The pub has been at the heart of English life for generations. But how has this unique institution developed over the centuries? Paul Jennings traces the history of the English pub, looking at how it evolved from the coaching inn and the humble alehouse, through back-street beerhouses and 'fine, flaring' gin palaces to the drinking establishments of the twenty-first centuries. Covering all aspects of pub life, this fascinating history examines pubs in town and country. It identifies key trends and discusses architecture and interior design. It looks at customers and their varied activities in pubs and at the men and women who ran them. The story of the pub is set throughout the wider context of social change. The Local is a must-read for the pub-goer and anyone interested in the history of the English people.

An all-inclusive, easy-to-use primer to all things wine

Want to learn about wine, but don't know where to start? "Wine All-In-One For Dummies" provides comprehensive information about the basics of wine in one easy-to-understand volume. Combining the bestselling "Wine For Dummies" with our regional and specific wine titles, this book gives you the guidance you need to understand, purchase, drink and enjoy wine.

You'll start at the beginning as you discover how wine is made. From there you'll explore grape varieties and vineyards, read labels and wine lists, and discover all the nuances of tasting wine. You'll see how to successfully store wine and serve it to your guests-and even build up an impressive collection of wine. Plus, you'll find suggestions for perfect food pairings and complete coverage on wines from around the world.Features wine tasting, serving, storing, collecting, and buying tips, all in a single authoritative volumeIncludes information on California wines, as well as other domestic and foreign locations including the US, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina.Helps you choose the best vintage for your needsAlso covers champagne, sherry, and port wineEd McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan are the authors of seven Dummies books on wine including the bestselling "Wine For Dummies, 4th Edition," other contributing authors are recognized wine experts and journalists in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada

Whether you're a wine novice or a budding sommelier, "Wine All-In-One For Dummies" is the one guide you need on your shelf to make your wine experience complete.

The concept of terroir is one of the most celebrated and controversial subjects in wine today. Most will agree that well-made wine has the capacity to express "somewhereness," a set of consistent aromatics, flavors, or textures that amount to a signature expression of place. But for every advocate there is a skeptic, and for every writer singing praises related to terroir there is a study or a detractor seeking to debunk terroir as a myth. Wine and Place examines terroir using a multitude of voices and multiple points of view-from science to literature, from winemakers to wine critics-seeking not to prove its veracity but to explore its pros, its cons, and its other aspects. This comprehensive anthology lets the reader come to one's own conclusion about terroir.

The first cookbook to be written and published by a black chef, this volume provides a glimpse into a bygone world. Born a slave in 1857, Rufus Estes became one of Chicago's finest chefs -- working his way up from a Pullman Private Car attendant to a job preparing meals for the top brass at one of the country's largest steel corporations. While the heart of the book lies in mouth-watering recipes for such dishes as Creole-style chicken gumbo, chestnut stuffing with truffles, and cherry dumplings, the author also comments briefly on his Southern childhood.

Get set to party with 70 great records-organized by theme, from Rockin' to Beats, Mellow to Jazzy & Bluesy-spanning the 1950s to today. Each entry features liner notes on the album and two accompanying boozy beverage recipes that complement the music. Among the featured albums are: Are You Experienced? (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith), Synchronicity (The Police), Jagged Little Pill (Alanis Morisette), The B52s (The B52s ), Gipsy Kings (The Gipsy Kings), Violator (Depeche Mode), Ready to Die (The Notorious B.I.G.), Play (Moby), Lemonade (Beyonce), Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John), So (Peter Gabriel), Whitney Houston (Whitney Houston), Oops!...I Did it Again (Britney Spears), Getz/Gilberto (Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto), A Love Supreme (John Coltrane).

"Pairing Wine with Asian Food" is a useful guide exploring the principles behind matching Asian food with the right wine. Oenologist Edwin Soon explores problem ingredients in the Asian kitchen and details wine and food combinations to avoid as well as "marriages made in heaven." The major cuisines of Asia are covered, highlighting the most common dishes such as dim sum, seafood, curries and Asian street foods, as well as featuring restaurant safe bets. From Chinese banquets to Thai street food, this straightforward guide will ensure that readers will pick the right wine next time they dine Asian.

Switzerland has as many drinks as it does mountains, from absinthe to Kirsch, Petite Arvine to Humagne Rouge, healthy pick-me-ups to boozy keep-me-ups. Drink like the Swiss takes you on a titillating tour of this tasty (and tipsy) aspect of Swiss culture. With nearly a hundred recipes -- from cocktails to coffee to cocoa -- and many delightful curiosities, Andie Pilot's colourful little book leaves no bean unground, and no bottle uncorked.

For fans of Italian wine, few names command the level of respect accorded to Brunello di Montalcino. Expert wine writer Kerin O'Keefe has a deep personal knowledge of Tuscany and its extraordinary wine, and her account is both thoroughly researched and readable. Organized as a guided tour through Montalcino's geography, this essential reference also makes sense of Brunello's complicated history, from its rapid rise to the negative and positive effects of the 2008 grape-blending scandal dubbed "Brunellogate". O'Keefe also provides in-depth profiles of nearly sixty leading producers of Brunello.

In the age of craft beer, the varieties seem endless. From floral IPAs to rich porters and stouts, and tart lambic ales to gluten-free options, there is a beer for every taste. Food on Tap is an accessible guide to using these delicious brews to add complex flavour and exciting twists to classic and new recipes. Beautiful original photography will have your mouth watering, so pour a draft and get ready to cook with beer.

