This is the perfect little book for all those who love a dram or two! From tips on how to nose, taste and savour to suggestions for which glassware to use for optimum appreciation, this book has it all. There's a selection of food tips which recommend the addition of a wee drop to soups, casseroles and desserts, and a cache of fantastic cocktail tips too (who wouldn't enjoy a Rusty Nail or a classic Old Fashioned?). This is a great little gift book which celebrates 'the water of life' in all its forms and functions.

Over the past decade, the popularity of cocktails has returned with gusto. Amateur and professional mixologists alike have set about recovering not just the craft of the cocktail, but also its history, philosophy, and culture. The Shaken and the Stirred features essays written by distillers, bartenders and amateur mixologists, as well as scholars, all examining the so-called 'Cocktail Revival' and cocktail culture. Why has the cocktail returned with such force? Why has the cocktail always acted as a cultural indicator of class, race, sexuality and politics in both the real and the fictional world? Why has the cocktail revival produced a host of professional organizations, blogs, and conferences devoted to examining and reviving both the drinks and habits of these earlier cultures?

For mixologists of the highest calibre, mixing truly fantastic drinks is just the start. The world's very best bartenders interact on a more personal level with their customers and exhibit a sophisticated range of skills that deliver a truly memorable visitor experience. In Ultimate Bartending, Paul Martin, one of the UK's most renowned and decorated bartender trainers, shares the secrets that have enabled him to transform countless promising mixologists into some of the greatest. He covers topics as diverse as heads-up bartending, offering recommendations, building rapport, projecting passion, delivering service pro-actively, reading your guest, using positive body language, dealing with stress, seizing opportunity and much more. If you want to evolve your skills, enjoy significantly more job satisfaction and elevate your career, this book will show you how to achieve your true inner potential.

An artisinal cocktail book by two best friends and the entrepreneurs who invented the The Mason Shaker cocktail shaker and whose mission is to bring cocktail crafting out of the bar and into the home.
Design, cocktail, and culinary enthusiasts Eric Prum and Josh Williams realized that while cocktail bars have sprouted up just about everywhere, good drinks still couldn't be found in the one place where they always mixed them: at home with friends.
So, from their Brooklyn workshop, where they designed, created, and launched The Mason Shaker, a now-iconic invention that transformed a Mason jar into a cocktail shaker, they also created "Shake." One part instructional recipe book and one part photo journey through their year of cocktail crafting, the book is a simple and inspirational expression of their seasonal, straightforward approach to drinks and entertaining: Mixing cocktails should be simple, social, and above all, fun.
Each recipe is presented visually, in four color photos, as well as in written recipes, making "Shake" both an arresting gift and a practical guidebook to simple, elegant cocktails.

Poet and historian Angus Martin was born in Campbeltown in 1952 and has lived there all his life. In this, his thirty-seventh book, he has employed his intimate knowledge of the history and families of his native community to produce the definitive account of the distillers, distilleries and related trades and industries which transformed a small West Highland fishing town into the whisky-making capital of the world. Exhaustive research in neglected sources has resulted a study with unprecedented detail and insight.

Beautifully illustrated, beautifully designed, and beautifully crafted--just like its namesake--this is the ultimate bar book by NYC's most meticulous bartender. To say that PDT is a unique bar is an understatement. It recalls the era of hidden Prohibition speakeasies: to gain access, you walk into a raucous hot dog stand, step into a phone booth, and get permission to enter the serene cocktail lounge. Now, Jim Meehan, PDT's innovative operator and mixmaster, is revolutionizing bar books, too, offering all 304 cocktail recipes available at PDT plus behind-the-scenes secrets. From his bar design, tools, and equipment to his techniques, food, and spirits, it's all here, stunningly illustrated by Chris Gall.

