The distinctive beverage of the Western world, bourbon is Kentucky's illustrious gift to the world of spirits. Although the story of American whiskey is recorded in countless lively pages of our nation's history, the place of bourbon in the American cultural record has long awaited detailed and objective presentation. Not a recipe book or a barman's guide, but a fascinating and informative contribution to Americana, The Social History of Bourbon reflects an aspect of our national cultural identity that many have long suppressed or overlooked. Gerald Carson explores the impact of the liquor's presence during America's early development, as well as bourbon's role in some of the more dramatic events in American history, including the Whiskey Rebellion, the scandals of the Whiskey Ring, and the "whiskey forts" of the fur trade. The Social History of Bourbon is a revealing look at the role of this classic beverage in the development of American manners and culture.

A professional booze writer whose life spins out of control tries to piece it back together by embarking upon an epic wine-fueled adventure that takes him to every corner of the U.S. Part vision quest, part guidebook, part journey into the bizarre tapestry of American life, it will make you laugh, make you cry and teach you a whole lot about wine. Former Playboy magazine nightlife columnist Dan Dunn has a made a career out of drinking. Yet this man's man-a connoisseur of beer and whiskey-knew next to nothing about one of the major drinks enjoyed the world over: wine. When a fateful tasting experience coincided with a serious existential crisis, Dunn decided to hit the road on a journey of discovery. To quench his thirst for knowledge (and be able to throw down with the experts), he would educate himself about the industry glass by glass, from winery to winery, in nearly every region in the United States. His bold 15,000-mile road trip took Dunn from Sonoma, California, to Pawley's Island, South Carolina, where he twirled, sniffed, and sipped glass after glass of a vast array of wines with vintners, savants, and celebrities, including Kurt Russell and "The Most Interesting Man in the World," Jonathan Goldsmith. Dunn's mission was to transform himself from a heartbroken schlub who barely knew the difference between Merlot and Meritage, into a confident connoisseur capable of wowing others simply by swirling some fermented grape juice around in his mouth and pronouncing it "troubling, yet brilliant." In American Wino, Dunn shares it all-the good, the bad, the sublime. As his wine knowledge grows and becomes more complex, he shares it with the reader in the form of digestible, actionable nuggets in each chapter. It's like a wine-tasting course at your local community college extension program, only with more sex and less crushing despair. An intoxicating blend of travel writing, memoir, and booze journalism that pairs earthy humor with fine wine for hilarious and enlightening results, it is the story of one man's journey to find himself-and everyman's journey to better understand the true spirit of this divine elixir.

Why is wine so difficult? It might be because we in the industry have long used ridiculous tasting notes to describe wine, even though these descriptions fail to encapsulate all that a wine offers. "Notes of blackberries, tobacco, and leather." How does this odd list of a few flavors help you decide if you will like a wine? "Wine Hack" offers a new way forward. Learn wine like we in the industry learn wine. Spoiler: lots of tasting! This interactive book asks you to taste along with everyday food, drinks, and widely available wines to learn the four attributes that describe all wines, and even learn a few tricks for pairing wine with food. This is the first book on wine that starts with your mouth, not your head. Teach your mouth wine and you will learn to find wines you love on a regular basis, no matter how snooty that wine shop guy is.

Astrology, tarot, palmistry, and other spiritual arts are having a moment-and that includes the spirits we enjoy during cocktail hour. With this deeply researched collection of intoxicating treats, readers will be able to mix a drink that reflects their interests and satisfies their curiosity. Over the course of five chapters, the authors map out esoteric philosophies that have fuelled the dark arts of their times. Each recipe is presented in a double-page spread that includes an engaging history, clear instructions, and original photography. Curious about druids? Try the Oak and Mistletoe, reminiscent of ancient European forests. Into voodoo? Enjoy a citrusy rum cocktail that's finished with Peychaud's bitters from an infamous New Orleans apothecary. If vodka's your jam try the Devil's Daughter, which pays tribute to England's most famous prophetess, Mother Shipton. More than just a collection of recipes, this dive into the occult tells you everything you need to stock your bar and kitchen with, while offering compelling background information on natural ingredients, botany, herbs, and spices-all points of interests that connect the cocktail enthusiast and the practitioner of magic. Whether you're serious about cocktails or the occult-or just getting acquainted with either one-this ingenious blend of mixology and magic will add a drop of mystery to every drink you make.

Cask ale, real ale, bitter...whatever you want to call it, it's thriving and this book is the perfect drinking companion. Written by acclaimed beer expert Adrian Tierney-Jones, this is an accessible and interactive guide to Britain's finest beers with reviews of over 150 ales and 40 perfect pubs in which to try them. The unique journal format will help you record and rate every tasting as you work your way through beers of every hue and flavour from the nine regions of the British Isles; from the malty milds of the Midlands to the sweet, fruity golds of the South-West. With guides to beer tasting and styles, plus top ten lists of essential beers for every region, this is a must-have interactive guide to the greatest pints in Britain.

