Frank J. Prial has written authoritative and entertaining wine articles for The New York Times for over 25 years. His pieces have delighted wine lovers of all ages with celebrations of old favorites and forays into new tastings from around the world. In Decantations, Prial's first book since Wine Talk was published in 1978, the wine master's finest columns are gathered on everything from imbibing with the Rothschilds in France to stalking Zinfandels and Chardonnays in Africa.

This robust collection of articles, organized by topic, include informative, humorous, and sometimes unorthodox observations on wine making, wine families, wine personalities and the wine business, as well as tips on ordering, tasting, and enjoying wine. An essential book for lovers of wine and lovers of lovers of wine.

Clyde May was the patriarch of a family from rural Bullock County, Alabama. He was a devoted father, a war veteran, and a churchgoer. He was also a moonshiner. This colorful memoir based on oral history interviews with May's son, Kenny, explores May's life and his passion for making good whiskey despite the risk of going to jail. Now the family tradition is taking a new twist, as Kenny and his siblings have established Alabama's first legal distillery to bottle and sell a distinctive whiskey based on the late Clyde May's recipe.

"A short, engrossing history of the concoction in all its variety."
--Katherine Powers, The Boston Sunday Globe

The cocktail is as old as the nation that invented it, yet until this entertaining and authoritative account, its story had never been fully told. William Grimes traces the evolution of American drink from the anything-goes concoctions of the Colonial era to the frozen margarita, spiking his meticulously researched narrative with arresting details, odd facts, and colorful figures.

The book includes about one hundred recipes--half of them new for this edition--for both classics and innovations.

Todd Wilbur shares his best-kept secrets for making knockoffs of your favorite drinks-right in your own kitchen and without spending a lot of money. Readers can re-create the delicious taste of America's best-loved brand-name soft drinks, beverages, dessert drinks, mixers, and liqueurs by following Todd's easy, step-by-step instructions. If it comes in a glass, cup, bottle, or mug, it's here for you to clone at home. Discover how to make your own versions of:

• 7-Up®
  
• Starbuck's® Frappuccino®
  
• Nestea®
  
• Sunny Delight®
  
• Dairy Queen® Blizzard®
  
• McDonald's® Shamrock Shake®
  
• 7-Eleven® Cherry Slurpee®
  
• Grand Marnier® & Amaretto

Special Sample Recipe for:

Starbuck's® Frappuccino®

It was in 1995 that Starbuck's® stores started selling this frozen drink, one of the company's most successful new products. The Frappuccino® is blended with strong coffee, sugar, a dairy base, and ice. Each one is made to order and each one is guaranteed to give you a throbbing brain freeze if you sip too hard. The drinks come in several different varieties, the most popular of which I've cloned here for your frontal lobe-pounding, caffeine-buzzing pleasure.

Make double-strength coffee by measuring 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup (serving) in your coffee maker. The clone will be even more authentic if you use Starbucks beans and grind them yourself just before brewing. Here now is an improved version of the recipe that was first posted here on this site, plus the new addition of a mocha version of one of world's coolest cold coffee drinks.

Coffee

3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups ice

1. Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker. That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.

2. To make the drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.
Makes 2 "grande" drinks.

Caramel

For this version, add 3 tablespoons of caramel topping to the original recipe above and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream.

Mocha

For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream if desired.

Even the French admit that Jancis Robinson is the "undisputed mistress of the kingdom of wine" (Le Figaro). Internationally renowned for her work in both television and print, she is the editor of the bestselling Oxford Companion to Wine and has won more than two dozen major awards around the world. Tasting Pleasure is her compelling account of a passion that began while studying at Oxford University. Writing with Julia Child's authority, Elizabeth David's intelligence, and M.F.K. Fisher's verve, Robinson takes us on a journey through the world's finest cellars, most beautiful vineyards, and best restaurants. As she explores the universe of the grape--from Bordeaux to Australia and South Africa to California--we meet scores of colorful, wine-loving characters, including Philippe de Rothschild, Julian Barnes, Francis Ford Coppola, and Julio Gallo. There are many books about producing and rating wine; this one is about enjoying it. Witty, revealing, and knowledgeable, in Tasting Pleasure Jancis Robinson has distilled twenty years in the wine world into a hugely entertaining read.

IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF OUR FOODS ARE NOW LIGHTER AND MORE DYNAMIC, OUR WINES SHOULD BE ALSO.

A longtime champion of the victimized wine consumer, Willie Gluckstern debunks the myths and misinformation surrounding the (allegedly) complex subject of wine. His straightforward advice includes:

• The wines that go BEST with food -- and why.
• A cure for label worship: "There are just as many lousy $60 bottles as $3.99 bottles."
• How to avoid getting ripped off in stores and restaurants.
• How to choose a great wineshop: "Do they know where Italy is?"
• Dreary housekeeping tips, such as storage, decanting, saving opened wine, and "that sulfite thing."

Plus, the straight poop on oak, "the MSG of wine," a few well-chosen words for greedy restaurants and retailers ("Those bastards!"), and an unprecedented exposé of mass-market Champagne, including how to find the good stuff by cracking the secret label code.

Irreverent, informative, and controversial, The Wine Avenger is indispensable for beginners as well as enthusiasts.

Food, Drink, and Behind-the-Scenes stories from everyone's favorite a cappella group, Straight No Chaser. With 15 years in the music business, eight albums, and more than 1.5 million concerts tickets sold, Straight No Chaser treasures two things: family and food. Straight No Chaser Sound Bites features a collection of their favorite food and drink recipes combined with behind-the-scenes stories as they welcome their fans into the family. Formed in 1996 at Indiana University, Straight No Chaser's story has been replete with twists and turns. Sound Bites deliciously recounts members' memories of moments from an unlikely yet wonderful cascade of events that propelled forward their career of creating music, touring, and becoming part of countless family traditions. Steve, Jerome, Charlie, Randy, Walt, Mike, Jasper, Seggie, and Tyler each offer their own (sometimes contradicting) stories of their adventures, as well as sensational recipes for cocktails, such as the Honey Lavender Greyhound, Grapefruit Jalapeno Cilantro Shrub, and SN-Tini, and foods, including "Choose Your Own Adventure" risotto, Great Grandma Erma's Apple Crisp, SNC M&C, Momma C's Fried Chicken-and many more. Straight No Chaser Sound Bites invites the group's many fans, old and new, to celebrate the harmony of music, food, and drink in their own homes. So settle in and enjoy.