French Wine For Dummies explores all the major wine regions of France -- from The Rhone Valley to Alsace, with special emphasis on the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, the most important wine regions of France (and possibly the world). This friendly guide explains how France names its wines and decodes French wine labels. It describes classic combinations of French wine with foods, with a new look at some versatile French wines with various types of food. Plus, it details how to buy, drink, and store French wines.

60 wonderful whisky and bourbon cocktails Oaky, smoky, young or old, whisky is a versatile and highly spirited spirit that has been the backbone of the classic cocktail since the old-fashioned was new. From the highlands of Scotland to Bourbon county, Kentucky, whisky distilleries have spread across the world, and today there are multitudes of styles and flavours to complement any manner of mixer. This beautifully illustrated book will introduce you to the wider world of malts, and showcase the true potential of whisky and bourbon. In Whisky Made Me Do It, award-winning mixologist and Certified Specialist of Spirits, Lance Mayhew explains everything you need to know: how to choose the right type, mix the ultimate Manhattan and find the perfect cocktail for any occasion. From grown-up scotch and sodas, celebratory mint juleps, or playful picklebacks, there are recipes here for any mood, any event, and any whisky-drinker.

The Way to Make Wine reveals everything needed to make delicious wines - both reds and whites - from start to finish. Rich with insider know-how, this book divulges the many practical advances made in the past few decades and demonstrates that do-it-yourself winemaking is now simpler and more rewarding than ever. Straightforward illustrations of key tools and steps help make this book one-stop shopping for wine lovers, beer brewers, avid cooks, or anyone who's ever dreamed of producing table wines at home. This updated and expanded edition features: new how-to illustrations; tips and techniques from accomplished professional winemakers; up-to-date information on the rewards and challenges of running natural wine fermentations; and fresh ways to apply your home-brewing knowledge to make remarkable reds and whites. Providing concise, clear, and practical guidance, Sheridan Warrick shows that making your own wine is not only easy but also a pleasure.

"Uncorked" quenches our curiosity about the inner workings of one of the world's most prized beverages. Esteemed for its freshness, vitality, and sensuality, champagne is a wine of great complexity. Mysteries aplenty gush forth with the popping of that cork. Just what is that fizz? Can you judge champagne quality by how big the bubbles are, how long they last, or how they behave before they fade? And why does serving champagne in a long-stemmed flute prolong its chill and effervescence? Through lively prose and a wealth of state-of-the-art photos, this revised edition of "Uncorked" unlocks the door to what champagne is all about.

Providing an unprecedented close-up view of the beauty in the bubbles, Gerard Liger-Belair presents images that look surprisingly like lovely flowers, geometric patterns, even galaxies as the bubbles rise through the glass and burst forth on the surface. He illustrates how bubbles form not on the glass itself but are "born" out of debris stuck on the glass wall, how they rise, and how they pop. Offering a colorful history of champagne, Liger-Belair tells us how it is made and he asks if global warming could spell champagne's demise. In a brand-new afterword, he updates the reader on new developments in the world of bubble science and delves even more deeply into the processes that give champagne its unique and beautiful character.

Bubbly may tickle the nose, but "Uncorked" tackles what the nose and the naked eye cannot--the spectacular science that gives champagne its charm and champagne drinkers immeasurable pleasure."

There has never been a better time to celebrate the wines made in England, from internationally celebrated sparkling whites to seductive Pinot Noirs. Within these pages, wine expert Cindy-Marie Harvey of Love Wine Food presents a sumptuous collection of recipes with which to pair wines from England's finest producers, as well as showcasing wonderful local produce from our land and sea. Welcome to the exciting world of English wine.

The Little Book of Whiskey Cocktails sets out to share the stories of the wide whiskey-making world and recipes suitable for whiskey drinkers of all expertise levels. Bryan Paiement takes a practical approach to exploring the various ways in which the spirit can be mixed and enjoyed. Beginning with a brief history of whiskey, Paiement answers many questions that even aficionados can't help but stumble over: What is the difference between "whiskey" and "whisky?" Does bourbon have to come from Kentucky? How many times does Irish whiskey need to be distilled? Twenty classic whiskey cocktail recipes and twenty original recipes follow in this pocket-sized gift book. Each carefully curated recipe is introduced with details on the cocktail's origins and concluded with bartenders' tips for shaking (or stirring) the perfect concoction. Time-tested classics like the Old Fashioned and the Rusty Nail are featured, providing whiskey novices with the necessary foundations. For seasoned whiskey drinkers, Paiement includes recipes from award-winners like the Paper Plane to handcrafted originals like the Scotch Smash. Adorned with custom line-art illustrations, a key of whiskey ware and bar tools, and an extensive repertoire of bar jokes, Paiement brings whiskey's terminology and mixology to any home bar.

Book description: This book is the definitive guide to the 250 best beers in the world today, selected by a panel of eight renowned international beer writers and influencers. Following a lengthy process of discussion and debate, each of our eight writers has arrived at their own final list of their favourite beers in the world. Illustrated in full colour throughout, this high-quality book is a must-have for all self-respecting beer lovers.

A Field Guide to Whisky is a one-stop guide for all the information a whisky enthusiast needs. With the whisky market booming all over the world, now is a perfect time for a comprehensive guide to this popular brown spirit. What are the basic ingredients in all whiskies? How does it get its flavour? Which big-name brands truly deserve their reputation? What are the current whisky trends around the world? And who was Jack Daniel, anyway? This abundance of information is distilled(!) into 323 short entries covering basic whisky literacy, production methods, consumption tips, trends, trivia, geographical maps and lists of distilleries, whisky trails, bars, hotels, and festivals by an industry insider. Boasting 230 colour photographs and a beautiful package to boot, A Field Guide to Whisky will make a whisky expert out of anyone.