Drink Books

A Brief History of Lager

In this fascinating book, beer expert Mark Dredge dives into the history of lager, from how it was first brewed to what role was played by German monks and kings in the creation of the drink we know so well today. From the importance of 500-year-old purity laws to a scrupulously researched exploration of modern beer gardens (it's a hard life), Mark has delved deep into the story of the world's favourite beer.

ABSOLUT Story: From Vikings to Vodka

The story of ABSOLUT vodka, probably not the easiest book to find to buy and I got this when working with the brand in my Maxxium UK days.

Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas

The Spirits Business magazine book recommendation: "New York-based writer Brad Thomas Parsons has penned the definitive guide to the mysterious yet essential cocktail ingredient – the bitter liqueur."

And a Bottle of Rum, Revised and Updated: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails

And a Bottle of Rum tells the raucously entertaining story of this most American of liquors. From the grog sailors drank on the high seas in the 1700s to the mojitos of Havana bar hoppers, spirits and cocktail columnist Wayne Curtis offers a history of rum and the Americas alike, revealing that the homely spirit once distilled from the industrial waste of the booming sugar trade has managed to infiltrate every stratum of New World society.

A Proper Drink - The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "Ever wanted to know the history of the cocktail renaissance? New York Times cocktail writer Robert Simonson has interviewed more than 200 key players from around the world, and the result is a rollicking (if slightly tipsy) story of the characters, bars, bartenders, patrons, and visionaries who in the last 25 years have changed the course of modern drink-making."

Armagnac: The Definitive Guide to France's Premier Brandy

Armagnac is France’s premier brandy, not only because it was the first but also because it is the preference of true connoisseurs. And while armagnac is often compared to its closest relative Cognac, the two brandies are distinctly different. In this detailed study, Charles Neal takes us to Gascony, in the hidden backwoods of Southwestern France. All the factors that go into making a great Armagnac are explained, as are the differences between it and Cognac.

A Short History of Drunkenness

Almost every culture on earth has drink, and where there's drink there's drunkenness. But in every age and in every place drunkenness is a little bit different. It can be religious, it can be sexual, it can be the duty of kings or the relief of peasants. It can be an offering to the ancestors, or a way of marking the end of a day's work. It can send you to sleep, or send you into battle.

A Treatise On The Manufacture And Distillation Of Alcoholic Liquors

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause

In this widely hailed book, NPR correspondent Tom Gjelten fuses the story of the Bacardi family and their famous rum business with Cuba's tumultuous experience over the last 150 years to produce a deeply entertaining historical narrative.

Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits

Drawing on interviews with baijiu aficionados, distillers, and key players in the alcoholic beverage industry, Sandhaus introduces the history and development of alcohol in China--the birthplace of grain-based alcohol. Distillation and production processes, the landscape of the industry today, and a page-by-page guide to the major varieties, distilleries and brands all feature in Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits.

Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business

In 2011 Goose Island, a family-owned Chicago brewpub, was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev, the biggest beer company in the world. The sale forced the craft beer industry to reckon with its growing mainstream appeal and a popularity few envisioned.

Batch Distillation: Science and Practice

This is a must have for distillers of all experience levels. Inside you'll find discussions on the history of distillation, distillation chemistry, considerations for purchasing a still and much more. Strickland uses an easy-to-read conversational tone to detail difficult to parse topics such as making distillation cuts, different distillation techniques, how to operate simple and hybrid batch stills and even how to approach the distillation of botanicals for spirits such as gin or absinthe.

Beer Blast: The inside Story of the Brewing Industry's Bizarre Battles for Your Money

A member of the Van Munching brewing dynasty offers stories about the personalities, feuds, fads, and follies of the beer business

Beer Means Business: Economics and Marketing in the UK Brewing Industry

Beer Means Business takes a holistic view of the beer industry today. It is a systematic assessment of the beer supply chain from farmers to consumers without mentioning any one product, brand or business. Unveiling the complexities of the UK brewing industry in a structured manner, this book provides a stimulus for forward thinking beer entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. Read this book to better understand: Key factors that are driving the evolution of the beer market; The challenges and opportunities this presents for new wave breweries; Potential scenarios you will face when conducting business in the UK marketplace; The sustainability of different brewery business models.

