Just the Tonic is an accessible yet informative history of tonic water: its connections to the major disease malaria, the cure discovered in the bitter bark of the cinchona tree and its constituent alkaloid quinine. It is a history deeply intertwined with botanical exploration and empire in the Victorian era, and the role of botanical gardens such as Kew.

Do you know your Moscow Mule from your White Russian? Your Stoli from your Belvedere? Micron filtering from charcoal filtering? No matter how you take your vodka, it is time to embrace your inner vodka snob. How to Be a Vodka Snob is the perfect read for drinking novices as well as connoisseurs, beginning with vodka's humble history as a medicinal liquor and accompanying it on its rise to stardom with high-end vodka appreciators and mixologists. Pairing fascinating stories, tidbits, and recipes with a step-by-step guide to becoming a vodka snob, Brittany Jacques offers a beginner's guide to proper glassware, equipment needed for the home bar, and the all-important vodka lingo. Ever wanted to order a filthy martini, stirred, extra wet? How to Be a Vodka Snob is the perfect book for you. How to be a Vodka Snob features more than 50 recipes with everything from James Bond's favorite Martini to Dwight's Beets Over Rocks from The Office, as well as accompanying nibbles and side dishes. With Brittany Jacques as your guide, your journey to becoming a vodka snob starts here.

China is one of the world's leading producers and consumers of liquor. In turn, alcohol infuses all aspects of China's culture, from religion and literature to business and warfare. Yet to the outside world, China's most famous spirit remains a mystery. That's about to change: baijiu, the most popular alcoholic drink in China, is now being served in cocktail bars overseas. The baijiu invasion is beginning. Drunk in China follows Derek Sandhaus' journey of discovery into the world's oldest drinking culture. He travels throughout the country and around the globe to meet with distillers, brewers, snake-oil salesmen, archeologists and ordinary drinkers. He visits production floors, karaoke parlors, hotpot joints and speakeasies. Along the way he uncovers a tradition that spans more than nine thousand years, and explores how recent economic and political developments have conspired to push Chinese alcohol beyond the nation's borders for the first time. As Chinese society becomes increasingly international, its drinking culture must also adapt to the times. But is the West ready to clink glasses with China, or will deeply rooted stereotypes prove too difficult to overcome? Far from engaging in a juvenile celebration of inebriation for its own sake, Sandhaus has aimed to examine the many ways in which alcohol has shaped Chinese society and its rituals, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Celebrate the mojito! This book spotlights a favorite Caribbean cocktail that has won a place in bars and eateries across the globe. Food writer Heather McPherson details everything you need to know to make mojito masterpieces, plus flavor-packed variations for every occasion. The basic ingredients are simple--rum, lime, mint, sugar, and club soda. McPherson gives readers the rundown on these five key elements and explains how to make the classic Bacardi mojito, ""the drink that started it all."" But she doesn't stop there. She adds and swaps ingredients like seasonal fruits, herbs, and different rums to show that this versatile beverage knows no bounds. Recipes include a spicy mango mojito with jalapenos, an exotic basil lychee mojito, a sweet and savory peach and rosemary mojito, a moonshine lemonade mojito, and even a hot mojito tea. And it's more than just a drink. The cocktail's refreshing flavors make for sensational dinners and desserts, too. Readers will enjoy recipes for mojito grilled shrimp salad; mojito marinated pork tenderloin with roasted pineapple chutney; duck breast mojito empanadas; and mojito strip steak with pico de gallo. The book features mojito-inspired sweet treats such as ice pops, frozen custard, cheesecake, cookies, ice box pie, and sugar-kissed meringues. Transforming an irresistible drink in delightful ways, McPherson combines step-by-step instructions with quick tips and pro techniques. She invites readers to juice a lime, muddle some mint, and have fun with these creative recipes at home.

