'Love love love this book. It doesn't just simplify wine, it simplifies life. Essential reading.' – India Knight

• Do you frequently panic in the wine aisle and end up reaching for the same old thing. Every. Single. Time?
• Have you found yourself picking the bottle with the nicest-looking label?
• Do you automatically pick the second-cheapest wine on the list?
• Are you looking to extend your wine horizons beyond Pinot Grigio?

You need The Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide.

Come and explore the wonderful world of wine with drinks expert Helen McGinn. With tips on how to make the right wine choices for every occasion, from children’s parties (because adults need something fizzy too) to planning a wedding or matching wine with food, this book will help you to choose with confidence.

Learn what to look for in the discount deals and discover the can’t-go-wrong crowd-pleasers, perfect reds to go with your Sunday roast, the best wine to drink with chocolate, plus some unexpected suggestions for your next night in. Wine is about far more than just what's in the glass (although that's important too); it brings us together and helps us to find a moment to stop, connect and share stories. This crash-course guide will help you know what to look for in fridge-door whites, store cupboard reds so that you can make the most of time spent together to raise a glass for a special occasion, or wind-down when the kids have finally gone to bed.

Because life's too short to drink bad wine.

This 43rd edition of the authoritative South African wine guide features Five Star wines out of over 8,000 wines reviewed. Platter's features descriptions of over 900 producers across the vibrant wine regions of South Africa and also offers the 100-point equivalents for the familiar star ratings, as well as useful information for learning about and travelling in these beautiful wine lands.

Grape wine has been produced for at least 4,000 years, having been aged, stored and transported in every conceivable type of vessel. Its seductiveness has been enhanced by this packaging: primarily three strikingly different containers - amphorae, wooden barrels and glass bottles. Henry H. Work brings extensive wine experience as a cooper, working with wine barrels and living in California's Napa Valley to provide a richly detailed and vivid account of wine containers through the ages. This book delves into the history, evolution, and present use of containers, vessels, and stoppers; from animal skin sacks to barrels, from glass bottles to upstart packaging such as wine casks, and even aluminium cans. It considers the advantages and weaknesses of their construction, designs and labels, methods of shipment and storage, as well as their impact on marketing wine to customers. This is an enlightening and innovative read which draws on the most current archaeological research, scientific data and wine business trends. It is richly peppered throughout with the author's own visits to many of the locations explored in the book, bringing history to life. This book will appeal to individuals within the wine industry, undergraduates in the fields of history, archaeology, food and hospitality, as well as all people interested in wine.

Like wine lovers who dream of traveling to Bordeaux or beer enthusiasts with visions of the breweries of Belgium, bourbon lovers plan their pilgrimages to Kentucky. Some of the most famous distilleries are tucked away in the scenic Bluegrass region, which is home to nearly seventy distilleries and responsible for 95 percent of all of America's bourbon production. Locals and tourists alike continue to seek out the world's finest whiskeys in Kentucky as interest in America's only native spirit continues to grow. In Kentucky Bourbon Country, now in its third edition, Susan Reigler offers updated, essential information and practical advice to anyone considering a trip to the state's distilleries (including the state's booming craft distillery sector) or the restaurants and bars on the Urban Bourbon Trail. Featuring more than two hundred full-color photographs and a bourbon glossary, the book is organized by region and provides valuable details about the Bluegrass - including attractions near each distillery and notes on restaurants, lodging, shopping, and seasonal events in Kentucky's beautiful historic towns. In addition to providing knowledge about each point of interest, Kentucky Bourbon Country weaves in little-known facts about the region's best-kept secrets, such as the historic distillery used as a set in the movie Stripes and the fates of used bourbon barrels. Whether you're interested in visiting the place where your favorite bourbon is made or hoping to discover exciting new varieties, this handy and practical guide is the key to enjoying the best of bourbon.

Do you need to have an advanced science degree to understand brewing chemistry? Certainly not! Any brewer, explains author Lee W. Janson, can understand the basic details of the life of a yeast or the careless steps that produce those annoying off-flavors - and learn how to avoid them. Brew Chem 101 features nontechnical language and a highly readable style, explanations of the chemical reactions at each stage of the brewing process and how to avoid potential problems, and a primer on beer tasting and judging.

Traditional craft-brewed beer can transform a meal from everyday to extraordinary. It's an affordable, accessible luxury. Yet most people are only familiar with the mass-market variety. Have you tasted the real thing? In The Brewmaster's Table, Garrett Oliver, America's foremost authority on beer and brewmaster of the acclaimed Brooklyn Brewery, reveals why real beer is the perfect partner to any dining experience. He explains how beer is made, relays its fascinating history, and, accompanied by Denny Tillman's exquisite photographs, conducts an insider's tour through the amazing range of flavors displayed by distinct styles of beer from around the world. Most important, he shows how real beer, which is far more versatile than wine, intensifies flavors when it's appropriately paired with foods, creating brilliant matches most people have never imagined: a brightly citric Belgian wheat beer with a goat cheese salad, a sharply aromatic pale ale to complement spicy tacos, an earthy German bock beer to match a porcini risotto, even a fruity framboise to accompany a slice of chocolate truffle cake. Whether you're a beer aficionado, a passionate cook, or just someone who loves a great dinner, this book will indeed be a revelation.

