 unique gins, this book explores the boutique tipples reinvigorating the landscapes of Scottish gin. Gin can be relatively simply produced, which enables craft gin distilleries across Scotland to create a refreshing range of boutique products, many of which are making some seriously big waves around the world. Did you know, for example, that a Scottish gin has recently been crowned the “World’s Strongest Gin”—taking the title from a Swedish distillery? There’s no better time to be a gin fan, to get to know Scottish gin and the intriguing stories behind it. This guide will make the perfect companion for gin lovers around the world, as well as gin-loving tourist visitors to Scotland.

The Good Reverend’s Guide to Infused Spirits: Alchemical Cocktails, Healing Elixirs, and Cleansing Solutions for the Home and Bar by Steven Grasse, Sonia Kurtz & Michael Alan Skyhorse (September 3, 2019) A bottle of rectified alcohol, like The Good Reverend’s Universal Spirit from Tamworth Distilling, is a bottle of possibilities. In these pages, you’ll discover over 100 recipes for infusions, tinctures, cocktails, cordials, elixirs, punches, and even household cleaners. This handbook will teach you to replicate famous liqueurs and classic cocktails, and help you prepare perfect garnishes and celebratory toasts. With step-by-step instructions and photos, you’ll learn processes culinary, scientific, and alchemical to improve everything from your parties to your health. You’ll learn the processes of osmosis and dissolution that create the perfect infusions. You’ll be given the secrets to prep for guests lists of 1 or 100.

Cheers to Michigan: A Celebration of Cocktail Culture and Craft Distillers by Tammy Coxen & Lester Graham UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REGIONAL (September 3, 2019) Cheers to Michigan is a toast to cocktail culture in the Mitten and the state’s flourishing craft cocktail and distillery movements. Based on Cheers!, Lester Graham and Tammy Coxen’s popular cocktail segment on Michigan Radio (NPR), this book gathers forty-five of the authors’ favorite cocktail recipes celebrating the Great Lakes State—its history, its people, its culture, even its weather! Throughout, the authors mix in dashes of Michigan’s fascinating drinking history, entertaining profiles of award-winning cocktail bars, distilleries, and individual spirits from the region, as well as helpful tidbits for preparing top-shelf cocktails on your own. Learn how to mix a Bullshot, the Detroit-born cocktail containing Campbell’s Beef Broth—Marilyn Monroe famously called the drink “a horrible thing to do to vodka.” Or try out the authors’ Whiskey Sour recipe honoring the true story of Valentine Goesaert, a Dearborn woman who challenged the constitutionality of a Michigan law prohibiting female bartenders and in 1948 took her case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Whether you’re a fan of whiskey, gin, or vodka—of the latest cocktail trends or all-time classic drinks—there’s something in this book for all tastes. What’s constant is that each drink showcases a uniquely Michigan twist, making this book perfect for anyone who loves the state, its history and culture, or simply the delicious, delightful, and distinctive cocktails it has inspired.

Spritz Fever!: Sixty Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails by Elouise Anders & Sarah Hankinson Smith Street Books (September 3, 2019) The 60 spritz recipes in Spritz Fever! are in the cocktail style of the decade. Seeing as most spritzes are low(ish) in ABV (well, certainly lower than wine, anyway), they’re the ideal companion for any day-drinking event. Plus, as most Instagram feeds can attest, spritzes aren’t just a drink…they’re a lifestyle. These bubbly wonders speak to a careless Italian summer spent reclining by the beach in fine and flowing linen. What can be so easy to forget is that spritzes are so much more than just Aperol and bubbles. In this book, you’ll learn about the classic European liqueurs, like Cynar, Campari, Luxardo Bitter, Meletti, and more. Moreover, you’ll discover the nuances between prosecco, cava, and champagne can create different textures as the bubbles in each effervesce uniquely. Plus, read up on how citrus garnishes must be matched appropriately to each drink’s flavor profile and, of course, color. Above all, the perfect ratio of liqueur-to-bubbles changes for each recipe. Spritz Fever! explains all of this, alongside its dreamy illustrations.

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes by Robert Simonson Ten Speed Press (September 17, 2019) The first book in decades to celebrate and explore the history of the most iconic of classic cocktails, the martini, with 50 recipes. A classic martini includes gin, vermouth, sometimes bitters, a lemon twist or olive, and lots of opinions–it’s these opinions that New York Times cocktail writer Robert Simonson uncovers in his exploration of the long and tangled history of the classic martini and its subtle variations. The book features examples of age-old recipes, such as the first martini recipe published in 1888, modern versions created by some of the world’s best bartenders, and martinis sought out by enthusiasts around the world, from Dukes Bar at the Dukes Hotel London to Musso and Frank Grill in Los Angeles. In The Martini Cocktail, you’ll discover everything you need to know about what components make a great martini, as well as a collection of 50 recipes to create your own drinks (and form your own opinions) at home.

