This important book looks at the entire history of distilling in the Middle East and Europe from the earliest experiments by the Pythagorean alchemists of Ptolomaic Egypt in the fourth century BC to the commerical production of spirits to drink in the British Isles to the year 2000. It is important because Ms Wilson has explored byways of early history that have been little noticed by previous scholars. She links the art of distilling to alchemical practice; to the Dionysian cults of ancient Greece and Rome; to the development of the art by the Gnostic mystic Christian sects (who greatly influenced the Coptic church in lower Egypt and Ethiopia); to the researches of the Persians and Arabs; to the preservation of the art by various heretic cults in western Europe such as the Bogomils and Cathars and, of course, the Templars; then into more mainstream development by the medieval and Renaissance alchemists; before comparative relaxation into the domestic history of distilling in England for the manufacture of strong liquor and the making of medicinal and perfumed waters by members of the landed gentry. This is Dan Brown and the "Da Vinci Code" but written by a scholar and dealing with real-life matters not soft brain-candy. There are twelve chapters divided into three sections. The first is 'The Ancient and Early Medieval World'; 'The Eastern Mediterranean Region'; 'The Later Middle Ages'; 'Western Europe'; and 'From Early Modern Times to AD2000: The British Isles'. While treating extensively of the mystical, cultish and religious origins of distilling, as well as its links to early science, Ms Wilson looks closely at all forms of distilling in the British Isles. This work includes the manufacture of spiritous liquors such as whisky, gin, and others and the central part played in country house domestic life by cordial waters and other distillations manufactured with great skill by generations of housewives as home medicine and perfumery. The book does not treat, at any length, the history of spiritous liquors, including brandy, on mainland Europe.

From grain to glass-a complete illustrated history of brewing and breweries in the state more famous for beer than any other Few places on Earth are as identified with beer as Wisconsin, with good reason. Since its first commercial brewery was established in 1835, the state has seen more than 800 open and more than 650 close-sometimes after mere months, sometimes after thriving for as long as a century and a half. The Drink That Made Wisconsin Famous explores this rich history, from the first territorial pioneers to the most recent craft brewers, and from barley to barstool. From the global breweries that developed in Milwaukee in the 1870s to the "wildcat" breweries of Prohibition and the upstart craft brewers of today, Doug Hoverson tells the stories of Wisconsin's rich brewing history. The lavishly illustrated book goes beyond the giants like Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and Heileman that loom large in the state's brewing renown. Of equal interest are the hundreds of small breweries across the state started by immigrants and entrepreneurs to serve local or regional markets. Many proved remarkably resistant to the consolidation and contraction that changed the industry-giving the impression that nearly every town in the Badger State had its own brewery. Even before beer tourism became popular, hunters, anglers, and travelers found their favorite brews in small Wisconsin cities like Rice Lake, Stevens Point, and Chippewa Falls. Hoverson describes these breweries in all their diversity, from the earliest enterprises to the few surviving stalwarts to the modern breweries reviving Wisconsin's reputation as the place to find not just the most beer but the best. Within the larger history, every brewery has its story, and Hoverson gives each its due, investigating the circumstances that meant success or failure and describing in engaging detail the people, the technology, the marketing, and the government relations that delivered Wisconsin's beer from grain to glass.

A full-color, lushly illustrated graphic novel that recounts the many-layered past and present of beer through dynamic pairings of pictures and meticulously researched insight into the history of the world's favorite brew.
Starting from about 7,000 BC, "The Comic Book Story of Beer "traces beer's influence through world history, encapsulating early man's experiments with fermentation, the rise and fall of Ancient Rome, the (often beer-related) factors that led Europe out of the Dark Ages, the Age of Exploration, the spread of capitalism, the Reformation, and on up to the contemporary explosion of craft brewing. No book has ever told the story of beer in a graphic format as a liberating or emancipating force that improved the life of everyday people. Visually riffing on abstract subjects like pasteurization, "original gravity," and "lagering," artist Aaron McConnell has a flair for cinematic action and demonstrates versatility in depicting characters and episodes from beer's rich history. Hand-drawn in a classic, accessible style, "The Comic Book Story of Beer" makes a great gift, and will appeal to the most avid comic book geek and those who live for beer.

