'This book is dangerous: I had a Boulevardier in my hand five minutes after opening it' Victoria Moore, Wine correspondent, the Daily Telegraph and BBC Good Food 'Cocktail making demystified at last! What a useful book' India Knight The cocktail scene has exploded in recent years and the bars are booming. From the classics to modern-day twists with infused spirits and tonics, vermouths and bitters, ordering a cocktail at the bar has never been so much fun. Which is great news for some but if, like the author, you really don't get out much, then it can feel like you're missing out on all the fun. Until now. Helen McGinn's Homemade Cocktails is full of recipes, hints and tips to help you re-write your at-home cocktail repertoire. From classics to the latest in cocktail fashions, this book helps you raise the bar whether it's to impress your guests or simply treat yourself. You'll find ways to use up what's in those bottles lurking at the back of the cupboard and knock up a fabulous cocktail in no time, adding instant glamour to any occasion.

"Hands down the wine book of the year." -David McIntyre, Washington Post "...paints a glorious picture of Bordeaux as seen through the skittish and mischievously observant eyes of Somerville and Ross - cousins and writing partners." -Victoria Moore, The Telegraph Journeying through the Medoc in the autumn of 1891, Anglo-Irish cousins and travelling companions, Edith Somerville and Martin Ross (aka Violet Florence Martin) bring their distinctive melange of wry wit, acute observation and unabashed horror at the barefoot treading of Cabernet Sauvignon to this delightful account of vendangeurs lofty and low-born as they bring in the harvest in time-honoured fashion. Illustrated using Somerville's equally delightful sketches, this is a story of two feisty ladies for whom anything remotely pretentious is fair game. Better known for their tales of an Irish R. M. (resident magistrate), Somerville and Ross outraged their respective families - who referred to them 'the Shockers' - by combining travel writing with the fight for Women's Suffrage. The contrast between the emancipated pair and the largely unreconstructed characters they encounter on their travels only serves to heighten the charm of an already indelibly charming book. The Classic Editions breathe new life into some of the finest wine-related titles written in the English language over the last 150 years. Although these books are very much products of their time - a time when the world of fine wine was confined mostly to the frontiers of France and the Iberian Peninsula and a First Growth Bordeaux or Grand Cru Burgundy wouldn't be beyond the average purse - together they recapture a world of convivial, enthusiastic amateurs and larger-than-life characters whose love of fine vintages mirrored that of life itself.

This splendidly festive book, with its pithy quotations, lucid explanations and colourful illustrations explains the history and flavourful culture of wine. So this year, before you lift your cup to celebrate, add some history, some fun and some culture to your evening with "The Romance of Wine".

Spark your creativity with a more mindful way of cooking.

Giving a modern twist to age-old techniques, this book shows how to master 25 preserving and cooking processes, from fermenting to cheese making, hot smoking to sourdough baking.

Discover how to brew perfect sweet-sour kombucha; make a fresh-tasting chutney; dry cure bresaola; create your own sourdough starter; and slow roast over an open wood fire. Be inspired to experiment with more than 150 recipe ideas.

Each culinary project is explored in three stages to spark your creativity: "The Science" explains the science and technical know-how; "The Practice" gets you started on an enticing recipe, with action shots of tricky techniques; and "The Possibilities" provides further recipe ideas plus the tools and inspiration to devise your own recipes.