Beer School: A Crash Course in Craft Beer

Welcome to Beer School, brought to you by the heroes of YouTube sensation The Craft Beer Channel, a guide to everything you need to know about the wide and wonderful beers of the world. In Beer School, Jonny and Brad explain the intricacies of the finest artisan craft brews including: ales, lagers, porters, stouts, IPSs, and bitters.

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas

Part cookbook, part project guide, part barman's manifesto, Bitters is a compenduim of more than 100 cocktail recipes, featuring traditional favourites as well as gems from author Brad Thomas Parsons' own repertoire. In addition to the recipes, Bitters sheds light on the history and mystery of the alcoholic infusion's origins, profiles artisanal producers, gives step-by-step instructions for making customised blends, and offers a dozen food recipes for bitters-infused dishes.

Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits

A unique blend of travelogue, spirits history, and recipe collection, Boozehound explores the origins of what we drink and the often surprising reasons behind our choices.

BrewDog: Craft Beer for the People

It includes a look at what makes craft beer great and how it's made, explains how to understand different beer styles, how to cook with beer and match beers and food, right through to how to brew your own at home. It's not just about BrewDog's beers either - plenty of other excellent breweries and their beers from around the world are featured. This book is both a window into the BrewDog world and a repository of essential craft beer information.

Brewing

Brewing is designed for those involved in the malting, brewing, and allied industries who have little or no formal training in brewing science. While some elementary knowledge of chemistry and biology is necessary, the book clearly presents the essentials of brewing science and its relationship to brewing technology. Brewing focuses on the principles and practices most central to an understanding of the brewing process, including preparation of malt, hops, and yeast; the fermentation process; microbiology and contaminants; and finishing, packaging, and flavor. The second edition gives more emphasis to engineering and technological aspects, with the three new chapters on water, engineering and analysis.

Britain in a Bottle: A visitor's guide to gin distilleries, whisky distilleries, breweries, vineyards and cider mills

Recent years have seen a huge increase in the number of these places all over the country not only operating but also welcoming visitors, from small single-man producers working from home to large, world-famous labels, and from well-established brands to the revival of 200-year-old manufacturers that had almost been lost to prosperity. Now, for the first time, they have been gathered together in a single book which celebrates their craftsmanship, pinpoints their locations, describes who they are and what they do, and provides detailed information about how you can visit and sample their wares.

Bursting Bubbles

The rise and rise of a group of artisanal producers in Champagne over the last twenty years has challenged everything we thought we knew about this famous region. In Bursting Bubbles, Robert Walters takes us on a journey to visit these great growers. Along the way, he reveals a secret history of Champagne and dispels many of the myths that still persist about this celebrated wine style.

By the Smoke and the Smell: My Search for the Rare and Sublime on the Spirits Trail

Vogler's memoir will inspire readers not only to look at their liquor bottle's labels more closely, but also to seek out wonderful and wonderfully made products.

Calvados: The Spirit of Normandy

Calvados, the incomparable pear and apple-based brandy from Normandy, France, has a history dating back nearly 500 years. While not as well known as Cognac or Armagnac, Calvados holds a dear place in the hearts of many spirits lovers.

Can I Mix You A Drink?

In 2007, T-Pain released his hit single 'Can I Buy U A Drank', propelling the artist to mainstream royalty. Since then, the Tallahassee, Florida native has secured his position as one of the most successful and diverse hip-hop artists in the world. It all started, really, with a song about liquor. T-Pain's extensive career has been punctuated by libations. It's been a part of his music, his business acumen (having secured a number of ambassador deals with liquor brands like Jose Cuervo), and his overall persona. Now, T-Pain brings his love of mixology and music in book form, titled Can I Mix You A Drink? Working with James Beard Award Winning Mixologist Maxwell Britten, T-Pain sets cocktails to music.

Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine

Journalist Watman chronicles America's longstanding love affair with distilled spirits, a love that he shares. As long as people have been making booze, the government has wanted to control it, and Watman colorfully illustrates a conflict that stretches from the Whiskey Rebellion through Prohibition.