Made from distilled grape wine and produced in countries spanning the globe, brandy is a spirit loved by many, long associated with refined taste and sophisticated consumption. Yet it has recently welcomed a new surge in popularity thanks to exciting new cocktail trends - today it has taken on a new life in the world of mixology. Cognac - the illustrious and elegant, amber brandy - is currently one of the most fashionable components of high-end mixed drinks, consumed in the world's coolest bars. From the spirit's most recognized examples to often overlooked varieties such as Armagnac, this book delves into the fascinating history of this globally consumed beverage. A richly illustrated book, Brandy takes readers on a journey from the alchemists of the Middle Ages to present-day mixology hotspots, chronicling the contributions of many cultures to the history of the drink and the beautiful locations in which it is produced. For those also inclined to imbibe, the book offers advice on buying, storing and serving brandy, and features classic and new cocktail recipes for both connoisseurs and first-time drinkers to enjoy.

Some of the best cocktails are the easiest to make, and author Kara Newman figured out the secret-using equal parts of the main ingredients and adding a dash of bitters or a splash of seltzer to gild the lily. Take the Cucumber Gimlet: Combine one part each vodka, lime juice, and lemonade; 2 cucumber slices; then garnish with a basil leaf! And beverages like this are a breeze to size up for parties-just double, triple, or quadruple the proportions. This book contains 40 simple recipes, from two-ingredient sips like the Bamboo Cocktail to timeless classics like the ever-popular Negroni, proving that great, artisanal cocktails don't have to come from a bar.

What did Charles Dickens savour in punch, Thomas Jefferson eat in omelettes, Queen Victoria sip in navy grog, and the Kamehameha Kings of Hawaii drink straight? What helped spark the American Revolution, was used as currency in Australia, was targeted by the Temperance Movement, and is still a sacramental offering among voodoo worshippers? The answer is rum, whose colourful, secret history is described in Rum: A Global History. This book chronicles the evolution of rum, from a raw spirit concocted for slaves five hundred years ago, to a beverage savoured by connoisseurs. It charts the history of the drink, showing how this once-humble spirit has become a worldwide phenomenon over the last five hundred years. Rum: A Global History shows how rum has left its mark on religious rituals, popular songs and other cultural landmarks, describing a far more varied and interesting history of the drink than is commonly known. Also included in the book are recipes for sweet and savoury rum dishes, obscure but delicious rum drinks, and illustrations of rum memorabilia from the earliest days to the tiki craze of the 1950s. Costing less than a bottle of good rum, Rum: A Global History will provide satisfaction for far longer, with none of the hangover, guaranteed. The book will delight all who enjoy the beverage and wish to learn more of its heritage, as well as those who enjoy a fast-paced, well-written history of food.

Gone are the days when a lonely bottle of Angostura bitters held court behind the bar. A cocktail renaissance has swept across the country, inspiring in bartenders and their thirsty patrons a new fascination with the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that make the American cocktail so special. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in our beverage heritage as bitters.
Author and bitters enthusiast Brad Thomas Parsons traces the history of the world's most storied elixir, from its earliest "snake oil" days to its near evaporation after Prohibition to its ascension as a beloved (and at times obsessed-over) ingredient on the contemporary bar scene. Parsons writes from the front lines of the bitters boom, where he has access to the best and boldest new brands and flavors, the most innovative artisanal producers, and insider knowledge of the bitters-making process.
Whether you're a professional looking to take your game to the next level or just a DIY-type interested in homemade potables, Bitters has a dozen recipes for customized blends--ranging from Apple to Coffee-Pecan to Root Beer bitters--as well as tips on sourcing ingredients and step-by-step instructions fit for amateur and seasoned food crafters alike.
Also featured are more than seventy cocktail recipes that showcase bitters' diversity and versatility: classics like the Manhattan (if you ever get one without bitters, send it back), old-guard favorites like the Martinez, contemporary drinks from Parsons's own repertoire like the Shady Lane, plus one-of-a-kind libations from the country's most pioneering bartenders. Last but not least, there is a full chapter on cooking with bitters, with a dozen recipes for sweet and savory bitters-infused dishes.
Part recipe book, part project guide, part barman's manifesto, Bitters is a celebration of good cocktails made well, and of the once-forgotten but blessedly rediscovered virtues of bitters.

Gin is classic, classy and quintessentially British. It can be enjoyed on picnic blankets in summer with a slice of cucumber, or in dimly lit bars in a martini, shaken, not stirred. Bringing together a heady cocktail of timeless recipes, clever statements, trivia and quips from the world's wisest and wittiest gin lovers, this book celebrates the glory of gin!