Four new drink books have arrived of late: One a literary account of great drinking, one a visual account of great spirits branding, a third a historical/visual account of a great brand, and the fourth a visual/contextual tour of Scotland's distilleries.
Ten Cocktails: The Art of Convivial Drinking by Alice Lascelles
In Ten Cocktails, The Times drinks columnist Alice Lascelles uses ten of her favourite cocktails to distil the stories, recipes and tips she has amassed in more than a decade in pursuit of the mixed drink. Join her as she dodges the washing lines of backstreet Havana in search of the perfect Daiquiri, scours the cocktail bars of Tokyo for the world's best ice carvers, harvests juniper in the hills of Umbria, goes sipping Sazeracs in New Orleans and unearths the mixological secrets of The Savoy. What makes a G&T glow in the dark? Who threw the world's first cocktail party? Why does a Bloody Mary taste best at 35,000 feet? And what's the key to opening champagne with a sword?
By the time you finish Ten Cocktails you will have the answers to these questions and many more, as well as an armoury of cocktail recipes for every occasion, from convivial party-starters and lip-smacking sours to slow-stirred whiskey drinks and indulgent nightcaps. Whether you've just forked out for your first shaker, or you've got your Martini mixing down to a tee, this book will have you thirsting to try new things come 6 o'clock.
Branca: A Spirited Italian Icon by Niccolo Branca di Romanico
A richly illustrated history of the world-famous Italian distillery and the country’s best-known liqueur, as seen through the brand’s legendary poster art and creative advertising campaigns. Since its founding in 1845, the Fratelli Branca Distillerie company has maintained a solid foothold in both domestic and international markets. Its unmistakable, bitter-tasting liqueur quickly became legendary with its combination of herbs and roots sourced from all over the world. The pioneering secret recipe, which is left to brew in oak barrels for more than a year, soon made history under the name Fernet-Branca. Today, the company continues to have its base in Milan, but exports its entire range worldwide thanks to a string of innovative advertising campaigns, some of which have entered design and poster history in more than a century of creative publicity.
This book covers 170 years of the company’s life through a beautifully illustrated historical account that documents the continued rise of the brand, and includes many of the more successful advertising campaigns, offering a handsome collector’s album of historical coverage and archive material, with reproductions of poster art and sketches from the 1960s and 1980s.
Branding: Distilled by Cynthia Sterling
Cynthia Sterling, Principal and Creative Director of Sterling Creativeworks, is pleased to announce the release of her book, “Branding: Distilled.” This in-depth exploration of branding and packaging design for craft spirits features insights, case studies and actionable information to help aspiring and experienced distillers cut through the clutter in this burgeoning category. Distributors, bar owners and retailers explain what they look for when considering which brands to carry, and successful small batch distilleries provide readers with advice from the front lines.
The author draws on her 25 years of experience designing successful brands to share best practices for branding and design, including:
What makes a brand stand out on shelf and in people’s memories
How to delight consumers so they in turn share their discovery with friends
Establishing your brand strategy
The anatomy of a great package
Selecting the design team
With over 150 images of spirits packaging selected from across the country, this book is rich with visual inspiration for distillers, designers and spirits lovers alike. It provides expert advice for distillers and other specialty producers looking to create a premium brand that succeeds in the marketplace.
Spirit of Place: Scotland's Great Whisky Distilleries by Charles MacLean
This wide-ranging and evocative photographic portrait of Scotland's distilleries, from Talisker to Lagavulin, from Laphroaig to Dalwhinnie, from the Isle of Arran to Glenkinchie, describes the "cultural terroir" of the country's fifty greatest distilleries–the ingredients, practices, and traditions that result in an exquisite range of single-malt whiskies. Over 250 specially commissioned photographs capture the texture of the surrounding landscapes through the changing seasons, vividly portray the craftsmen who work there, and detail the fabric of the buildings themselves.
A unique addition to the literature on Scotch whisky, with text by the world's greatest whisky expert, Spirit of Place is the perfect gift for anyone planning to tour Scotland's distilleries, a souvenir for anyone who has visited them, and simply the perfect companion to a dram at home.
Comments