Claridge's – The Cocktail Book

This glorious guide contains all the inspiration you'll need for the cocktail hour, with a spirited - and no/low - selection of more than 500 recipes suitable for every occasion. Whatever your tastes and wherever your location, this new bartender's bible will enable you to share the magic of Claridge's with family and friends, from your own cocktail cabinet.

Cocktail Cookbook

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "Kicking off our round up of recent spirits tomes is Cocktail Cookbook by Oskar Kinberg of Oskar’s Bar in London’s Michelin-starred restaurant Dabbous, due for release next month. The book focuses on food-based ingredients rather than spirits, with each chapter in the recipe book highlighting a specific ingredient, such as melon, cucumber, plum, sorrel leaf, pea-shoots and tonka beans. The book consists of 75 “easy-to-follow but creative” recipes which have all been invented and tasted at Oskar’s Bar, also instructing consumers how to make bar ingredients such as nettle cordial, olive oil-infused gin and kiwi and avocado puree."

Cognac a liquid history

Very good reference book on Cognac written by 'the maestro' Salvatore Calabrese - a well known mixologist/ bartender worldwide.

Cognac: The Seductive Saga of the World's Most Coveted Spirit

Called the "brandy of the gods" by Victor Hugo, Cognac is a universal symbol of refinement and quality. In the first comprehensive history of this celebrated drink, Kyle Jarrard charts Cognac's birth in the 1500s and its transformation into the world's most coveted brandy.

CO Specs: Recipes & Histories of Classic Cocktails

With tens of thousands of cocktails in existence, how many of those could be considered classic, essential, or even tasty? - CO Specs distills down to the 200 true classics everyone should know. For Bartenders, it's a thorough field manual of all the classics you should know. A one stop shop. The book Cas wishes he'd had (and spent far too long creating).

Cuba: The Legend of Rum

Who really invented the Daiquiri and the Mojito, the world's most beloved rum drinks? Is it true that Christopher Columbus brought the first sugar cane seedlings to Cuba? What makes authentic Cuban rum different from all others? Spirits and drinks historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown explore the birth of Cuban rum and the inseparable relationship it has with the Cuban people and their culture together with rum historian Dave Broom and mixologist Nick Strangeway.

Difford's Guide to Cocktails

Difford's Guide to Cocktails #12 includes 3,000 new and 1,200 updated recipes. It is the most complete and authoritative cocktail guide available and boasts the world's largest single photographic collection of cocktails. Designed for professional bartenders and home enthusiasts alike this heavyweight book is an indispensable guide to mixed drinks.

Distillation: Fundamentals and Principles

This is a single source of authoritative information on all aspects of the theory and practice of modern distillation, suitable for advanced students and professionals working in a laboratory, industrial plants, or a managerial capacity.

Distillation Principles and Processes

Originally published in 1922 this book has been revised since its first publication-which placed emphasis on fractional distillation-to include distillation on a large scale as carried out in the manufacture of important products.

Distilled: From absinthe & brandy to gin & whisky, the world's finest artisan spirits unearthed, explained & enjoyed

Today's world of spirits is experiencing an explosive increase in craft distillers and pioneers of new distillates. It's about men and women tearing up rule books and creating new spirits with extraordinary personality and passion.

Distilling Fruit Brandy

This comprehensive, technical guide offers the distiller pretty much everything there is to know about distilling fruit brandies. Raw materials, fermentation, mashing, alcohol determination, clarifying and filtering, and storage are all presented in great detail through text, diagrams, and photos.

Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production

Divided Spirits tells the stories of tequila and mezcal, two of Mexico’s most iconic products. In doing so, the book illustrates how neoliberalism influences the production, branding, and regulation of local foods and drinks. It also challenges the strategy of relying on “alternative” markets to protect food cultures and rural livelihoods.

Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health

World-renowned Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology David Nutt breaks down the science and effect of alcohol on our health, mood, sleep and productivity and how it travels through our bodies and brains and explains on a practical level how we can make changes to positively impact our relationship with it and understanding of it, thereby improving our quality of life for the long-term.