Learn to master the proportions of a classic Martini or effortlessly put the finishing touches on a Moscow Mule with this essential guide to making classic cocktails. With the guidance of master mixologist Nick Mautone, anyone can learn to create these classic cocktails at home. With recipes taken from Raising the Bar (Artisan, 2004), this jam-packed cocktail handbook will teach readers liquor fundamentals, basic mixing techniques, how to prep certain drinks ahead of time, and what drinkware to use for each cocktail. Within the pages are brunch staples like the Mimosa and Bloody Mary, but also cult favourites, including the Cosmopolitan and Margarita, and spirit-forward cocktails that never go out of style, like the Old Fashioned and Sazerac. With all these favourite recipes at their fingertips, home bartenders can rely on Classic Cocktails for foolproof, easy-to-make cocktails anytime.

Written by one of the world's leading authorities and hailed by American Brewer as "brilliant" and "by a wide margin the best reference now available," Beer offers an amusing and informative account of the art and science of brewing, examining the history of brewing and how the brewing process has evolved through the ages. The third edition features more information concerning the history of beer especially in the United States; British, Japanese, and Egyptian beer; beer in the context of health and nutrition; and the various styles of beer. Author Charles Bamforth has also added detailed sidebars on prohibition, Sierra Nevada, life as a maltster, hopgrowing in the Northwestern U.S., and how cans and bottle are made. Finally, the book includes new sections on beer in relation to food, contrasting attitudes towards beer in Europe and America, how beer is marketed, distributed, and retailed in the US, and modern ways of dealing with yeast.

Sought after by European aristocrats and a favorite of Napoleon Bonaparte, the sweet wines of Constantia in the Cape Colony were considered to be among the world's best during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa began to re-emerge onto the international wine scene. Tim James, an expert on South African wines, takes the reader on an information-packed tour of the region, showing us how and why the unique combination of terroir and climate, together with dramatic improvements in winemaking techniques, result in wines that are once again winning accolades. James describes important grape varieties and wine styles - from delicate sparkling, to rich fortified, and everything in between - including the varietal blends that produce some of the finest Cape wines. Anchoring his narrative in a rich historical context, James discusses all the major wine regions, from Cederberg to Walker Bay, complete with profiles of more than 150 of the country's finest producers.

Waters of life. Distilled spirits of all kinds have borne that name, in various tongues, since time immemorial. Aqua vita. Eau de vie. Uisge Beatha. Tom Morton has travelled the world in search of the finest drams the planet has to offer. His journeys reveal the links between faith and alcohol, between spirits and the spiritual. From Christianity's Holy Communion to the temple libations of Japan, through the rum concoctions of Haitian Voodoo to the monastic producers of every liquid from beer to "tonic" wine. And of course Tom's beloved whisky, brewed in many corners of the world. Holy Waters is Tom's journey to the spiritual heart of whisky, sake, rum, Champagne, beer, mead and a variety of wines. With great insight, humour and for the most part sobriety, he traces the links between brewing, winemaking, distilling and worship, from ancient pagan rites to the most modern Trappist technology. He revels in the lore and mysteries of craft production, the elemental, magical love stories, the passionate relationships between human and landscape, grain and pure water, grape and fire. And he does so on a motorcycle which, to his astonishment, runs very well on cask-strength Islay single malt. This book is a celebration of cultures and artisan craft, a book for food and drink, travel and history lovers.

A nostalgic cocktail gift book with recipes for recreating adult versions of your favorite '90s childhood drinks from Yoo-hoo to Hi-C to Ssips Iced Tea. '90s nostalgia in a glass! Grown-Up Drinks is a tongue in cheek cocktail book for the former '90s kid and those just discovering how cool old-school Nickelodeon and Delia*s once were. With recipes for alcoholic versions of childhood favorites like Ecto-Cooler and Mondo as well as creative pop-culture inspired originals like the Rum and Stimpy and Semi-Warmed Kind of Cider, this is a clever concept that's fully on trend. A perfectly giftable mix of humor, nostalgia, and tasty recipes.

