The Two Thirsty Gardeners show that brewing your own delicious alcoholic drinks can be surprisingly quick, easy and inexpensive. Taking their two great loves - alcohol and gardening - Nick Hood and Richard Moylewill provide you with home brewing recipes to inspire you to turn a surplus harvest, a visit to a fruit farm or a delivery from a supermarket into a fantastic variety of drinks. Brew it Yourself is a collection of more than 75 home brewing recipes, sure to put a fizz back into this popular pastime by adding a modern twist to some old favourites and introducing whole new range of drinks to tantalise the taste buds. With drinks ranging from a classic elderflower sparkle to homemade absinthe, Richard and Nick bring the art of home brewing back to earth.They'll tell you how to turn surplus fruit harvests into amazing wines and liqueurs; introduce you to the ancient arts of mead and cider making; guide you through some easy beer recipes, from hop packed IPAs to a striking Viking ale; use surprising ingredients such as lavender and nettles for some fun sparkling drink recipes; and take you on a world booze cruise that includes a Mexican pineapple tepache, Scandinavian mulled glogg and Finnish lemon sima. Brew it Yourself also debunks the myths around home brewing, celebrates experimentation and takes the fear out of the science of fermentation. It proves that creating your own tasty alcoholic drinks doesn't need to be complicated, doesn't need to be costly and, most importantly, can be a whole lot of fun!

The first book written in the English language to narrate the amazing history of the world's third largest selling spirit: cachaa. Drinks historians Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller disclose the secrets of cachaa's Asian ancestry and noble birth in Brazil. They explain the spirits integration into Brazilian history and culture from its rise in the Sixteenth Century to the Nineteenth Century propaganda that led to its disfavor among the upper and middle classes. The rediscovery of Brazil's native soul in the Twentieth Century leads to a discussion to the recent raise in international popularity of this versatile spirit. The book was defines the differences amongst rum, rhum agricole, and cachaa; provides tasting session procedures; offers classic and modern cocktail recipes as well as food pairings.

-Pulls aside the curtain of puffery to show . . . the business of liquor to be every bit as fascinating as the fictions in which the distillers love to swaddle themselves.- --Wayne Curtis, The Wall Street Journal Walk into a well-stocked liquor store and you'll see countless whiskey brands, each boasting an inspiring story of independence and heritage. And yet, more than 95% of the nation's whiskey comes from a small handful of giant companies with links to organized crime, political controversy, and a colorful history that is far different than what appears on modern labels. In Bourbon Empire, Reid Mitenbuler shows how bourbon, America's most iconic style of whiskey, and the industry surrounding it, really came to be--a saga of shrewd capitalism as well as dedicated craftsmanship. Mitenbuler traces the big names--Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Evan Williams, and more--back to their origins, exploring bourbon's founding myths and great successes against the backdrop of America's economic history. Illusion is separated from reality in a tale reaching back to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, when the ideologies of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton battled to define the soul of American business. That debate continues today, punctuated along the way by Prohibition-era bootleggers, the liquor-fueled origins of NASCAR, intense consolidation driven by savvy lobbying, and a Madison Avenue plot to release five thousand parrots--trained to screech the name of a popular brand--into the nation's bars. Today, the whiskey business takes a new turn as a nascent craft distilling movement offers the potential to revolutionize the industry once again. But, as Mitenbuler shows, many take advantage of this excitement while employing questionable business practices, either by masquerading whiskey made elsewhere as their own or by shortcutting the proven production standards that made many historic brands great to begin with. A tale of innovation, success, downfall, and resurrection, Bourbon Empire is an exploration of the spirit in all its unique forms, creating an indelible portrait of both American whiskey and the people who make it.