Drinks: A User's Guide by Adam McDowell

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "Every drinks enthusiast has a good book on their shelves – whether its their favourite spirit or tips and tricks from the lives of famed bartenders. However booze columnist Adam McDowell does his best to answer those simple everyday questions, from how to make a Martini to what Scotch to buy for the boss. McDowell really hits it on the nail with his ‘How to’ guide to all things drinks. Readers can learn the ancient art of choosing the right drink to elevate any occasion – and McDowell certainly has it covered."

Drunk in China: Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture

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.

Empire of Booze

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "From renowned booze correspondent Henry Jeffreys comes this full-bodied and rich history of Britain and the Empire, told through the improbable but true stories of how the world’s favourite alcoholic drinks came to be. Empire of Booze traces the impact of alcohol on British culture and society: literature, science, philosophy and even religion have reflections in the bottom of a glass."

Fermented Beverage Production

This is an essential resource for any company producing or selling fermented alcoholic beverages. In addition it would be of value to anyone who needs a contemporary introduction to the science and technology of alcoholic beverages.

Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World

The story of soda is the story of the modern world, a tale of glamorous bubbles, sparkling dreams, big bucks, miracle cures, and spreading waistlines. Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World charts soda's remarkable, world-changing journey from awe-inspiring natural mystery to ubiquitous presence in all our lives.

Garden to Glass: Grow Your Drinks from the Ground Up

Garden to Glass: Grow Your Drinks From the Ground Up, written by expert mixologist, Mike Wolf focuses on the movement and philosophy illustrating how to incorporate the natural world into the drinks we love to make, drink, and share with friends. This book offers readers simple gardening tips and instructions on how to use those plants to make dynamic cocktails and delicious cordials and elixirs. Complete with recipes, striking photography, and detailed illustrations, Garden to Glass is as valuable a resource to bartenders and bar owners as it is to home bar enthusiasts.

Gin: The Ultimate Companion

The 21st century’s own Gin Craze continues unabated, with exciting new crafted gins launched on a regular basis. Most recently, we have seen growing interest in Pink Gins and the development of a range of flavoured gins, not to mention the remarkable rise of tonics – with a tonic to suit every palate, and perhaps every gin. So naturally, leading spirits writer Ian Buxton has looked to revise and renew his focus on this most fashionable of spirits. In this book he brings his customary wit, industry knowledge and highly developed palate to this fast-evolving and dynamic market with enthusiastic, book-buying drinkers keen for more ginsights!

Grappa: Italy Bottled

Grappa Italy Bottled is the first substantive international text that takes on the quintessential beverage of the Italian culture; grappa. Grappa Italy bottled is two books in one. The first is a comprehensive grappa course from grape growing to grappa tasting including facts on grappa and distillation that have not been published before. The second half is a travel story that takes you on a trip through the grappa regions of Italy.

Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages: Technical, Analytical and Nutritional Aspects

A comprehensive two- volume set that describes the science and technology involved in the production and analysis of alcoholic beverages.

Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle

"Hideous Absinthe" is a biography of the 'green fairy' that questions the basis of anti-absinthe hysteria and describes how absinthe came to symbolise the high points of art and the depths of degeneration. It comes up-to-date via the thrill-seeking American absinthe drinkers in the twentieth century, from Hemingway to the backpackers of Prague; and covers the rediscovery of absinthe in England's club culture of the twenty-first century.

Imbibe by David Wondrich

This book is a definitive guide to classic American cocktails from Cocktail writer and historian David Wondrich

Inside Bordeaux

Written by author and critic Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux is a ground-breaking guide to the region. Jane has used her extensive knowledge of Bordeaux, alongside newly commissioned research, to delve into the region’s wines and winemakers. You’ll discover underrated properties, learn why particular wines taste as they do and much more. It’s an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the world’s most famous wine region.

Inside the Bottle

Really enjoyed reading this book about the drinks industry and the 'people, brands and stories' by Arthur Shapiro ex-Seagram. It is always fascinating to better understand the background and history of the industry and this gives you that perspective in full as well as highlighting some movers & shakers of the future, small entrepreneurs trying to change the industry with their new brands and products. Worth a read!

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition

A brilliant, authoritative, and fascinating history of America's most puzzling era, the years 1920 to 1933, when the US Constitution was amended to restrict one of America's favorite pastimes: drinking alcoholic beverages.