This is a lavishly illustrated exploration and celebration of real cider and its close cousin perry, for both new converts to cider and more traditional cider-drinkers. With a modern, engaging design, a sharp focus and with fascinating detail, this books aims to appeal to the growing number of cider drinkers, and to persuade drinkers of characterless industrial brands of the merits of the real thing. Cider showcases the best of the British craft cider revolution, with features on some of the characters involved in cider - and perry-making and articles on the history of cider and perry, noteworthy cider pubs, making your own cider, cooking with cider, cider's place in British folklore and foreign ciders.

This is a professional bartender's guide to over 500 classic and contemporary mixed drinks, showing how to create them, with helpful step-by-step instructions. This is the complete bartender's guide to creating and mixing over 500 classic cocktails and famous mixed drinks, all shown in more than 480 colour photographs. It contains a wealth of cocktail recipes, arranged by main ingredient, including gin, vodka, rum, whisky, tequila, brandy, liqueurs, wine and champagne, fortified wines, beer and cider. It offers suggestions for non-alcoholic cocktails, from refreshing fruit-based smoothies and soothers to rich coffee- and chocolate-based drinks. It includes a useful guide to drinks terminology to help the budding bartender differentiate between a cooler, a shooter and a sour. This illustrated guide is an essential reference book for aspiring bartenders, providing recipes for delicious cocktails for every occasion, whether a relaxing drink with family and friends or a more formal cocktail party. Featuring classic cocktails, as well as more recent innovations, this is a highly accessible guide for anyone wishing to create and mix their own drinks. Clear step-by-step instructions cover more specialist techniques, such as making flavoured syrups and spirits, steeping spirits and flaming sugar. Further advice on how to prepare for a party, plus useful information about alcohol and health - including tips for safe drinking and avoiding hangovers - make this the ultimate guide to creating cocktails and drinks at home.

This book introduces readers to the concept and implementation of positioning techniques in the context of the wine industry. Featuring 30 case studies on brands and wine regions around the world - all based on the same principles - it presents a successful, cutting-edge strategy for the marketing of wine. Rather than focusing on a small group of elitist appellations, the Grand Crus universe and a handful of star brands, the book addresses the real, day-to-day wine world. In light of globalization, it introduces state-of-the-art wine positioning techniques, with an emphasis on the identity, segmentation and positioning of wine appellations and wine brands. In its analysis of wine appellation models, the book examines local parameters like geology, history and wine growing techniques; compares facts, figures and actors; analyzes the signals that are being sent to the market and presents a range of key factors for success. Similarly, the wine brands models are analyzed on the basis of their respective brand identity and apparent marketing policy. In the book's final part, it summarizes recent developments in wine marketing, including the growing importance of wine brands as new territories in the global vineyard, and the role of appellations as the essence of cultural diversity.

The newest entry in our top-selling "Bad-Ass" series, "Big Bad-Ass Bar Tricks" is an essential guide to the best and most amusing bar tricks ever created! Great for bartenders and those who wish they were, this book will inspire any light-hearted reader to perfect their skills through easy instruction for dozens of tricks involving dollar bills, matches, beer bottles, wine glasses, cocktail napkins, olives, fruit, straws, toothpicks, and more.

"THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF BOURBON."-Sacramento Bee A Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Bestseller A ROLLICKING BIOGRAPHY OF BOURBON WHISKEY THAT DOUBLES AS "A COMPLEX AND ENTERTAINING" (WALL STREET JOURNAL) HISTORY OF AMERICA ITSELF Few products are so completely or intimately steeped in the American story as bourbon whiskey. As Dane Huckelbridge's masterfully crafted history reveals, the iconic amber spirit is the American experience, distilled, aged, and sealed in a bottle.

Presented in a box with a foiled lid, and with 50 recipe cards featuring 1920's and Art Deco-inspired patterns, this is a beautiful gift for you or anyone you know who knows how to host a party. There's nothing like a well-balanced drink to add a bit of pizzazz to your day. Whether you're toasting a recent triumph, bringing together friends and family or just capping off a long day of work, mixing your own cocktails at home is easier than you think. Featuring 50 recipe cards for Prohibition-era classics such as the Southside and the Gimlet, and modern classics such as the Breakfast Martini, and the Bramble, The Cocktail Box is the home bartender's best friend. There are cocktails to suit every taste and occasion from bubbly and sweet fizzy drinks that bring the party spirit, to dark and aromatic blends to help you unwind. The cards are also accompanied by a short guide that includes all the equipment, techniques and tips that you need to succeed. Each card has a clear and easy to follow recipe along with a little bit of cocktail history. Gone are the days of having to prop open a book while measuring ingredients - take the card with you wherever it's easiest to see. You can also bring cocktails you want to try on your next shopping trip as a reminder of which ingredients you need. You can even use the cards to display cocktail choices at a party or announce the cocktail of the day. And when you're not sure which cocktail to try next, just shuffle the cards and pull a recipe at random for a delicious surprise!

