TEA BASICS

Your complete guide to the perfect cup

Civilized, soothing, delicious, and relaxing . . . tea offers an ideal refuge from the fast pace and stressful demands of life today. But with the astonishing array of teas currently available, how do you find a cup you can really call your own?

Start with Tea Basics. This handy reference covers all of the essentials of tea buying, brewing, and tasting, and explores the comforts of ritual and healing that tea has provided through the centuries. As you sip and savor the wonderful flavors of black teas, green teas, oolongs, and scented/herbal teas, you'll understand why tea is consumed by more people worldwide than any other drink except water. So put the kettle on, put your feet up, and immerse yourself in Tea Basics! Inside you'll find:

• Tea facts: its origins, history, and many varieties
• Guidance on selection, blending, brewing, tasting, and storage
• Tips on tea etiquette
• A tea-tasting glossary
• Select sources of tea and related equipment

Is enjoying a cup of tea the favorite part of your day? Is the brewing of a 'cuppa' a ritual that centers and calms you? Then let Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover's Soul help you reconnect with yourself in the silent intimacy and introspection experienced while sipping tea.

An elegantly bound collection of fine wine writing past and present - the perfect gift for wine lovers everywhere (or the wine lovers in their life). With contributions from Michael Broadbent on good and bad vintages, Ian Maxwell Campbell on Bordeaux vs Burgundy, George Orwell and PG Wodehouse on the complementary pleasures of wine and tea, Randall Grahm on the search for California's 'magic grape' and Andrew Caillard MW on the art of the wine label, it brims with wit and wisdom from some of the most erudite wine writers ever to raise a glass. Also includes Steven Spurrier, Jason Tesauro, Jane MacQuitty, Giles MacDonogh, Philippe de Rothschild, Fiona Morrison MW, Dan Keeling, Charles Walter Berry and many more. Like Cyril Ray's classic Compleat Imbiber before it, In Vino Veritas might rightfully be described as 'the quintessential late-evening or bedtime book for those who like wine'. 'Denied wine's bridge to gregariousness, "cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears," as Macbeth once complained, we need an antidote, and rummaging around in this anthology of wine writing is a good one: It's a set of keys to open the windows and let some sun shine in.' - World of Fine Wine

Raise your glass to the bourbon renaissance with this must-have cocktail collection. Made in America and aged in charred new American oak barrels, bourbon is the quintessential US spirit - but the best part is mixing it up into tasty drinks. Here are the best of the best. Whisky experts Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik offer timeless classics and forgotten gems, such as the Old Fashioned and the Boulevardier, as well as cutting-edge craft concoctions, including the Brown Derby and Paper Plane. They also serve up a short history of bourbon and tips for making delicious infusions and syrups. Sidebars chronicle bourbon's influence on American culture.

The Whisky Cubes Pack is the perfect gift for any lover of whisky. Not only does the pack contain a book informing the whisky-lover about hundreds of whisky brands and distillers in Britain, Ireland and North America, there is a guide to the process of distillation and tasting notes. In addition to this, the pack contains eight soapstone cubes which can be placed in a freezer and dropped into a glass and used as a replacement for ice, one that doesn't dilute the golden liquid.

The author, Jim Murray, is one of the most respected men in whisky, on both sides of the Atlantic and his passionate views about Scotch, Irish, Rye and Bourbon are respected by those in the know. He writes in a unique style, with his passion coming through as he explains why a distillery is different to its neighbour maybe only a few miles away and showing how a slight variation in the distillation and/or storage process makes for an entirely different tasting experience. If you are already a connoisseur of whisky, want to become one, or just enjoy the occasional tipple, The Whisky Cubes Pack is as welcome as your favourite dram.

Celebrate the simple pleasures and great magickal power of teas and herbal brews.

A Tea Witch’s Grimoire offers recipes for magickal botanical brews of all sorts: teas, elixirs, potions, and decoctions, accompanied by spells and rituals to put these brews into action. Whether you’re looking for prosperity, protection, mental clarity, love, or beauty, this illustrated grimoire has a carefully crafted tea spell and ritual for you. Author Susana Harlow learned tea witchcraft as a young girl at her grandmother’s side. A Tea Witch’s Grimoire now presents the recipes and magickal tea lore she learned and perfected over the years.