Craft cocktails meet the great outdoors in this vibrant celebration of good times and good spirits, from the authors of The Cocktail Workshop. What could possibly enhance the natural beauty of a crystal clear lake, snow-capped mountain, or backyard fire pit? A craft cocktail, of course! So cozy up by the campfire, pack your cooler for a picnic out at the lake, or rent a mountainside cabin with your friends-it's time to head for the woods for some good times and good spirits courtesy of Backcountry Cocktails. Inspired by the singular natural beauty of New Hampshire's White Mountains, this book is a true celebration of entertaining in the outdoors-with dozens of seasonally-inspired and organized recipes to enjoy outside, whether you're on an early spring hike or a mid-winter retreat. Each recipe from authors Steven Grasse and Adam Erace, of The Cocktail Workshop, captures the energy of hitting the trails in an elevated yet approachable ode to craft cocktails and the beauty of the natural world. No matter your cocktailing style, there's something for everyone, from spiked cocoa to frozen fizzes (perfect for packing as a treat after an afternoon of hiking), and even foraged creations that will tie your experience to the land around you. All recipes are designed to use relatively few ingredients (for easy packability), and to be both portable and batachable-so you can enjoy them no matter what kind of adventure you have planned for the day. Each seasonal chapter also includes a handful of recipes for entertaining, like Crispy Cast-Iron Trout with Wild Greens, "field guide" how-tos on local experts covering topics from medicinal plants to preserving fruit, and DIYs (like fermenting your own vegetables or foraging for mushrooms).

AROUND THE WORLD IN A TEACUP
Did you know that tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water? Or that all of the world's tea originates from only three varieties of a single plant? While a cup of tea may be a simple pleasure for most of us, there are a dizzying number of tastes from which to choose. And every tea, whether a delicately sweet green tea from Japan or a bracing, brisk Darjeeling black, tells a story in the cup about the land that nurtured it and the tea-making skills that transformed it.
In this authoritative guide, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss provide decades of expertise on understanding tea and its origins, the many ways to buy tea, and how to explore and enjoy the six classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and Pu-erh). Additional advice on steeping the perfect cup and storing tea at home, alongside a gallery of more than thirty-fi ve individual teas with tasting notes and descriptions make "The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook" a singular source of both practical information and rich detail about this fascinating beverage.

"How to brew, ferment and enjoy world-class beers at home."

Making beer at home is as easy as making soup George Hummel smoothly guides the reader through the process of creating a base to which the homebrewer can apply a myriad of intriguing flavorings, such as fruits, spices and even smoke. There are also outstanding and easy recipes for delicious meads, tasty ciders and great sodas -- all of which can be made in a home kitchen and with minimal equipment.

Using Hummel's easy-to-follow instructions and thorough analysis of the flavor components of beer, a novice homebrewer can design recipes and make beers to suit any taste or craving. Knowing exactly what's in a beer has additional benefits -- homebrewers can easily avoid the chemical additives traditionally found in mass-produced commercial beers. As an added bonus, the recipes are categorized according to their degree of difficulty, so new brewers can find the recipes that match their comfort level and then easily progress onto new skills.

These 200 tantalizing beer recipes draw their inspiration from the Americas and around the world. They include: Irish amber American/Texas brown California blonde Bavarian hefeweizen Multi-grain stout Imperial pilsner Pre-Prohibition lager Golden ale Scottish 60 shilling Belgium dubble German bock Raspberry weizen Vanilla cream stout Flemish red & brown Standard dry sparkling mead

There is also a comprehensive glossary that virtually guarantees readers will find answers to every question about ingredients and equipment. Packed with practical advice and effectively designed, "The Complete Homebrew Beer Book" is like having a personal brewmaster overseeing and guiding each creation.

Whether it's a delicate green tea from China or a bracing Assam black, a seemingly mild-mannered cup of tea represents a turbulent history of intrigue and conquest, tradition and revolution, East and West. In this sweeping tour through the history, culture, and lore of this 2,000-year-old beverage, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss provide an indepth resource for tea lovers, covering all aspects of production and consumption - from the terroir in which a tea bush is cultivated to the time-honored rituals of brewing and drinking. At once passionate and carefully researched, this weighty tome will infuse readers with a deep appreciation for the illustrious, invigorating, and elusive leaf.

An imaginative natural history survey of the wide world of spirits, from whiskey and gin to grappa and moonshine In this follow-up book to A Natural History of Wine and A Natural History of Beer, authors Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall yet again use alcoholic beverages as a lens through which to gain a greater appreciation of natural history. This volume considers highly alcoholic spirits in the context of evolution, ecology, history, primatology, molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, chemistry, and even astrophysics. With the help of illustrator Patricia Wynne, DeSalle and Tattersall address historical and cultural aspects and ingredients, the distillation process, and spirits and their effects. They also call on an international group of colleagues to contribute chapters on brandy, vodka, tequila, whiskies, gin, rum, eaux-de-vie, schnapps, baiju, grappa, ouzo, and cachaca. Covering beverages from across the globe and including descriptions of the experience of tasting each drink, this book offers an accessible and comprehensive exploration of the scientific dimensions of spirits.