Brooklyn is one of the top trendsetting places today anywhere. Its neighborhoods, artists, writers, restaurants, and, yes, drinking establishments set the pace for the rest of the nation. The Brooklyn Bartender collects 300 of the best of these drink recipes in one place, from twists on the classics to new libations made from local ingredients. Organized by spirit, the recipes will allow readers to replicate bartender's signature drinks, including Pork Slope's Brooklyn Sling, Hotel's Delmano's San Francisco Handshake, and The Richardson's Sun Kiss'd. Sidebars will include "5 Takes on the Margarita" and other classic drinks, as well as bartender's recommendations for events, such "3 Simple Make-Ahead Party Drinks." Profiles of 25-30 bars, including the Clover Club, Tooker Alley, Bushwick Country Club, and Maison Premiere, are spotlighted with sage advice from their quotable bartenders. Carey also details essentials readers need to tackle the recipes, including equipment, techniques, staples, as well as advice on 10 Steps to Instantly Make Better Cocktails. Designed to be the perfect bar-side companion, the sophisticated compilation will be enhanced by more than 200 illustrations and 75 photos.

CHALLENGE YOUR PALATE Move over sweet. Cocktail aficionados are mixing up creative concoctions that are herbaceous, smoky and strong. These rims are anything but sugarcoated. Savory Cocktails shakes, stirs and strains nearly 100 hard-hitting distilled delights for a cornucopia of today's coolest drinks. Using everything from classic liqueurs to innovative new bitters, the recipes in this book offer a stylish, sophisticated approach to complex-flavored cocktails like: *Yuzu Sour *Green Tea Gimlet *Off-White Negroni *Pink Peppercorn Hot Gin Sling *Greens Fee Fizz *The Spice Trail Packed with carefully crafted cocktails as well as information on tools, ingredients and imbibing history, Savory Cocktails goes way beyond just recipes. The devilish twists in this barman's companion are taste tested and mixologist approved.

It's like the difference between "Pravda" and Prada. Vodka -- once the liquor favored by beet-faced Soviet bureaucrats -- has undergone a complete makeover, becoming the spirit of choice for fashion-forward cocktail aficionados worldwide. With more than 200 different vodkas now on the market -- including a burgeoning, international array of top-shelf and flavored varieties -- it's high time for a book devoted solely to vodka's distinctive, sometimes sublime pleasures.
Susan Waggoner and Robert Markel -- the authors of two of STC's most popular mixology guides, "Vintage Cocktails" and "Cocktail Hour" -- have teamed up again to create a book especially for the contemporary vodka drinker. In "Make Mine Vodka," the authors evaluate a wide range of today's vodkas, comparing them by origin, key ingredients, and available flavors. Designed in a beautiful retro style and illustrated with vintage art, the book offers 250 vodka-based recipes, from irresistible classics to today's cutting-edge cocktails, and advises readers on making their own flavored vodkas, including coffee, honey, peach, and key lime infusions. Tips on expert drink-making -- when to shake and when to stir, how to create stunning garnishes -- abound, as do suggestions for vodka-friendly dips, canapis, and other cocktail party fare.

Tequila Mockingbird captured the attention of audiences everywhere with its clever commentary, hilarious puns, and delicious drink recipes. Now you can send Tequila Mockingbird postcards to your friends and family with this deluxe postcard book, which includes twenty individual postcards bound into a three-piece case, Lauren Mortimer's brilliant duo-toned illustrations, and twelve drink recipes.

A collection of recipes for the world's suavest classic cocktails, inspired by the debonair persona and personal choices of Mr 007 himself. Everyone knows that James Bond prefers an alcoholic drink to a soft drink. In fact, he even goes as far as deriding tea as 'mud' and blaming it for the collapse of the British Empire. Although it's the legendary Vodka Martini that he's best known for, he also orders many classic cocktails, including an Old-Fashioned, an Americano and a Negroni, all of which appear in this book. Bond also effortlessly creates his own drink in 'Casino Royale': 'Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?' And so the Vesper was born, to the delight of bar owners across the globe. However, it's not only cocktails that he's partial to. Bond orders Scotch and soda 21 times in the books, but he's also keen on bourbon and a brandy and ginger ale. So why not raise a glass and toast the health of the world's most-loved, smooth-talking secret agent with one of his favourite drinks.