In this cornucopia of recipes, spells, and rituals, you’ll find teas for all sorts of purposes and occasions:

• Celebrating the sabbats of the wheel of the year
• Honoring the phases of the moon
• Aligning with your astrological sign
• Using crystals and sigils as part of your tea magick
• Working with everyday problems and personal aspirations

Also included is an information-packed section listing botanical ingredients and their substitutions, and correspondences for working with specific energetic qualities and personal goals. A must-have for every witch’s kitchen

With more than 100 new recipes for cocktails, mixed drinks, and nonalcoholic beverages, this revised edition of Anthony Dias Blue's classic guide fills us in on what we need to know:

• How to stock a bar, listing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages by probable frequency of use.
• Bar and cocktail definitions -- learn the difference between a julep and a smash, a toddy and a flip.
• Calorie charts, mixology tips, and illustrated descriptions of glasses.

Organized by spirit, each chapter is introduced by an accessible and eloquent essay. Discover more than 1,000 recipes for cocktails, categorized by Classics, Creative Concoctions, Signature Drinks, and Tropical Drinks -- everything from the popular Martini and the Coco Loco to Trader Vic's West Indies Punch, a Midori Sour, and a Velvet Hammer.

Whether entertaining, bartending, or simply relaxing with a favorite drink, this is the must-have bar book.

If you love Jasmine Guillory, Lauren Layne and Helen Hoang, you'll devour Jayci Lee's delicious new romantic comedies! Early readers are loving The Dating Dare! 'I loved how realistic the main characters were . . . I could honestly see this being made into a movie; one I'd definitely be queuing up to watch' 5* reader review 'This book was SO FUN! . . . Seth and Tara are amazing together. Their chemistry was phenomenal and they just bounced right off the page!' NetGalley review 'Ooh I enjoyed this one. A great love/hate at the start and its just blossoms . . . the words and story just flow off page, it feels seamless and delightful' NetGalley review One dare. Four dates. Only their hearts to lose... No serious relationships. This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, especially since she's busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend's new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule . . . but only for four dates, which she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer - and a game of truth or dare. Seth Kim can't believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He's leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice distraction for both . . . But while their dates have a tendency to hit roadblocks, their non-dates and chance meetings are becoming frequent - and heated. What was supposed to be a little fun game is turning into something that neither is ready for. But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming. Raves for Jayci's A Sweet Mess! 'A perfect balance of impeccable wit, laugh out loud hilarity, and off the charts chemistry. A Sweet Mess is a sinfully decadent romantic comedy! Helena Hunting, New York Times bestselling author 'A rich, vibrant romance that's a feast for all the senses!' Lauren Blakely, New York Times bestselling author 'This book was SO FUN!...Seth and Tara are amazing together. Their chemistry was phenomenal and they just bounced right off the page!' reader review 'The words and story just flow off page, it feels seamless and delightful...Lots of drama and a brilliant bumpy road' reader review

A practical 14 day diet plan with 30 raw energy recipes from leading health coach and seminar leader, Jason Vale - aka The Juice Master. A motivational read with a practical plan that will inspire you to fuel your body with the right stuff! Jason Vale is fast becoming the UK's most popular health coach. Here 'the Juice Master' offers his first ever 14 day diet programme. It includes: - no wheat, no yeast, and 'man made' carbs at lunchtime only - 70% of your daily menu to be water-rich 'live' foods - not eating 3 hours before going to bed - exercising twice a day for 45-60 mins - TV and recreational computer time being kept to a max of 2 hours a day - 30 great recipes, including Green Veggie Power Soup, Turbo Salad, Protein Snack Attack and Green Power Smoothie Jason Vale tackles the most common excuses we use to let ourselves off the hook: 'I can't because... I've got a slow metabolism... I don't have time...' and offers inspirational stories of people who have overcome giant obstacles to achieve their goal. This book will help you move from a dieting mentality to one where you focus on what you can have rather than what you think you can't have.

Written by the Fortnum & Mason Drinks Writer of the Year 2020. Updated with more than 80 new gins. With more gin brands available than ever before, you need to know how to choose and get the most out of the brands you buy, understanding their flavours so you drink them in the most delicious way possible. Award-winning spirits writer Dave Broom has tested thousands of gins from all over the world to choose the 125 selected to appear in this book. As well as the gin selection, he has also tasted and scored each one four ways - in a G&T, a negroni, a martini and with lemonade (a gin that's perfect for a martini may be exactly the opposite in a G&T). So not only do you get to drink the world's best gins, you get to drink them in the best possible way. Praise for the first edition: "You could not write a more sophisticated book or pack more detail onto each page...it is rocket science impressive" - Huffington Post