Tequila Mockingbird captured the attention of audiences everywhere with its clever commentary, hilarious puns, and delicious drink recipes. Now you can enjoy Tequila Mockingbird every month of the year with this convenient easel-style desk calendar, which includes twelve undated pages so consumers can write in the dates, Lauren Mortimer's brilliant duo-toned illustrations, and twelve drink recipes. Drinks include: Bridget Jones's DaiquiriA Cocktail of Two CitiesOrange Julius CaesarRomeo and JulepPear the Wild Things Areand more!

This enticing collection of cocktails celebrates the characters, customs, and drinking way of life at Downton Abbey. Cocktails were introduced in the drawing rooms of Downton Abbey in the 1920s, when US prohibition inspired the insurgence and popularity of American-style bars and bartenders in Britain. This well-curated selection of recipes is organized by the rooms in the Abbey in which the drinks were served and spans everyday sips to party drinks plus hangover helpers and more. In addition to classic concoctions like a Mint Julep, Prince of Wales Punch, and Ginger Beer, this collection features character-specific variations such as Downton Heir, Turkish Attache, The Valet, and The Chauffeur. The recipes reflect drinks concocted and served upstairs and down, as well as libations from village fairs, cocktail parties, and restaurant menus typical of the time. Features 40+ color photographs, including drink images photographed on the set of Downton Abbey.

Craft unforgettable happy hours at home with this globally inspired collection of 100+ crave-worthy bar bites and cocktail pairings from the bestselling author of Booze & Vinyl and The New Cocktail Hour.Bring the world's best drinking food home and into your kitchen with this stylish recipe book featuring more than 100 drool-worthy, easy-to-prepare dishes. Award-winning food-and-drink writer Andre Darlington serves up creative bites and reimagined classics from around the globe-everything from quick nosh to wowing party-pleasers-to make Bar Menu the ultimate guide to boozy eating and entertaining at home. Whether you are a cocktailer looking for food pairings, or an armchair traveler eager to recreate iconic bar bites from the comfort of your own kitchen, this is your bible for hosting memorable cocktail hours. Companion drink ideas for every dish, 30+ cocktail recipes, quick history lessons, plus tricks and tips on everything from curating menus to batching drinks for a crowd of family and friends make this a cocktail hour cookbook unlike anything you've seen before.Recipes include Persian Saffron Pistachios, Piri Piri Shrimp Cocktail, Cacio e Pepe Frittata, Gin-Cured Gravlax, Cocktail Ramen Eggs, Italian Riviera Meatballs, Sticky Flanken Ribs, Jalapeno-Corn Sables, Mezcal Pudding, African Ginger Cakes, and many more.

Lager your loaves, beer your brioche, pale ale your pretzels, dunkel your dough... just pour a pint to bake something extra special. The brew will add a unique depth of flavor to baked goods from bread to biscuits. Here are 75 fun recipes that use a variety of beers-golden ales to Belgian blondes, chocolate porters to juicy IPAs-and take baking to the next luscious level: Cream Ale Irish Soda Bread, Honey Whole Wheat Blonde Bread, and Cheese and Herb Pale Ale Bread. Each recipe includes multiple suggestions for beers, with information on how different types will taste once baked. It's also not all about the yeast; in addition to loaves and rolls that need to rise, there are easy quick breads, muffins, biscuits and scones. Featuring beautiful photography Beer Bread is the must-have book for anyone who "kneads" beer to live.

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.

