This bar book contains 386 delicious cocktails, and is a must have for the professional or aspiring bartender. Included are classic favorites like the Martini, Manhattan, and Side Car. Get in touch with your feminine side with a Bachelor's Bait, Pink Whiskers, and American Beauty, or put some hair on your chest with a Whiskey Sour, Thunder Clap, or Flying Scotchman. If those drinks aren't enough to wet your whistle then the Bloodhound, Ping Pong, and Green Dragon are sure to knock you off your feet. If nothing else, this book would be handy to protect you from a Depth Bomb, Black Eye, or a Catastrophe.

1. Are you tired of the terms "dry white wine" or "dry red wine" when using a recipe? 2. Would you like specific suggestions for wines to be added to a recipe? 3. Would you like 1-2-3 specific suggestions for wines to pair with the dish you are preparing? 4. Would you like specific beer suggestions for those dishes that go well with beer? 5. Would you like a library of over 500 easy to follow recipes and over 2,500 wine and/or beer suggestions? IF THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS IS YES WINE AND DINE 1-2-3 IS THE BOOK FOR YOU

One of the most complete histories of wine in France was written in the eighteenth century, a long chapter within Le Grand d'Aussy's masterwork on French food and wine (hopefully but misleadingly titled "History of the private life of the French from the origin of the nation until our days"). Le Grand starts with the Gauls, Greeks and Romans and the introduction of wine into France before discussing its development over the centuries and the appearance of the retail trade - merchants, taverns, inns - where wine could first be bought "by the pot." Starting with the first earthen vessels and wineskins used to transport wine, he traces the appearance of that useful microtechnology, the bottle. Drawing (as he does throughout) on a wealth of earlier authors, Le Grand lists the various wines that had been most popular over the centuries and then gives a brief look at some of the most commonly used grapes. He touches on wine from unexpected places such as Brittany, Normandy and... Paris, which for centuries was known for its wine before detouring for some pages into a squabble between Burgundy and Champagne. The French also drank foreign wines, including, once, those of Gaza and Cyprus, and he casts a glance at those before describing the ways in which wine could be used as a gift or payment and the celebrations associated with it. He ends with a look at "artificial wines," the highly flavored ancestors of todays cocktails and with the misnamed "fruit wines." Though frequently cited in culinary texts, Le Grand's masterwork is rarely translated at length and this new modern translation is a rare opportunity to experience the scholarship and lively tone of this classic work directly.

Historians will enjoy this insight into the history of alcohol written by an expert in the field. This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience.

"Secrets of the Wine Whisperer" is an informative, enjoyable and Very Funny chronicle of an innocent couple's descent into wine appreciation. From "how to select a wine glass" to "is a cork really needed" to "how the wine ratings work," the book is filled with vitally useful (and often hilarious) information for both the wine newcomer and experienced enthusiast. The "Wine Whisperer" is not in the wine business and does not make a living from the wine trade. His "ordinary person's" voice brings a sense of discovery that will touch and amuse both the wine beginner and confirmed collector.

"Mark Brown writes so exquisitely about eating, drinking, and rambling that I half believe I was there with him - and knowing that I wasn't, I long to be." - James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur and author of Cradle of Flavor

An Orthodox Greek combines a love of music with a living in hot dogs. A punk rocker drives a tour bus to Walla Walla wine country and goes rogue. A garlic farmer eats enough raw cloves to perfume his sweat but not enough to repel vampires. A French innkeeper serves a version of pork and beans as old as the crusades. A champion of heritage breed pigs with a radical idea of eating local gets a punch in the snout. Food writer Mark Brown eats and drinks his fill, then regurgitates it for posterity and enlightenment. Historical, anecdotal, poetical, and even a little edible, "My Mother is a Chicken" will reorder the pantry of your mind.