New Orleans lays claim to so many things-jazz, Mardi Gras, festivals, and food-so it makes perfect sense that the Big Easy would be the home of the first cocktail. After all, libations are a New Orleans custom. In this brilliantly photographed book, Kit Wohl has compiled more than sixty luscious beverage recipes, both traditional and eccentric, from the city's legendary and quirky establishments. From highfalutin to down home, New Orleans's bartenders take great pride in their art. Included in this compilation are well-crafted concoctions designed for lazy afternoons, for before or after meals, for cocktail parties, or for topping off an evening. Sip and savor a Sazerac, Absinthe Suissesse, Pimm's Cup, Obituary Cocktail, and dozens more with the help of this collection. The latest addition to the Classic Recipes Series, this compilation provides recipes and techniques paired with the inspiration behind each drink. All infusions are home-tested with the nonprofessional mixologist in mind.

Important and significant volume looking at the remarkable history of Rioja wine for the first time enriching knowledge and addressing debates on inventions of tradition, impacts of crisis for innovation and progress. Based on unpublished sources, the book traces the economic, social, cultural and political evolution of Rioja's wine over the following decades offering new insight into the social history of wine production, distribution and consumption. Written by leading academic. Wide appeal to those interested in wine studies, sociology, social history, tourism, events, hospitality and food studies.

How did drinking the infusions of a unique plant from China become a vital part of everyday life? This gift book presents an entertaining and illuminating introduction to the history and culture of tea, from its origins in the Far East to the flavours and properties of different varieties, and the rituals of tea preparation and drinking around the world. This simple hot beverage is suffused with artistic and religious overtones. The Chinese Ch'a Ching gave very precise guidelines to the preparation and sipping of tea, and the Japanese tea ceremony elevated it to an art form. Following its introduction to the royal court in the seventeenth century, the British created their own traditions, from the elaborate etiquette of afternoon tea to the humble pot of tea at the heart of family life, and the modern appreciation for specialty infusions.

An innovative, captivating tour of the finest whiskies the world has to offer, brought to you by bestselling author and whisky connoisseur Tristan Stephenson. Tristan explores the origins of whisky, from the extraordinary Chinese distillation pioneers well over 2,000 years ago to the discovery of the medicinal 'aqua vitae' (water of life), through to the emergence of what we know as whisky. Explore the magic of malting, the development of flavour and the astonishing barrel-ageing process as you learn about how whisky is made. In the main chapter, Tristan takes us on a journey through 56 distilleries around the world, exploring their remarkable quirks, unique techniques and flavours, featuring all new location photography from the Scottish Highlands to Tennessee. After that, you might choose to make the most of Tristan's bar skills with some inspirational whisky-based cocktails. This fascinating, comprehensive book is sure to appeal to whisky aficionados and novices alike.

Put your local coffee bar to the test with Coffee Basics!

With thousands of coffee bars and restaurants serving an endless variety of blends, roasts, and brews, ordering a specialty coffee drink has become as daunting a task as selecting a fine wine. How can you distinguish between great coffee and great hype? Read Coffee Basics.

Kevin Knox and Julie Sheldon Huffaker have filled this handy reference with hundreds of industry truths and trade secrets. You'll learn the fundamentals of coffee buying, brewing, and tasting; and develop an aficionado's ability to see beyond the expensive trappings of today's coffee explosion. You'll discover:

• The basic coffee facts: its origin, history, and many varieties
• Step-by-step methods for selecting, roasting, blending, and flavoring coffee "to taste"
• A coffee taster's glossary
• Simple charts showing grind progression, relative grinding times, and regional characteristics
• The scoop on decaffeinated, organic, and espresso beans
• Specialty coffee recipes
• Lists of the best sources for beans and professional equipment

Whether you make coffee at home or at a fine restaurant, Coffee Basics offers a bottomless cup of brewing knowledge and drinking pleasure.

You are what you eat, and consuming fresh, raw juices is a delicious way to flood your body with nutrients, cleanse your system and cure your ills. Plenish shows you how to make over 40 juice blends, detox with a cleanse programme, heal your body naturally, fuel your system, fight disease, promote mind and body wellness, and lose weight in the process. From the Thai Melon Brightener to the Greenie Mary, each recipe will help your body to detox and rejuvenate, so that you can thrive.