Lonely Planet's Global Distillery Tour

Featuring the best distilleries and bars in over 30 countries, we'll tell you where to go and what to taste - from gin, bourbon and whisky to vodka, cachaca, tequila and more. Includes unmissable regional drinks from South Africa, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, France, Italy, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse

Brewers often call malt the soul of beer. Fourth in the Brewing Elements series, Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse delves into the intricacies of this key ingredient used in virtually all beers. This book provides a comprehensive overview of malt, with primary focus on barley, from the field through the malting process.

Malts and Malting

This book gives a comprehensive overview of malts and malt competitors, how they are made and evaluated.

Maturation of Distilled Spirits: Vision and Patience

This book is about the aging of a spirit—its life in a barrel. Hubert Germain-Robin details the barrel wood, where it is sourced, the chemistry exchange of wood and spirit, the environment surrounding the barrel during maturation and the intrinsic role of the maker in engaging their senses throughout the process of aging.

Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit

Emma Janzen is your guide to the bartender's best kept secret, the spirit everyone has been missing out on and it's called Mezcal. See what sets this cousin of tequila apart from the rest of the pack.

Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently--And Succeeding

Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff began Honest Tea fifteen years ago with little more than a tea leaf of an idea and a passion to offer organic, freshly brewed, lightly sweetened bottled tea. Today Honest Tea is a rapidly expanding national brand sold in more than 100,0000 grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores and drugstores across the country. The brand has flourished as American consumers move toward healthier and greener lifestyles.

Order, Order!: The Rise and Fall of Political Drinking

This was our Book of the Month for August 2017.

Port and the Douro

Essential guide and reference book to Port, this fortified wine and the region of its production. Suggest buying the latest version available online if interested.

Proof: The Science of Booze

Humans have been perfecting alcohol production for ten thousand years, but scientists are just starting to distill the chemical reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers takes us from bourbon country to the world's top gene-sequencing labs, introducing us to the bars, barflies, and evolving science at the heart of boozy technology. He chases the physics, biology, chemistry, and metallurgy that produce alcohol, and the psychology and neurobiology that make us want it. If you've ever wondered how your drink arrived in your glass, or what it will do to you, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.

Quench your own Thirst

I listened to Jim Koch, as this audiobook is read by the author himself, recalling his own experiences of bringing the Boston Beer Company to life and effectively start the craft beer movement in the US. Also have to admit that listening to it, it did make me want to drink a cold Samuel Adams...enjoy!

Regarding Cocktails

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "Regarding Cocktails is the only book from the late Sasha Petraske, the legendary bartender who changed cocktail culture with his speakeasy-style bar Milk & Honey and his wife, spirit writer Georgette Moger-Petraske. The book has a selection of 85 cocktail recipes from his repertoire, from beloved classics to modern variations – with stories from the bartenders he personally trained. Ingredients, measurements, and preparations are beautifully illustrated so that readers can make professional cocktails at home. Sasha’s advice for keeping the home bar, as well as his musings, are collected here to inspire a new generation of bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts."

Rum: A Distilled History of Colonial Australia

Australia and its formation - through the distorted view of a rum bottle. Could the Rum Rebellion have been averted if Major Johnston wasn't hungover? Would the Eureka Stockade have been different if the rebels weren't pissed? How were prisoners to get drunk if Macquarie closed the only pub in the goal? And why should sailors under fourteen be deprived of their sixteen shots of rum per day? These are just some of the questions raised in Matt Murphy's account of Australia's colonial history.

Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776

Rum arguably shaped the modern world. It was to the eighteenth century what oil is to the present, but its significance has been diminished by a misguided sense of old-fashioned morality dating back to Prohibition. In fact, Rum shows that even the Puritans took a shot now and then. Rum, too, was one of the major engines of the American Revolution, a fact often missing from histories of the era.

Rum by Dave Broom

Dave Broom is well known for his writing on all matters relating to whisky, however he has also written this gem on rum.

Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit

In Rum Curious, author Fred Minnick first takes you on a whirlwind tour of the world of rum, describing its many styles; explaining the great variety of fermenting, distilling and maturing processes; and highlighting distillers and distilleries. Minnick explains the finer point of how to properly taste rum -- how to reveal the experience offered by brands ranging from the familiar to the unusual and obscure.