Men may have their little black book of cocktails - but now women have one just for them, in feminine pink, fashionably designed, and with a lovely textured cover embossed with red foil. What better way for busy girls to entertain than by using this fabulous little gem to help spark up their marvelous social lives... along with setting the right mood for that little hottie that is coming over? Inside, gals will find witty quotes and words of wisdom as well as fabulous drinks from Cosmos to Appletinis to other fun and exciting and easy to make shots, drinks, and cocktails. Best-selling girlfriend expert Jennifer Worick, co-author of "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex," provide an entertaining introduction.

Over the past decade, the popularity of cocktails has returned with gusto. Amateur and professional mixologists alike have set about recovering not just the craft of the cocktail, but also its history, philosophy, and culture. The Shaken and the Stirred features essays written by distillers, bartenders and amateur mixologists, as well as scholars, all examining the so-called 'Cocktail Revival' and cocktail culture. Why has the cocktail returned with such force? Why has the cocktail always acted as a cultural indicator of class, race, sexuality and politics in both the real and the fictional world? Why has the cocktail revival produced a host of professional organizations, blogs, and conferences devoted to examining and reviving both the drinks and habits of these earlier cultures?

Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards Drink Book of the Year 2015. Annual Spirited Awards - Nominated for Best New Spirits Book 2015. Today's world of spirits is experiencing an explosive increase in craft distillers and pioneers of new distillates. It's about men and women tearing up rule books and creating new spirits with extraordinary personality and passion. This book uncovers the best spirits the world has to offer. These are not necessarily the best-known examples on the planet - though if they are good, they have a place here - but the best crafted and most interesting. Spirit by spirit Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley explain what you need to know to appreciate a spirit - its ingredients, its classic forms, the choices a distiller makes in creating it - and offer their picks to 'Drink Before You Expire' - the world's best examples of their type, from gin and rum to shochu and tequila. There are plenty of suggestions for how to drink too, with innovative and classic cocktails and their insider tips on getting the best out of your spirits.

Julie Reiner, the co-owner of The Clover Club in Brooklyn and The Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan, has written a book that provides inspiration for the rest of us, not only the cocktail geeks. She wants to balance the needs of the everyday drinker with those of the passionate mixologist. Recipes are organized around seasonality and occasion, with different events and themes appropriate to the specific time of the year. Each section will include a mixture of holiday-inspired drinks, classic cocktails, and innovative new drinks, all along with fun cocktail lore. Tricks, tips, and techniques--such as batching and infusions, tools of the trade, notes on spirit types, and easy substitutions to utilize what you already have on hand--will round out the amazing amount of information in Reiner's book.

Award-winning cocktail recipes from the world's very best mixologists! If you are looking to mix some of the most inspired creations ever developed, the drinks that have swept up the global awards for the last 20 years, the creations of some of the most skilled and inspirational mixologists ever to grace the bars of the world, then this book is for you. 101 Award-Winning Cocktails is a truly unique offering for the cocktail book genre. Each recipe is an award-winning creation from one of the world's top cocktail mixologists, accompanied by the mixologist's profile, the story behind the creation of their recipes, the competition won and a 'from-the-horse's-mouth' guide to recreating their fabulous mixes. Along with stunning full colour photographs of each drink, this book opens the door to the hitherto unseen world of the greatest mixologists, sharing for the first time ever, the very finest, award-winning cocktail creations, from the world's most talented bartending superstars. Written and compiled by Paul Martin, himself a multiple champion and cocktail mixing world-record holder. Paul has drawn on the pool of incredible cocktail mixing talent that has made up his global social circle over the last 30 years. It is his own relationship with these giants of the cocktail world that has led to them sharing their amazing, revered recipes with the general public for the first time ever.

Once people made country wines solely from the fruits of their gardens and local hedgerows, but today there is a wide range of fascinating ingredients available - grape juice, concentrates, grains, dried fruit, exotic fruit juices - to allow winemakers to pursue their crafts all year round, independent of fruiting seasons. Now in its third edition, this book has already reprinted forty-one times and has sold over 500,000 copies. It contains (in alphabetical order from Almond Wine to Yarrow Wine) 130 tried and reliable recipes for country wines and real ales, many of which are unique to this publication and which supplement those found in the author's primer First Steps in Winemaking. The book is illustrated by the well-known winemaking cartoonist Rex Royle.