"An engrossing account of wine fraud and forgery . . . Hellman clearly knows his stuff."--The Wall Street Journal "[Hellman] presents . . . the macho, competitive, one-upmanship world of the collectors, an atmosphere that perhaps contributed to their gullibility in the high-rolling economy of the early 2000s."--The New York Times "Heady, intoxicating . . . shines a light on the esoteric and intriguing world of ultrarare, ultrafine wines."--Foreword, starred review "In Vino Duplicitas is a cautionary tale of how we can let the romance of wine get the better of us. . . . None of us are immune."--Washington Post Few gain entry to the privileged world of ultrafine wines, where billionaires flock to exclusive auction houses to vie for the scarce surviving bottles from truly legendary years. But Rudy Kurniawan, an unknown twentysomething from Indonesia, was blessed with two gifts that opened doors: a virtuoso palate for wine tasting, and access to a seemingly limitless (if mysterious) supply of the world's most coveted wines. After bursting onto the scene in 2002, Kurniawan quickly became the leading purveyor of rare wines to the American elite. But in April 2008, his lots of Domaine Ponsot Clos Saint-Denis red burgundy--dating as far back as 1945--were abruptly pulled from auction. The problem? The winemaker was certain that this particular burgundy was first produced only in 1982. Journalist Peter Hellman was there, and he would closely investigate as a singular cast of characters--including a Kansas-born billionaire and self-proclaimed "hoarder," a dignified Burgundian winemaker, a wine-loving young prosecutor, and a crusty FBI agent who prepared for the case by reading French Wine for Dummies--worked to unravel the biggest con in wine history. Whether driven by the love of wine or of justice, all were asking the same question: Was the mild-mannered Kurniawan himself a dupe? Or had one young man--with little experience and few connections--ensnared the world's top winemakers, sellers, and drinkers in a web of deceit?

"As comprehensive as it gets" THE NEW YORK TIMES A tequila revolution is taking place, with more and more people learning to appreciate the rich culture, craft and flavour to be found in this unique spirit. The Tequila Dictionary is the drinker's guide to this wonderful world. With hundreds of entries on tequila and agave spirits covering everything from history, culture and ingredients to distilling techniques, cocktails and the many varieties of tequila, spirits expert Eric Zandona explores the truth behind this truly captivating drink.

Kosher wines have been winning prestigious international competitions and creating a buzz among wine connoisseurs, yet most kosher consumers still opt for traditional sweet stuff. Irving Langer used to be one of those people. A man with a zest for living life to the fullest, Irving embarked on an exploration of the subtleties of fine wine and now he s ready to share his knowledge with you. With wit as dry as his favorite Merlot, Irving guides you on a fascinating, often whimsical journey, teaching you all you need to know: the differences between red, white, and sparkling wines; the ten steps of wine tasting; how to navigate a restaurant wine menu. He takes the mystery out of pairing wine with food, and provides solid lists of resources including wineries, critics, and helpful websites. Taking it to the next level, Irving probes the highly significant role of this spiritually charged drink in Jewish culture and history. Bursting with facts, folklore, and humor, The Kosher Grapevine will transform you from ho-hum Kiddush sipper to savvy wine aficionado.

An indispensable book for every wine lover, from some of the world's leading wine experts.

Where do wine grapes come from and how are grape varieties related to one another? What is the historical background of each one? Where are they grown? What sort of wines do they make?

Using cutting-edge DNA analysis and detailing almost 1,400 distinct grape varieties, as well as myriad correct (and incorrect) synonyms, this book examines grapes and wine as never before. Here is a complete, alphabetically presented profile of all grape varieties of relevance to the wine lover, charting the relationships between them and including unique and astounding family trees, their characteristics in the vineyard, and--most important--what the wines made from them taste like.

Presented in a stunning design with eight-page gatefolds that reveal the family trees, and a rich variety of full-color illustrations from Viala and Vermorel's century-old classic ampelography, the text will deepen readers' understanding of grapes and wine with every page. Combining Jancis Robinson's worldview and nose for good writing and good wines with Julia Harding's research, expertise, and attention to detail plus Dr. Vouillamoz's unique level of scholarship, Wine Grapes offers essential and original information in greater depth and breadth than has ever been available before. This is a book for wine students, wine experts, and wine lovers everywhere.