Rum Rebels: A Fearless Women's Guide to Working in the Spirits Industry

Behind Every Great Rum Is a Powerful Woman Once known as a sailor's drink, rum has matured into a refined spirit. In some Caribbean countries, rum is offered as a libation to the gods. In others, it is aged and savored on the rocks. But in the most magical places, rum is distilled by women. Inside Rum Rebels, you'll find personal anecdotes from master blenders, fabulous recipes for artisan rum cocktails, and the inside scoop on how rum is made from the women behind Appleton, Zacapa, Cachaça, Brugal, and more.

Rum the Manual by Dave Broom

The Spirits Business Magazine book recommendation: "The new book from renowned spirits writer Dave Broom is the third member of his ‘Manual’ series; Broom has previously looked at whisky and gin, and now it’s rum’s turn. The idea with the series is to give the reader, whether they are consumer or bartender, aficionado or newcomer, an idea of how the spirit has been drunk over the years, where its flavours come from, and how 110 rums taste on their own and mixed. He provides a description and graded tasting notes for each brand, plus a selection of classic and contemporary cocktails to show just how versatile the spirit is."

(Guide to) Sherry

Good reference book on the Sherry category of drinks. Suggest buying the most up-to-date version available online - first issue came out in 1961.

Spirit Guide: In Search of an Authentic Life

Born in 1962, Daniel Szor is a native New Yorker now living in the heart of the Cotswolds. After a career in finance spanning 30 years and multiple cities, he gave it all up after relocating his family to a remote farmhouse and starting his own distillery. This is the story of how Dan found himself quite so far from where he grew up as the son of Polish immigrants, swapping hedge funds for hedgerows, befriending strange Swedes, grizzled Scots and a former cage fighter along the way, all to make his dream a reality.

Spirits – Looking behind the label

This textbook is the official WSET textbook accompanying WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits. The text is supported throughout with colour diagrams, photographs and maps.

Tasting Beer, 2nd Edition: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink

This completely updated second edition of the best-selling beer resource features the most current information on beer styles, flavour profiles, sensory evaluation guidelines, craft beer trends, food and beer pairings, and draft beer systems. You'll learn to identify the scents, colours, flavours, mouth-feel, and vocabulary of the major beer styles -- including ales, lagers, weissbeirs, and Belgian beers -- and develop a more nuanced understanding of your favourite brews with in- depth sections on recent developments in the science of taste.

¡Tequila!: Distilling the Spirit of Mexico

For many, tequila can conjure up scenes of body shots on Cancún bars and coolly garnished margaritas on sandy beaches. Its power is equally strong within Mexico, though there the drink is more often sipped rather than shot, enjoyed casually among friends, and used to commemorate occasions from the everyday to the sacred. Despite these competing images, tequila is universally regarded as an enduring symbol of lo mexicano.

Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails, and Bites

Tequila has come a long way since the days of salt, shot, lime, repeat. With tequila consumption on the rise, people are choosing tequila on more occasions, experimenting with new labels, and learning to appreciate the nuances of flavor.

That Sh*t Will Never Sell!

This excellent book by David Gluckman was first highlighted on our blog through an 'Inside the Cask Chat..' with the author.

The Art & Science of Foodpairing

Foodpairing is a method for identifying which foods go well together, based on groundbreaking scientific research that combines neurogastronomy (how the brain perceives flavour) with the analysis of aroma profiles derived from the chemical components of food.

The Bar Cart Bible: Everything You Need to Stock Your Home Bar and Make Delicious Classic Cocktails

Like with any good drink, the secret to creating a winning bar cart is to understand its components. The Bar Cart Bible breaks down these elements and provides you with the necessary information.

The Craft Distillers' Handbook: A Practical Guide to Making and Marketing Spirits

The Distiller's Guide to Rum

This book is inspired by the recent popularity of rum among cocktail circles, and by the advent of so many new rum craft distilleries in North America. Included is: the story of rum and how it is made, the ingredients, equipment, and processes used to make rum; the lubricious effects of barrel aging, and the various ways that it is done.