This fully revised colour map giving information about the whisky distilleries of Scotland is prepared by whisky writer Neil Wilson and James McEwan, the former director of Bruichladdich Distillery, and current production director of Ardnahoe Distillery on Islay. Fully revised for 2019 this map features every distillery, with contact information. The map gives a full view of the whisky producing regions of Scotland. The regional boundaries are now redrawn to simplify this aspect of the whisky industry. Unique notes by James McEwan on the reverse of the map include a distillery directory, website addresses, cooperage notes, cask information, Landranger OS map references and some interesting distillery terms and a Highland distilling licence from 1793. The total map size when open is 974mm x 674mm. The map is also available rolled, in a tube, so it can be wall mounted.

This title offers an expert introduction: from grape varieties and classic wines to tasting techniques. Learn the principles of tasting: how to judge a wine by its looks, smell and taste. This work includes useful information on matching wine to each course of the menu, what the details on wine labels mean and the techniques and trends of winemaking. There is an introduction to the VIPs of the wine world: the most important grape varieties, six white and six red, including information on which countries grow which grape, the best wines made from each variety and tasting notes for each wine. This title is packed with beautiful colour illustrations and vivid photography. Wine is here to be enjoyed and Stuart Walton's message in this book is that the more you know about it, the more you will appreciate each glass. This is a non-technical but authoritative and informative look at the practicalities of keeping and serving wine, as well as a comprehensive review of the twelve most important grape varieties used in the making of wine internationally. Where should you keep wine if you don't have a cellar? At what temperature should red and white wines be served? Should red wine be allowed to breathe? Answers to all these perennial queries are given, together with details on the best corkscrews, the use of decanters and the right glasses - all to maximise your enjoyment of the wine.

This 250-year old story will fascinate lovers of Guinness beer and memorabilia as well as those interested in this remarkable family of brewers and the industrial history of Ireland's most famous export. Over 100 fascinating photographs bring to life the pivotal role that the Guinness brewery has played in Ireland for over two centuries: the early days of the brewery; the Guinness dynasty; the brewing process; the unique industrial complex at St James's Gate; day-to-day life behind the gates; the hugely successful export operation; and key moments in the history of the brewery. By the twentieth century St James's Gate was the largest brewery in the world, and Guinness had become forever synonymous with Ireland.

Founders and award-winning distillers of Kings County Distillery Colin Spoelman and David Haskell follow up their successful Guide to Urban Moonshining with an extensive history of the figures who distilled American spirits. The book presents 50 fascinating-and sometimes morbid-biographies from this historic trade's bygone days, including farmers, scientists, oligarchs, criminals, and the occasional US president. Readers may be surprised to find the names George Washington, Henry Frick, or Andrew Mellon alongside the usual suspects long associated with booze-Jasper "Jack" Daniel, Jim Beam, and Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle. From the Whiskey Rebellion to Prohibition to the recent revival of craft spirits, the history of whiskey, moonshine, and other spirits remains an important part of Americana. Featuring historical photos, infographics, walking-tour maps, and noteworthy vintage newspaper clippings, it's a rich visual and textual reference to a key piece of American history. Dead Distillers is a spirited portrait of the unusual and storied origins of forgotten drunkenness.

Entertain in style with Ladies Who Drink, a gloriously glamorous excursion into the world of cocktails. Within these pages, recipes for updated classics like the mojito, cosmopolitan, and old fashioned meet modern concoctions like the strawberry basil margarita, lime shandy, and spicy michelada. This engaging and user-friendly guide is gorgeously illustrated by Anne Keenan Higgins, who brings each cocktail and setting to life with a whimsical array of sipping ladies dressed in to-die-for original fashions. Picture it: a woman in a chartreuse dress drinking a Daiquiri while reading Hemingway's To Have and Have Not; or a woman with a Manhattan in hand wearing a cherry styled fascinator against the backdrop of the New York City skyline. Broken down by occasions like game day, book club, or barbeque, as well as moods like April in Paris, seaside sunset, or Mardi Gras, Ladies Who Drink is filled light-bite food pairing recipes and entertaining ideas perfect for just about any occasion.