Best of
Booze

2016

Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki


Martin Cate - 2016
    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.

Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas


Brad Thomas Parsons - 2016
    But in this case, what's new is old--specifically, the centuries-old European tradition of making bitter cordials and liqueurs. In Amaro, Parsons takes readers on a bittersweet tour of Italian bars, cafés, and distilleries, opening readers' eyes to the rich history and vibrant culture of amaro today. Then, he returns to the United States, where contemporary mixologists are incorporating amari into a delicious and eclectic array of cocktails. Gorgeous location and cocktail photography; an impeccable package; and more than 100 recipes for DIY amaro, amaro cocktails, and amaro-spiked desserts will make this the must-have beverage book of the season.From the Hardcover edition.

The Canon Cocktail Book: Recipes from the Award-Winning Bar


Jamie Boudreau - 2016
    Named Best Bar in America by Esquire, Canon received Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards for World's Best Drinks Selection (2013) and World's Best Spirits Selection (2015), and Drinks International included it on their prestigious World's 50 Best Bars list. In his debut, legendary bartender and Canon founder Jamie Boudreau offers 100 cocktail recipes ranging from riffs on the classics, like the Cobbler’s Dream and Corpse Reviver, to their lineup of original house drinks, such as the Truffled Old Fashioned and the Banksy Sour. In addition to tips, recipes, and formulas for top-notch cocktails, syrups, and infusions, Boudreau breaks down the fundamentals and challenges of opening and running a bar—from business plans to menu creation. The Canon Cocktail Book is poised to be an essential drinks manual for both the at-home cocktail enthusiast and bar industry professional.

The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book


Frank Caiafa - 2016
    . . that will be used as a reference for the next 100 years and more." --Gary Regan, author of The Joy of Mixology Frank Caiafa—bar manager of the legendary Peacock Alley bar in the Waldorf Astoria—stirs in recipes, history, and how-to while serving up a heady mix of the world’s greatest cocktails. Learn to easily prepare pre-Prohibition classics such as the original Manhattan, or daiquiris just as Hemingway preferred them. Caiafa also introduces his own award-winning creations, including the Cole Porter, an enhanced whiskey sour named for the famous Waldorf resident. Each recipe features tips and variations along with notes on the drink’s history, so you can master the basics, then get adventurous—and impress fellow drinkers with fascinating cocktail trivia. The book  also provides advice on setting up your home bar and scaling up your favorite recipe for a party. Since it first opened in 1893, the Waldorf Astoria New York has been one of the world’s most iconic hotels, and Peacock Alley its most iconic bar. Whether you’re a novice who’s never adventured beyond a gin and tonic or an expert looking to expand your repertoire, The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book is the only cocktail guide you need on your shelf.

The Curious Bartender's Gin Palace


Tristan Stephenson - 2016
    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 flavour 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.

Spritz: Italy's Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes


Talia Baiocchi - 2016
    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.From the Hardcover edition.

The New Cocktail Hour: The Essential Guide to Hand-Crafted Drinks


André Darlington - 2016
    The New Cocktail Hour, a compendium of mixed drinks that have shaped eras, leads readers on a romp through wet bar classics, from pre-prohibition punches to the nouveau nogs that enhance a much-loved cocktail canon. The New Cocktail Hour makes the craft cocktail world accessible, offering essential tips on mixing balanced drinks, stocking a liquor cabinet, preparing your own syrups, shrubs, bitters, and more. There’s even a chapter of no-fail cocktail ratios to help you invent your own drinks.Authors André and Tenaya Darlington’s shared passion for serving well-made drinks stirs together history, new trends, and stylish entertaining techniques for cocktailing at home. Featuring more than 230 cocktail recipes with an emphasis on quality ingredients, tasting notes, food-pairings, and useful sidebars throughout, The New Cocktail Hour is an approachable, must-have guide to making great drinks.

Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant


Tim Glazner - 2016
    The Mai-Kai became the playground of celebrities and playboys, and the beautiful women working there used it as a jumping-off point for adventure and fame. Through first-hand stories and more than 400 images, this book documents the history, allure, and enduring legacy of the mid-twentieth-century Tiki era. Focusing on the period 1955 to 1971, it is the story of how the Mai-Kai and its iconic elements came to exist, and the men and women who shaped it and went on to shape the world. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Mai-Kai is the only place on earth that still serves the Rum Rhapsodies that kicked off that indulgent era.

Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History


Steven Grasse - 2016
    The book features a rousing timeline of colonial imbibing and a cultural overview of a dizzying number of drinks: beer, rum and punch; temperance drinks; liqueurs and cordials; medicinal beverages; cider; wine, whiskey, and bourbon—all peppered with liquored-up adages from our founding fathers. There is also expert guidance on DIY methods for home brewing. Imbibe your way through each chapter, with recipes like the Philadelphia Fish House Punch (a crowd pleaser!) and Snakebites (drink alone!). Hot beer cocktails and rattle skulls have never been so completely irresistible.

The Homebrewer's Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Making Your Own Beer from Scratch


Marika Josephson - 2016
    It’s beer that offers a sense of place, incorporating locally sourced and seasonally harvested ingredients into traditional (and untraditional) farmhouse-style beers. The Homebrewer's Almanacis a practical guide for those who are interested in incorporating fresh and foraged ingredients into their beer, written by the brewers of one of the country’s hottest new breweries. Recipes include:Sweet Potato Vienna Lager Chanterelle Mushroom SaisonNettle Spicebush AleSumac Sour AleBasil Rye PorterEach chapter offers an overview of what plants to look for in your region, as well as how to harvest and how to preserve them. A brewing guide in the modern DIY tradition with a touch of the retro farmer’s almanac, The Homebrewer's Almanac will be a staple in homebrewers’ libraries and a source of year-round inspiration.

Shots of Knowledge: The Science of Whiskey


Rob Arnold - 2016
    Organized into approximately sixty illustrated essays, the book samples selected topics in whiskey production through the lenses of science and engineering.   While the essays are subdivided into three sections—From Sunshine to Sugar, From Wee Beasties to White Dogs, and From Barrel to Brain—the reader is free to sip them in any order. The story commences with water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight; travels through the manufacturing process; and ends with the molecules that entertain the palate. Whether the topic is photosynthesis, bubble caps, oak speciation, or a mechanistic enzymology, the essays seek to reveal the simple beauty too often hidden in science and engineering. At approximately one page in length, each essay and accompanying artwork can be digested slowly at the rate estimated at three essays per bourbon or Scotch. Each essay is summarized in one or two sentences in a single  “Shot of Knowledge.” Iconography anchors each essay in the production process. Inspiration for the book derived from a productive collision between individuals from TCU and the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company.