Why is wine considered more sophisticated even though the production of beer is much more technologically complex? Why is wine touted for its health benefits when beer has more nutrition value? Why does wine conjure up images of staid dinner parties while beer denotes screaming young partiers? Charles Bamforth explores several paradoxes involving beer and wine, paying special attention to the culture surrounding each. He argues that beer can be just as grown-up and worldly as wine and be part of a healthy, mature lifestyle. Both beer and wine have histories spanning thousands of years. This is the first book to compare them from the perspectives of history, technology, the market for each, and the effect that they have on human health and nutrition.

Drinking Like Ladies is dedicated to the proposition that a woman's place is behind the bar. . . or in front of it. . . or really any place she pleases. Acclaimed bartenders Kirsten Amann and Misty Kalkofen have scoured the globe commissioning cocktail recipes--from equally acclaimed female bartenders--to pair with 75 illustrated biographies of trailblazing ladies throughout history. Each two-page spread features an exciting new drink recipe inspired by an insightful illustrated biography of a remarkable woman like Princess Diana, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ada Lovelace or Wilma Mankiller. From gin to whiskey, tequila to punch, Drinking Like Ladies has a twist and a toast for every tippler, whatever your base spirit.

Explore the unique flavors of flowers. Elegant, edible flowers are becoming more accessible every day—and they taste as good as they look. This curated collection of 41 delightful recipes combine the playful creativity of fashion, the deliciousness of food, and the beauty of flowers in one gorgeous glass. Whether you're throwing a baby shower, hosting a Mother's Day brunch, celebrating a wedding, or simply entertaining guests, there's something for everyone, with our without alcohol, including:

• Iced Lavender Café au Lait

• Rose Petal Almond Milk

• Dandelion Tea Cinnamon Cappuccino

• Hibiscus Old Fashioned

• Plum Rosewater Gin and Tonic

• Orange Blossom Moscow Mule

Learn how to create floral pantry item staples to create a scrumptious and sophisticated cocktail of your own, and embark on a new culinary adventure. This garden-party eye candy also includes practical tips on where to buy edible flowers, whether to choose fresh or dried flowers, how to grow edible flowers at home, and how to use florals in other recipes.

In need of some gin-spiration? Look no further! Whether you are a gin aficionado or simply gin-curious, this book from the experts at Craft Gin Club contains everything you'll ever need to know about the juniper spirit. With recipes for refreshing ice-cold punches through to warming winter serves, marinated main courses to delicious desserts, Gin O'Clock proves it's always a good time for gin, no matter the season. Packed with tips including: * Hosting the perfect gin-tasting * Growing your own garnishes * Making simple syrups * Creating your own gin truffles This is the definitive seasonal guide to gin exploration.

Boozy ice lollies you can make at home. The sun is out, the mercury is finally hitting 30 degees ... what better way to toast the start of summer than with a frozen cocktail - on a stick! With the onset of summer, the alcoholic ice-lolly trend is getting BIG. The adult popsicle market is one of the fastest-growing product areas in the ice cream market, with sales up 23% to GBP40m in the past year, according to Kantar Worldpanel. From high-end gourmet ice pops on the festival scene to mass-market popsicles that were a sell-out at Aldi, people's appetite for frozen booze is growing. Even Fortnum and Mason have produced their own alcoholic ice-lollies for the best people. But why go for shop-bought, when you can easily mix and freeze these drinks at home, and never spill a drop. This book provides 60 recipes for popsicles, slushies and ice-creamy frozen drinks, with stylish photography.

Fact: If you can make soup, you can make beautiful and delicious craft beer. Armed with this book, a stock pot and a mesh bag, you'll be drinking your own freshly crafted, hoppy aromatic beers in a matter of weeks. BEER CRAFT will teach you how to make awesome beer, mix tasty beer cocktails and rustle up mouth-watering food, as well as providing a guide to some of the best breweries the craft beer world has to offer. Brewing beer needn't be a complicated, drawn-out process involving a cupboard full of equipment straight out of a laboratory and ingredients you can only order from overseas! BEER CRAFT gives readers a simplified approach to the process, translating the necessary science into layman's terms and making the process fun, approachable and just a little bit rock and roll. A must-have buy for absolutely anyone who likes beer, not just the geeks. Welcome to your new favourite hobby.