Celebrate your favorite coffee shop and one of the most iconic television series of all time with Friends: The Official Central Perk Cookbook Gift Set, which features the beautiful brand new official Central Perk cookbook and an official Central Perk apron! The world's favorite TV show now has a new holiday gift set! This beautiful cookbook and apron set is guaranteed to delight Friends fans everywhere. From appetizers and small bites to drinks and desserts, each chapter of the cookbook includes iconic treats from the show and cafe. The latest in Insight Editions' best-selling line of Friends products has more than 75 recipes and beautiful full-color photography, as well as classic stills and legendary quotes from the show. This will be the year's best home cooking companion for fans of the show that has always been there for you. This gift set makes Friends: The Official Central Perk Cookbook even better! Friends: The Official Central Perk Cookbook Gift Set is packaged in a deluxe gift box and combines the exciting new Friends & Central Perk-themed cookbook with an exclusive apron emblazoned with the Central Perk logo. Your holiday gift-giving challenge has been solved! 75 Brand New Recipes: Inspired by beloved moments from the show and Central Perk, this book includes delicious recipes such as I Hate Rachel Thai Iced Tea, Ross's Space Princess Fantasy Cinnamon Rolls, and Joey's Peanut Butter Spoon Shaped Cookies & Jam. Over 20 Cafe-Inspired Drinks: This book includes recipes for over 20 coffee- and tea-based drinks, perfect for mastering your own caffeinated start to the day. Includes Iconic Central Perk Apron: This high-quality apron features adjustable straps, a large front pocket, and the iconic Central Perk logo.

Turning down a drink isn't easy. Not only do you have to deal with your own desire for that chilled and glistening glass of white, you also have to tackle the: "Why aren't you drinking?" "Are you pregnant?" "Go on... just one!" And the worst one of all: "You're no fun without a drink!" Well here's the thing: you are fun! And this book shows you how and why you can still be the life and soul of the party, keep your friends, and be sober. Through a broad range of tips and tricks, you'll feel empowered to take on those trigger moments (stressful work day; challenging family life; break ups), as well as classic big occasions (the wedding toast; the bachelorette party; the Christmas lunch). Through the tips, you'll learn more about yourself (why you're giving up/cutting back), how to keep your relationships tight (with your partner, colleagues and friends) and ways to enjoy your new found sobriety, from understanding the benefit to your health to appreciating the improvement in your bank balance.

Very Merry Cocktails features more than 50 festive cocktail recipes. This book has something for every holiday occasion, whether a kid-friendly cookie party, an elegant New Year's Eve soiree, or a cozy night in for two. Recipes range from timeless classics and classics with a twist, to party punchbowls and zero-proof libations. * A perfect stocking stuffer year after year * Includes both cocktails and mocktails * Brimming with vibrant photography Make and enjoy seasonal drinks like like Hot Buttered Rum, the Holiday Bellini, 'Tis the Season Sangria, and Foamy Mexican Hot Chocolate. With just the right amount of Christmas kitsch, this is an essential collection for cocktail enthusiasts, holiday hosts, and anyone who loves the holiday season. * Packed with festive drink recipes, this book makes for a great add-on gift, stocking stuffer, or seasonal hostess gift. * Makes a lovely addition to a holiday-themed bar cart * Perfect for people who love Christmas and holiday drinks, merrymakers looking to get in the holiday spirit, and entertainers and hosts * Add it to the shelf with books like The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails: The Best Nogs, Punches, Sparklers, and Mixed Drinks for Every Festive Occasion by Nick Mautone; Winter Cocktails: Mulled Ciders, Hot Toddies, Punches, Pitchers, and Cocktail Party Snacks by Maria del Mar Sacasa; and The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion by Julie Reiner.

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...

A comprehensive, must-have guide to beverage service including wine, beer, and spirits"The Sommelier Prep Course "is the ultimate resource for any aspiring sommelier, bartender, or serious wine lover. It includes sections on viniculture and viticulture, Old World and New World wines, beer and other fermented beverages, and all varieties of spirits. Review questions, key terms, a pronunciation guide, maps, and even sample wine labels provide invaluable test prep information for acing the major sommelier certification exams.For each type of beverage, author Michael Gibson covers the essential history, manufacturing information, varieties available, and tasting and pairing information. He also includes sections on service, storage, and wine list preparation for a full understanding of every aspect of beverage service.- An ideal test prep resource for anyone studying for certification by The Court of Master Sommeliers, The Society of Wine Educators, or The International Sommelier Guild- An excellent introduction to wine and beverages for bartenders, beverage enthusiasts, and students- Based on education materials developed by the author for his culinary and hospitality students at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in ScottsdaleWith concise, accessible information from an expert sommelier, this is the most complete guide available to all the wines, beers, and spirits of the world.