Go on a journey from bean to brew and explore the history of coffee, its production and how to become an expert barista at home. Are you a coffee lover who wants to learn how to extract the perfect brew? This coffee guide is a must-have for anyone looking for information and inspiration to experiment with different beans, methods, and flavours. Inside this essential go-to guide to all things coffee, you'll discover: - The essential coffee brewing methods and equipment to help you extract and brew all kinds of coffee with confidence - Explore the origins of coffee from how cherries are grown, the process of coffee harvesting, and processing into the coffee beans you know and love - A region-by-region tour of leading coffee-producing countries highlights local processing techniques and different coffee flavour profiles - Visual step-by-step techniques show you how to roast the beans, prepare an espresso shot, steam milk, and make delicious coffees, just like a barista! - Over 70 recipes to suit every taste from warming winter brews to refreshing iced coffees blends for a hot summer day - including dairy-free alternatives to milk too! Improve your appreciation and knowledge of one of the world's favourite pastimes - drinking coffee! Discover the incredible variety of coffee beans grown around the world with profiles from over 40 countries from far-flung places like Vietnam and Bolivia. Readers can delve into coffee tasting and use a tasters wheel to understand the nuances in flavour from bean to bean and understand which notes complement one another. A great gift to the coffee lovers in your life, they'll be able to delve into the preparation of coffee, from roasting, grinding to brewing. Easy step-by-step instructions will show you the common brewing equipment used to make different coffees. Using the techniques that you have learned, explore the recipe section and master the classics, such as the Americano, Flat White and Macchiato, to more unusual choices, like Caffe de Olla and Ice Maple Latte. Brew coffee at home like a pro and start your day right with The Coffee Book.

The purchase and consumption of wine, whether in hospitality environments or domestic settings, has huge anthropological significance underpinned by a discourse of wine appreciation. It can be seen as a multi-sensory and symbolically status-rich activity framed by historical, social, cultural and ethical discourses. This innovative book offers a critical study of wine from social and cultural perspectives. The field of wine studies spans the spectrum of cultural and technical issues concerning the place of wine in society from viticulture, vinification, labelling, regulation, marketing, purchasing, storage and its final consumption. It combines social history and contemporary questions including the notion of terroir, the nature of protected wine designations, the pricing of wine and the different motivations for buying and consuming wine. It considers wine as a beverage, as an aesthetic exercise and as a marker of status, as well as health implications and legal controls. The title offers a timely contribution into the significance of wine and the role of knowledge, both of which have conceptual and managerial implications in terms of marketing, promotion, consumption and distribution. By offering a holistic and innovative understanding of wine and its consumption, it is a must-read for students and scholars in the fields of wine and social science.

Winner of the André Simon Drinks Book of the Year Award 2017. Winner of the IACP award in Wine, Beer & Spirits 2018.

A stunning box set, complete with seven vintage maps in a pull-out drawer.

Based on six years of on-the-ground research and unprecedented access to actual Champagne growers, Champagne is the first book to actually describe producers and wines based on their terroir – enlightening readers by showing them exactly where, how, and by whom these great wines are made.

Champagne is one of the most iconic, sought-after wines in the world, beloved by serious wine collectors as well as everyday wine drinkers. However, it is also one of the most misunderstood wines out there – obscured by a multimillion-pound marketing industry that makes it difficult for consumers to honestly judge value and understand what they’re drinking.

Included in the stunning box set are the Louis Larmat vinicultural maps – the only detailed wine maps of the region, which were commissioned by the French government in the mid-1940s and have never appeared in print in English.

Booze Cruise is your essential guide to the global cocktail landscape. Each city stop includes a bit of history and is loaded with intel on the current scene, travel tips, ingredients, techniques, and, most of all, the greatest drinks using local flavors, often complete with recipes for food-pairing. List of destinations: Europe * Amsterdam * Athens * Berlin * Budapest * Copenhagen * Dublin * Kyiv * London * Madrid * Paris * Prague * Rome * St. Petersburg * Stockholm Africa & the Middle East * Beirut * Cape Town * Dubai * Tangier * Tel Aviv Asia * Bangkok * Delhi * Ho Chi Minh City * Hong Kong * Manilla * Seoul * Shanghai * Singapore * Taipei * Tokyo The Americas * Bogota * Buenos Aires * Havana * Lima * Mexico City * New Orleans * New York City * San Jose * San Juan * Santiago * Sao Paulo * Toronto Oceania * Sydney