Whether as wine, beer, or spirits, alcohol has had a constant and often controversial role in social life. In his innovative book on the attitudes toward and consumption of alcohol, Rod Phillips surveys a 9,000-year cultural and economic history, uncovering the tensions between alcoholic drinks as healthy staples of daily diets and as objects of social, political, and religious anxiety. In the urban centers of Europe and America, where it was seen as healthier than untreated water, alcohol gained a foothold as the drink of choice, but it has been more regulated by governmental and religious authorities more than any other commodity. As a potential source of social disruption, alcohol created volatile boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable consumption and broke through barriers of class, race, and gender. Phillips follows the ever-changing cultural meanings of these potent potables and makes the surprising argument that some societies have entered ""post-alcohol"" phases. His is the first book to examine and explain the meanings and effects of alcohol in such depth, from global and long-term perspectives.

Punch is the original party drink. Versatile, easy, and inexpensive, it is the perfect addition to any occasion, whether a large wedding party, baby shower, or just a fun backyard barbecue with friends and family. Potent Punches gathers the best unique recipes that will please your whole party in just one bowl. The guide shows the beginning bartender how to throw an awesome party on a budget, with simple and easy-to-follow recipes that will leave guests wondering when you had time for a bartending class. Recipes feature the familiar Bloody Mary Frappe, Whiskey Sour, Sangria, and Sweet 'n' Sour Fizz in crowd-pleasing portions, along with vintage cocktails like the San Francisco Cocktail, Mexican Patriot Cocktail, Ooo-La-La Champagne, and Frosted Black Russians. In the foreword, cocktail expert Albert W. A. Schmid explains the resurgence of punch as the modern go-to party drink and provides tips to help you be the life of the party and the ultimate punch host. Potent Punches has something for everyone, from delicious, nonalcoholic options for the kids to potent vintage punch and cocktail recipes that guarantee a fun retro vibe for your next party.

El arte de servir a los demas nos ayuda a conocer el mundo de otra manera."40 anos de experiencia en servicio al cliente interno y externo, tanto en mi pais Republica Dominicana como en la ciudad de Nueva York y Nueva Jersey en Estados Unidos. Este libro servira de gran aporte al conocimiento de aquellos que deseen convertirse en servidores profesionales brindando asi un excelente servicio hasta a los clientes mas exigentes. Un bartender debe de tener amplios conocimientos practicos y teoricos de coctelerias, licores y en general de todo cuanto concierne a su labor profesional. El camarero profesional es una persona con caracteristicas excepcionales, sus cualidades deben ser numerosas, ademas de necesitar una buena salud fisica, mental y emocional. Ser un camarero profesional requiere experiencia pero mas que eso requiere un alto grado de relaciones humanas, disciplina, responsabilidad y entusiasmo. El conocimiento incompleto de sus responsabilidades puede resultar en un servicio deficiente.

Selected as a Top Ten Book of the Year by Dwight Garner, "New York Times"
A "stylish and engaging...fearlessly honest account" ("Financial Times") of man's love of drink, and an insightful meditation on the meaning of alcohol consumption across cultures worldwide
Drinking alcohol: a beloved tradition, a dangerous addiction, even "a sickness of the soul" (as once described by a group of young Muslim men in Bali). In his wide-ranging travels, Lawrence Osborne--a veritable connoisseur himself--has witnessed opposing views of alcohol across cultures worldwide, compelling him to wonder: is drinking alcohol a sign of civilization and sanity, or the very reverse? Where do societies and their treatment of alcohol fall on the spectrum between indulgence and restraint?
These questions launch the author on an audacious journey, from the Middle East, where drinking is prohibited, to the West, where it is an important--yet perhaps very often a ruinous--part of everyday life. Beginning in the bar of a luxury hotel in Milan, Osborne then ventures to the Hezbollah-threatened vineyards of Lebanon; a landmark pub in London; the dangerous drinking dens on the Malaysian border; the only brewery in the alcohol-hostile country of Pakistan; and Oman, where he faces the absurd challenge of finding a bottle of champagne on New Year's Eve. Amid his travels, Osborne unravels the stories of alcoholism in his own family, and reflects on ramifications of alcohol consumption in his own life.
An immersing, controversial, and often irreverent travel narrative, " The Wet and the Dry" offers provocative, sometimes unsettling insights into the deeply embedded conflicts between East and West, and the surprising influence of drinking on the contemporary world today.

"From the Hardcover edition."

Un manual de vino practico y sencillo para el consumidor contemporaneo, basado en los cursos de vino que Athena Yannitsas dicto en Florida International University y Miami-Dade College. Los lectores son introducidos a las regiones vinicolas del mundo; la influencia de barriles, corchos y otros elementos; como servir, degustar y evaluar vinos; consejos para comprar y guardar vinos; y como combinar vinos y comida.

El vino es fantastico y tambien lo es aprender de el. Una vez que comienzas a sentir la atraccion por descubrir nuevos vinos, nuevos aromas y nuevas experiencias, la pelota empieza a rodar y no se detiene, pues existiendo miles de opciones disponibles, y con los miles de vinos mas que se hacen cada ano, el camino a descubrir es interminable. He organizado, ofrecido y disfrutado catas de vino por mas de 15 anos a la fecha, y tambien disfruto ensenando a mis amigos y a extranos por igual acerca de las maravillas del mundo del vino. He probado alrededor de 30,000 vinos diferentes hasta ahora (aproximadamente) y disfruto el vino cada dia mas - me encantaria compartir esa alegria contigo.

A generous new collection by the acclaimed novelist who, according to "Salon, " is also "the best wine writer in America."
For more than a decade, Jay McInerney's vinous essays have been praised by restaurateurs ("educational and delicious at the same time" --Mario Batali), by esteemed critics ("brilliant, witty, comical, and often shamelessly candid and provocative" --Robert Parker), and by the media ("McInerney's wine judgments are sound, his anecdotes witty, and his literary references impeccable" --"The New York Times"). Here, in pieces originally published in" House & Garden" and "The Wall Street Journal, " McInerney provides a master class in the almost infinite varieties of wine and the people and places that produce it, with the trademark style and expertise that prompted the James Beard Foundation to grant him the M.F.K. Fisher Award for Distinguished Writing in 2006.

This is a handbook of 50 tips to help banish the morning-after blues. You can try rehydrating and energizing fruit, vegetable and herbal drinks to refresh your weary body. It offers cleansing herbs and superfoods to revitalize an over-stressed system. You can stimulate your senses with an aromatic citrus spritzer, rosemary wake-up call, relaxing lavender bath or soothing camomile compress. It includes gentle body-balancing therapies, from reflexology, reiki and homeopathy to crystal, flower healing and massage. It shows you how to pamper yourself with a mind-cleansing meditation or a hair-of-the dog prairie oyster. One drink too many, and you can end up suffering from horrible hangover symptoms. You may experience a pounding headache, vomiting, fatigue and general aches and pains. Rather than instantly reaching for the painkillers, pamper your aching body with a gentle, mind-cleansing meditation, an aromatherapy headache easer, or a 'prairie oyster'. Alternatively, try the mysterious powers of crystals or reiki healing, or flush away harmful toxins in a relaxing flotation tank. This book is packed with safe and simple suggestions to alleviate all manner of hangover ailments. With treatments from stomach-settling herbs and detoxifying exercise to a high-protein breakfast, you are bound to find a source of relief to suit your lifestyle!