Even more delicious are the stories of the people who created, or served, or simply drank these drinks. As a hybrid of street-smart gumshoe, anthropologist and mixologist (The Los Angeles Times), Jeff "Beachbum" Berry is uniquely qualified to tell this epic story-with-recipes, lavishly illustrated with vintage graphics and rare historical photos.

    Most of all, mixing a sublime cocktail is an art.Preparing a first-class cocktail relies upon a deep understanding of its ingredients, the delicate alchemy of how they work together—their flavor, aroma and color. Most of all, mixing a sublime cocktail is an art. In The Curious Bartender, the mastermind behind three of London’s most avant-garde cocktail bars Tristan Stephenson explores and experiments with the art of preparing the perfect cocktail, explaining the fascinating modern turns mixology has taken. Showcasing a selection of classic cocktails, Tristan explains their intriguing origins, introducing the colorful characters who inspired or created them and how they were intertwined within their historical context. Moving on, he reinvents each drink from his laboratory, adding contemporary twists to breathe fresh life into these vintage classics. Stay true to the originals with a Sazerac or a Rob Roy, or experiment with some of his modern variations to create a Green Fairy Sazerac topped with an absinthe “air” or an Insta-age Rob Roy with the “age” on the side. Also included is a reference section, detailing all the techniques and equipment you will need, making this an essential and exciting anthology for the cocktail enthusiast.

    Less drunk.You deserve a great cocktail—and you don't have to over-indulge to get it! Shims—serious, low-alcohol cocktails—are where everyone can come together, whether it’s for the one drink of the evening or when this is but the first of many. This book is your invitation to a world of delicious, sophisticated drinks which provide all their pleasures without walloping you over the head with booze. Celebrate two centuries of the cocktail with 53 recipes for every taste, from the sunny cheerfulness of a Ben's Good Humor to slow sippers like the Bitter Giuseppe. Cheers!Lavishly illustrated with 79 vibrant photos by Kelly Puleio.

    The libations in this intoxicating collection span some 200 years, from Europe to the Far East, and they're the drinks with the best tales to tell. Because--without a backstory--a cocktail is nothing more than spirits and mixers. But spike that drink with an anecdote about the people, places, and circumstances that influenced its creation, and imbibers are instantly transported. Step into a British officer's club in 1920s Burma to try the Pegu Club, disembark in colonial Bermuda to sample the original Dark & Stormy, or join F. Scott Fitzgerald and Cole Porter at The Ritz Hotel in Paris for a Royal Highball, among the many spirited adventures between these covers.The book itself is like a classic cocktail, with its iconic, vintage appeal. Mixed media illustrations by award-winning Danish artist Poul Lange feature vintage bottle labels, postcards, and magazine images. The illustrations are matched with simple recipes and deeply researched backstories for a new look at the world's most iconic cocktails. More than a sum of its parts, Storied Sips is a book about living the good life, treating oneself to a dash of civilized escapism at the end of a busy day. Truly, there's nothing like a cocktail to strip away the dullness of the mundane, gilding an evening with a heightened glow, or adding cultured flair to a get-together with friends. Organized from light-bodied quenchers to rich, complex warmers, Storied Sips makes it easy to find cocktail inspiration any time of the year.REVIEWSFoodRepublic.com says: “Author Erica Duecy chronicles 200 years of tending bar and the resulting book of tales are a must-read for any cocktail aficionado.” “Like many other drink books, this one has cocktails along with their stories and recipes. Yet unlike others, this tiny book and its alluring collage-based illustrations is able to transport you to another time, a different era. In just a page or two the writer paints vivid pictures that allow you to hear the music of that moment, smell the smoke in that bar she's speaking of. It's a little magical.” - Maureen Petrosky, www.thekitchn.comThe Village Voice quips: “Other than luxury real estate catalogs that stir-up serious home-envy, I can’t recall reading another book that so made me want to immediately sell my “cozy, charming” apartment and buy a damn house. Why? I need kitchen cabinet space to collect the vintage barware and vessels in which the drinks in this book deserve to be served. Duecy, a first time author and deputy editor of Fodor’s Travel website, recaptures the glamour of classic cocktails by succinctly sharing the exotic, historical origin of each drink, seducing you to immediately take stock of your liquor cabinet and make a grocery list of what’s missing.”

     Gin now has its own geek's bible, a heady cocktail of information, enthusiasm and authority. -- Observer Food MonthlyAll alcohols have a social history and this book tells the story of gin. The spirit has a long and lively history and its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries. But it is in demand again -- and rising -- and many would say that only now is it getting the recognition it truly deserves. At the same time, new makers populate the scene, many of them small, craft distilleries. The great G&T (gin and tonic) has earned new respect and is more fashionable now than when it was created by the English during Queen Victoria's reign.From Glenfiddich Food & Drink Award-winning writer Simon Difford comes this beautiful guide to the 'juniper jewel.' Gin brings comprehensive coverage of the white spirit. It provides a detailed history of the rollercoaster ride gin has taken over the centuries, a full explanation of gin styles and production methods, in-depth reports on 16 distilleries, and production and tasting notes on nearly 175 different gins. It is a true celebration of arguably the world's most dynamic and fashionable spirit.Gin includes: A wealth of encyclopedic information for keen amateurs and drinks professionals alike A spotlight on the craft gin distilling movement as well as larger, more established gin producers Interviews and quotes from some of the most well-known characters in the world of gin Contrasting detail of cutting-edge production technologies with centuries-old techniques and traditions. For the great many aficionados of gin, new and veteran, Gin is a lively, informative and affectionate history of the heart and soul of the G&T.