Because science and technology have opened new avenues for vintners, our taste in wine has grown ever more diverse. Wine is now the subject of careful chemistry and global demand. Paul Lukacs recounts the journey of wine through history how wine acquired its social cachet, how vintners discovered the twin importance of place and grape, and how a basic need evolved into a realm of choice.

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Ever since its invention in the late 18th century, the cocktail has been a global traveller. Born in England and raised in America, a cocktail can take influences from all over the world and mix them up into exciting new combinations. This book celebrates this globe-trotting history through 80 cocktails - each with its own story to tell. Bartender and writer Chad Parkhill takes you on a whirlwind global tour, with recipes designed to be made at home. You'll learn about the surprising military history behind the bubbly Venetian Spritz; how the G&T moved from India to England (and why the best in the world are now made in Spain); and how France's Burgundy region turned tragedy into triumph with the Kir. Accompanied by gorgeous vintage-style illustrations, these stories and recipes are an ode to the joys of travel, history, and drinking.

A richly illustrated account of the story of ancient viniculture The history of civilization is, in many ways, the history of wine. This book is the first comprehensive account of the earliest stages of the history and prehistory of viniculture, which extends back into the Neolithic period and beyond. Elegantly written and richly illustrated, Ancient Wine opens up whole new chapters in the fascinating story of wine by drawing on recent archaeological discoveries, molecular and DNA sleuthing, and the writings and art of ancient peoples. In a new afterword, the author discusses exciting recent developments in the understanding of ancient wine, including a new theory of how viniculture came to central and northern Europe.

From their restaurant in Speyside the authors have created a range of recipes, each using Scotch whisky to compliment or contrast the food.

The moment he was handed a glass of Cockburn 1908 vintage port by his grandfather at 13 years old, Steven Spurrier knew he would make wine his career. He travelled Europe in his red sports car (fitted with a compact wine fridge in the boot), working the vintage in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, before his first extraordinary move was to set up shop and sell wine to the French. As an Englishman in the heart of Paris, this seemed a remarkably bold (if not foolish) project, but the plan worked. Steven's adventures in wine did not stop there. In 1976, he went on to mastermind the 'Judgement of Paris', the France v California blind tasting that changed the wine world forever. This memoir looks back on Steven's life charting the incidents, adventures, ideas and discoveries that formed his wine journey. With tributes from Hugh Johnson, Miguel Torres, Oz Clarke, Jancis Robinson MW, Warren Winiarski and many more...

This book covers the basics of making wine and how and what various types differ. The author shows you how to train your palate so that you are able judge the relative qualities of the wine you produce. It includes 55 recipes as well as instructions for racking, processing and maturing.

"As comprehensive as it gets" THE NEW YORK TIMES A tequila revolution is taking place, with more and more people learning to appreciate the rich culture, craft and flavour to be found in this unique spirit. The Tequila Dictionary is the drinker's guide to this wonderful world. With hundreds of entries on tequila and agave spirits covering everything from history, culture and ingredients to distilling techniques, cocktails and the many varieties of tequila, spirits expert Eric Zandona explores the truth behind this truly captivating drink.

Many wine drinkers wish they knew more without having to understand every nuance or go to expensive wine tastings. In her new book, Jancis Robinson, the leading international authority on wine, grants the wishes of would-be wine experts the world over. With The 24-Hour Wine Expert, anyone can learn all that is really important about wine in a single day. In her pithy, approachable, comprehensive guide, Robinson shares her expertise with authority, wit, and approachability, tackling questions such as how to select the right bottle at retail, what wine labels signify, how to understand the properties of color and aroma, and how to match food and wine. Robinson's proposition is irresistible: In just 24 hours, anyone can become a wine expert. So pour a glass and get reading! Note: the simulated wine stains on the cover of the book are a design element and are intentional.

Celebrity chef Stuart O'Keeffe and comedian Amy Phillips razz the Real Housewives in this gorgeous cookbook filled with recipes inspired by iconic moments in the franchise's rich history. With a foreword by Andy Cohen. "Cook It, Spill It, Throw It is an immersive, one-of-a-kind experience in a world we can't escape (but let's face it, we don't want to!)." -from the foreword by Andy Cohen Trends come and go, but watching rich women drink and catfight is forever. Which is why after more than a decade of airing, the Real Housewives phenomenon continues to reign supreme in the pop culture stratosphere. Week after week, season after season, loyal fans watch the thrilling drama-the backstabbing, the gossiping, the screaming, the table flipping, the wine tossing-unfold. Cook It, Spill It, Throw It is a cookbook created specifically for Housewives fans. Chef Stuart O'Keeffe and comedian Amy Phillips-long-time devotees themselves-have dreamed up an inviting menu served with a side of delicious snark. Inspired by the series and its stars, the dishes and drinks evoke familiar moments of chaos from the franchise. Whether you're looking to make Ponytail Pulled Pork, or you want to comfort a friend in the Caicos with Eggs a Lu'Francais, there's a meal for you-and there are definitely plenty of drinks (including Henny-thing Can Happen and the classic Singer Stinger Sipper). Featuring gorgeous original photography and equally gorgeous recipes, Cook It, Spill It, Throw It is the must-have cookbook and companion for every Housewives addict.