Gather Around Cocktails: Drinks to Celebrate Usual and Unusual Holidays by Aaron Goldfarb Dovetail (September 24, 2019) Gather Around Cocktails is a collection of 45 recipes that take you through a year of holidays and other unexpected occasions to celebrate with friends and family. Included are refreshing twists on classics like Christmas nogs, mulled wines, and New Year’s Eve and Day tipples, as well as cocktails for delightful new festivities: easy apres ski drinks, a batched Superbowl spritz, and a romantic Valentine’s Day cocktail for two. Complete with tips on creative ways to serve your guests–from a self-serve Bloody Mary bar to a champagne tower–making drinks for two or 100 has never been easier.

 

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 Alert: Cocktail Book Preview – Winter 2016 (January-March)

Brooklyn Spirits PB: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World’s Hippest Borough by Peter Thomas Fornatale and Chris Wertz (powerHouse Books) In the popular tradition of farm-to-table cookbooks, Brooklyn Spirits: Craft Distilling and Cocktails from the World’s Hippest Borough, is the first distillery-to-glass cocktail book. Over the past two decades, Brooklyn has become the epicenter of a Slow Food-inspired food and drink revolution. Brooklyn distillers, restaurateurs, bartenders, and cocktail aficionados are changing the way we drink by bringing back old techniques and recipes, and creating new ones that focus on small-batch distilling and fresh, local ingredients. In 2002, craft distilling was made legal in New York State for the first time since Prohibition. Many Brooklyn-based producers such as Greenhook Ginsmiths, Cacao Prieto, Industry City Distilling, Brueckelen, and others have taken advantage of this.

ReMixology: Classic Cocktails, Reconsidered and Reinvented by Julia Hastings-Black & Michael Turback (Skyhorse Publishing) History tells us that once a cocktail achieved prominence at the bar, the impulse to invent variations has been irresistible. ReMixology is a celebration of time-honored cocktails, the fascinating evolution of their formulas, and the inspiration they provide today’s craft bartenders. This book serves as a re-introduction to ten iconic potions, from the Manhattan to the Whiskey Sour, to the Old Fashioned to the Bloody Mary and more, and explores their progression and development in cocktail culture, and showcases a range of innovative and original, yet accessible interpretations that open the door to new possibilities in drinking and entertaining.

Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau (Ten Speed Press) From Milan to Los Angeles, Venice to New York, the spritz—Italy’s bitter and bubbly aperitivo cocktail—has become synonymous with a leisurely, convivial golden hour. But the spritz is more than just an early evening cocktail—it’s a style of drinking. In Spritz, Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau trace the drink’s origins to ancient Rome, uncover its unlikely history and culture, explore the evolution of aperitivo throughout Northern Italy, and document the spritz’s revival around the world. From regional classics to modern variations, Spritz includes dozens of recipes from some of America’s most lauded bartenders, a guide to building a spritz bar, and a collection of food recipes for classic Italian snacks to pair alongside.

Eat Your Drink: Culinary Cocktails by Matthew Biancaniello (Dey Street Books) Matthew Biancaniello, the former cocktail chef for the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s famous Library Bar, is creating cocktails the world has never tasted before. Going beyond the quotidian Whiskey Sour or Tom Collins, Biancaniello is mixing it up with imaginative drinks such as “The Heirloom Tomato Mojito”, a twenty-five-year-aged balsamic vinegar and strawberry libation named “The Last Tango in Modena,” and a fresh arugula-infused “Roquette.” One of the fastest-rising and most unique talents in the world of bartending, Biancaniello crafts exciting new drinks based on farm-fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients. A complement to farm-to-table dining, his fresh take on cocktails is ushering in a new age of drinking: “farm-to-glass”, and with the addition of his foraging and gardening methods, “ground to glass.” Captured in gorgeous full-color photographs, the libations in Eat Your Drink are both aesthetically beautiful and delicious.

Brooklyn Bar Bites: Great Dishes and Cocktails from New York’s Food Mecca by Barbara Scott-Goodman & Jennifer May (Rizzoli) This lively cookbook celebrates Brooklyn’s happening bar culture—from the mixologists who craft classic and original cocktails to the talented chefs who create delicious dishes made with fresh-from-the-market ingredients to accompany the drinks. Brooklyn Bar Bites covers the offerings of the current crop of popular neighborhood bars, cocktail lounges, and restaurants. A variety of classic and inventive cocktails from Brooklyn’s best bartenders—from a Classic Old Fashioned to a Kimchi Bloody Mary—are showcased. The accompanying dishes range from simple bar snacks, sandwiches, and crostini to small plates. Recipes include Grilled Scallop Ceviche, Ricotta Crostini, and Southern-Style Crispy Pimento Cheese. This entertaining cookbook is also filled with anecdotes about the eateries and their locales. Among the bars featured are the Long Island Bar, a once-gritty riverfront joint that is now an elegant cocktail lounge; Clover Club, with its old-world speakeasy vibe; and Williamsburg’s chic Maison Premiere, known for its oyster bar happy hour and absinthe cocktail menu. With stunning food and location photography, Brooklyn Bar Bites is the perfect companion for food lovers and a must for home mixologists.