The Drunken Botanist- The Plants That Create The World's Great Drinks

An intoxicating and eclectic new book on the hidden botany behind your favourite booze! This quirky guide explains the chemistry and botanical history of over 150 plants, trees, flowers and fruits, showing how they form the bases of our favourite cocktails.

The Flavor Bible

Thousands of ingredient entries, organized alphabetically and cross-referenced, provide a treasure trove of spectacular flavor combinations. Readers will learn to work more intuitively and effectively with ingredients; experiment with temperature and texture; excite the nose and palate with herbs, spices, and other seasonings; and balance the sensual, emotional, and spiritual elements of an extraordinary meal.

The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto

One part celebration, one part history, two parts manifesto, Bernard DeVoto's The Hour is a comic and unequivocal treatise on how and why we drink -- properly. The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author turns his shrewd wit on the spirits and attitudes that cause his stomach to turn and his eyes to roll -- warning: this book is not for rum drinkers.

The Japanese Art of the Cocktail

The first cocktail book from the award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido of Katana Kitten in New York City, on the craft of Japanese cocktail making Katana Kitten, one of the world’s most prominent and acclaimed Japanese cocktail bars, was opened in 2018 by highly-respected and award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido. Just one year later, the bar won 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best New American Cocktail Bar. Before Katana Kitten, Urushido honed his craft over several years behind the bar of award-winning eatery Saxon+Parole.

The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire

A profile of the vodka empire leader describes his early years as a serf in Tolstoy's Russia, the formation of the Smirnov company, and the tumultuous events that influenced the Smirnov family and helped to spark the revolution.

The Lucky Drinker Cocktail Book

The Lucky Drinker Cocktail Book by Ciprian Zsraga covers everything from bar equipment to bar personalities and how they influence the world of drinking, what are the elements and what is the approach to create an outstanding cocktail, food and beverage pairing, alcohol intake but also how to calculate the cost of a cocktail: very important aspect that will help you to have a profitable cocktail menu.

The New Craft of the Cocktail

The renowned cocktail bible, fully revised and updated by the legendary bartender who set off the cocktail craze--featuring over 100 brand-new recipes, all-new photography, and an up-to-date history of the cocktail. The Craft of the Cocktail was the first real cookbook for cocktails when it first published in 2002, and it has had a remarkable influence on bartending. With this new edition, the original gets a delicious update, bringing expertise from Dale DeGroff, the father of craft cocktails, to the modern bar for a new generation of cocktail enthusiasts.

The New Kindred Spirits

In The New Kindred Spirits, Pacult provides a new and comprehensive compilation of more than 2,400 detailed evaluations of whiskeys, brandies, vodkas, tequilas, rums, gins, and liqueurs—an indispensable reference for any spirits enthusiast or professional.

The Noma Guide to Fermentation (Foundations of Flavor)

At noma--four times named the world's best restaurant--every dish includes some form of fermentation, whether it's a bright hit of vinegar, a deeply savory miso, an electrifying drop of garum, or the sweet intensity of black garlic. Fermentation is one of the foundations behind noma's extraordinary flavour profiles.

The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails

Anthropologists and historians have confirmed the central role alcohol has played in nearly every society since the dawn of human civilization, but it is only recently that it has been the subject of serious scholarly inquiry. The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is the first major reference work to cover the subject from a global perspective, and provides an authoritative, enlightening, and entertaining overview of this third branch of the alcohol family.

The Periodic Table of COCKTAILS

See how the most popular cocktails - new and old - were dreamed up, learn how these cocktails are made, how to order them and, most crucially, how to enjoy them at their best. Plus find out more delicious concoctions to try in this expert guide.

The Seven Moods of Craft Spirits: 350 Great Craft Spirits from Around the World

Now is the most exciting time for craft spirits. Craft distilling is riding a perfect wave, as consumers look for provenance and heritage, drink less but better, and seek bespoke and original drinks rather than homogenous global brands. Gin distilling has become particularly popular in London, tequila is back in fashion, Cuban rum is making a resurgence, and great whiskies are being created everywhere, from France to Japan, Taiwan to Denmark.