A step-by-step guide to creating fifty classic and contemporary cocktails, without the need for cocktail-making equipment or tricky techniques.

Whether you're looking for a refreshing drink in the garden or a quick night cap, Mixed in Minutes contains a range of fuss-free cocktails for every time of the day. From an espresso martini to the perfect mojito, a frozen margarita to a boozy hot chocolate, you can recreate your favourite cocktails at home using these quick and simple recipes.

Beautifully illustrated with full-colour photography, this easy-to-follow cocktail book includes:

• Simple instructions for creating the perfect cocktail, without a shaker or strainer
• Cocktail-making hacks - no muddling or shaking required
• Recommendations for garnishes and creative twists
• Average cost of each cocktail
• Recommended pairing for every recipe to spritz your drink and halve its alcohol content

Easy to use and filled with a variety of accessible, delicious and bar-quality recipes, Mixed in Minutes is the go-to cocktail book that makes a lovely gift for your friends or yourself.

'Excellent' - Susy Atkins, the Telegraph For everyone and anyone who wants to understand more about gin, this is the definitive guide - covering the best gins the world has to offer, history and production methods, and the countries that have helped make gin a global success story. Never has there been a more striking revolution in the world of distilled spirits than the current renaissance of gin. With small craft distilleries popping up all over the world, from Texas to Tasmania, more varieties and techniques being used than ever before, and a tapestry of tastes from light and citrusy to big bold savoury notes, gin's appeal is extraordinarily wide and varied. From gin made in small batches from local botanicals, through to large facilities which make some of the world's most recognized gin brands, World Atlas of Gin looks at everything from the botanical to the bottle: how and where botanicals are grown and harvested and their role within the flavour of gin; producers and the stories behind their brands; exactly where, and how, gins are made; and, country by country, the best examples to try. Global cocktails are covered too, including the history and country of origin of some of the best-known mixed gin drinks.

An expert guide to wine from the publishers of Larousse Gastronomique. This completely new and updated edition offers wide-ranging coverage of the key wine-producing regions of the world, with particular reference to French vineyards. A short history and analysis of each region is followed by a survey of the types of wines produced, the specific properties that make the region unique, and the appellations of the area. New to this edition are more than 60 features on key wine producers around the world, affording a fascinating insight into what is involved in high-quality wine-making. Boxes and features throughout also cover a vast range of subjects such as how to read a wine label and whether to decant wine, through to organic wine-growing and bio-dynamics.

A delightful romp through America's Golden Age of Cocktails The decades following the American Civil War burst with invention-they saw the dawn of the telephone, the motor car, electric lights, the airplane-but no innovation was more welcome than the beverage heralded as the "cocktail." The Gilded Age, as it came to be known, was the Golden Age of Cocktails, giving birth to the classic Manhattan and martini that can be ordered at any bar to this day. Scores of whiskey drinks, cooled with ice chips or cubes that chimed against the glass, proved doubly pleasing when mixed, shaken, or stirred with special flavorings, juices, and fruits. The dazzling new drinks flourished coast to coast at sporting events, luncheons, and balls, on ocean liners and yachts, in barrooms, summer resorts, hotels, railroad train club cars, and private homes. From New York to San Francisco, celebrity bartenders rose to fame, inventing drinks for exclusive universities and exotic locales. Bartenders poured their liquid secrets for dancing girls and such industry tycoons as the newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst and the railroad king "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt. Cecelia Tichi offers a tour of the cocktail hours of the Gilded Age, in which industry, innovation, and progress all take a break to enjoy the signature beverage of the age. Gilded Age Cocktails reveals the fascinating history behind each drink as well as bartenders' formerly secret recipes. Though the Gilded Age cocktail went "underground" during the Prohibition era, it launched the first of many generations whose palates thrilled to a panoply of artistically mixed drinks.

This is a reissue edition of the previously published title Peat Smoke and Spirit (9780747245780), published in 2005. 'This is not simply an appreciation of whisky, but a voyage into the history and geography of a tiny Scottish island' Daily Mail Those who discover malt whisky quickly learn that the malts made on the Isle of Islay are some of the wildest and most characterful in the malt-whisky spectrum. In Whisky Island, Islay's fascinating story is uncovered: from its history and stories of the many shipwrecks which litter its shores, to the beautiful wildlife, landscape and topography of the island revealed through intimate descriptions of the austerely beautiful and remote countryside. Interleaved through these different narrative strands comes the story of the whiskies themselves, traced from a distant past of bothies and illegal stills to present-day legality and prosperity. The flavour of each spirit is analysed and the differences between them teased out, as are the stories of the notable men and women who have played such a integral part in their creation.