The Shochu Handbook - An Introduction to Japan's Indigenous Distilled Drink

Written by licensed sommelier and longtime Japan resident, Christopher Pellegrini, The Shochu Handbook is the first major reference published on the subject in a language other than Japanese.

The Thinking Drinkers Almanac

Steeped in eccentric events, fascinating facts and with all the recipes and recommendations a discerning drinker requires –– this alternative almanac will both broaden your booze horizons and arm you with essential, some would say useless, anecdotal ammunition to impress your friends .. and it’s all chased down with a generous free-pouring measure of funny.

The Ultimate Book of Craft Beer: A Compendium of the World's Best Brews

The Ultimate Book of Craft Beer is the bible for beer lovers and foodies everywhere. From simple lagers to complex stouts, scattered between all the sage advice and mouth-watering recipes, there are profiles on beers from around the world that you’ll definitely want to try. Perfect for everyone from beginners to old hands, this fun and accessible book guides you from how beer is made and how to store it, to what to look for when you’re in a pub.

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Wine Beer Spirits & Liqueurs

The version I have is from 2006, so a bit dated but still a useful reference book to have.

The War on Alcohol

How Prohibition reshaped politics and criminal justice in America. For the review from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21689518-how-prohibition-reshaped-politics-and-criminal-justice-america-stocking-filler

Traditional Distillation Art & Passion

The true art of brandy distillation is to capture, in liquid form, the very essence of the Earth and its summer bounty. All passionate distillers share the same sense of connection between the product and the most basic elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, which we work with to capture the essence of the harvest, the eau de vie.

Understanding sake: Explaining style and quality

This book not only offers a very detailed and comprehensive overview of the techniques used in the production of sake – it also explains how these techniques are combined to produce the impressive array of different styles that brewers are able to tease out of a humble grain of rice.

Understanding spirits: Explaining style and quality

"Understanding spirits: Explaining style and quality" is the official WSET textbook accompanying WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits. The book not only offers a detailed and comprehensive overview of production techniques, it also seeks to show how they are used in the context of individual spirit categories in order to explain how and why these spirits have the style and quality they do.

Vermouth: A Sprited Revival, with 40 Modern Cocktails

In an age of complex cocktails and unique beverages, the classic vermouth is often overlooked. But without vermouth, your martini is merely an iced vodka or gin. Now, once again, vermouth is being touted among the hottest trends in spirits, gracing menus in the best cocktail bars around the country.

Vodka by Dave Broom

There is an old Latvian saying which translates something like, "The first glass of vodka is drunk to everybody's health, the second for pleasure, the third for insolence, the last for madness." All of this may be true, but vodka's popularity continues to grow while other spirits' sales tread water at best.

Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers

Water is arguably the most critical and least understood of the foundation elements in brewing beer. This is the third title in Brewers Publications' "Brewing Elements Series" which takes the mystery out of water's role in the brewing process.

Where Bartenders Drink

This is a reference book of bars from around the world as selected by some (225 or so) of the top bartenders.Adrienne Stillman has compiled a collection of 700 bars, from the top cocktail destinations to dive bars and unsung neighborhood pubs.Adrienne Stillman is the co-founder, editor-in-chief, and event director of Dipsology, a curated digital guide and online community for cocktail enthusiasts.

Which Wine When: What to drink with the food you love

This is for anyone who knows their sourdough from their sliced white but still finds themselves standing in the wine aisle making panicked decisions about what to drink based on special offers, a vague memory or a nice-looking label.

Wine Girl

An affecting memoir from America's youngest sommelier, tracing her path through the glamorous but famously toxic restaurant world. At just 21, Victoria James became America's youngest sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Even as Victoria was selling bottles worth hundreds and thousands of dollars during the day, passing sommelier certification exams with flying colors and receiving distinction from all kinds of press, there were still groping patrons, bosses who abused their role and status, and a trip to the hospital emergency room.

Wine Science: Principles and Applications (Food Science and Technology)

This book delivers in-depth information and expertise in a single, science-focused volume, including all the complexities and nuances of creating a quality wine product.

Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation

This is a resource for brewers of all experience levels. The authors adeptly cover yeast selection, storage and handling of yeast cultures, how to culture yeast and the art of rinsing/washing yeast cultures.