Alcademics

Here are the new drink books that have come across my desk and mailbox, out this July and August 2017. The text below is the publisher's information, not reviews by me, though I'm looking forward to reading them all. Links are to Amazon for purchasing. 

Gin Tonica: 40 recipes for Spanish-style gin and tonic cocktails by David T Smith 

Spaniards love their gin and tonics. In Spain, the bartender doesn’t ask you what you want to drink, he asks you how you want your gin and tonic prepared. This simplest of drinks—just gin, tonic, ice and a garnish—is now considered the national drink of Spain.

The trend started in the north of Spain, in Basque country, where you can walk into a bar and upon ordering you are presented with a cart teeming with gin and tonic options to create your very own bespoke drink. A beautiful cocktail with a variety of herb and flower garnishes, a Spanish-style gin and tonic or "gin tonica", is made with a premium gin and the best quality tonic water, combined with bitters and various herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits that will complement the botanicals of a specific gin. It is served over ice in an oversized balloon glass—the idea being that the shape enables the drinker to enjoy all the lovely aromas their drink gives off.

For a cocktail with only two ingredients, the flavor potential is staggering! Making a gin tonica is an intricate process, sometimes taking a barman as long as 15 minutes to deliver the ideal drink. The ice has to be dense so that it melts slowly, the glass might be spritzed with a fine layer of citrus oil, chilled to perfection, with the tonic poured in delicately. No detail is ignored, the wait is part of the experience, and the result is absolutely delicious. Attention to detail and respect for the classic is what truly elevates the Spanish gin tonica above all others. With more gin brands and styles of tonic available than ever before, and 40 inspired recipes here to try at home, there has never been a better time to discover the joy of the gin tonica—saludos!

Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit by Emma Janzen 

Produced in Mexico for centuries but little known elsewhere until recent years, mezcal has captured the imagination of spirits enthusiasts with its astonishing complexities. And while big liquor is beginning to jump aboard the bandwagon, most mezcal is still artisanal in nature, produced using small-batch techniques handed down for generations, often with agave plants harvested in the wild.

Join author Emma Janzen as she presents an engaging primer on all things mezcal: its long history, the craft of distilling it, and a thorough guide to many of the most common agaves used in production and how they shape the resulting spirit. In addition, top mezcal bars across the United States and Mexico contribute a selection of nearly fifty cocktails that accentuate its distinguishing qualities. Beautifully produced and authoritatively written, this is the definitive guide to exploring and unraveling the mysteries of this extraordinary handcrafted spirit.

Let's Get Monster Smashed: Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time by Jon Chaiet and Marc Chaiet 

Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., would like to introduce you a horror movie-themed cocktail book with gross-looking, but delicious party drink, all wrapped up in an awesome '80s VHS package! Inside, you'll find 55 recipes inspired by classic pulp horror movies of the 80s and 90s. Play the Puppet Master Game and murder your way through ten movies, and unique cocktails, or shoot The Silver Bullet while enjoying American Werewolf in London; either way you slice it, murderously mouthwatering movie mixers await you in Let's Get Monster Smashed!

There are 55 recipes spread across 5 chapters (shots, gelatin, punches, special fx, and non-alcoholic) inspired by classic pulp horror movies of the '80s and '90s, complete with viewing recommendations. The movies may be weird, the drinks may look gross, but the elevated drink making techniques and unusually tasty recipes keep readers and their guests interested and coming back for more. Great for theme parties, Halloween festivals, movie fans, and retro enthusiasts.

The Poptail Manual: Over 90 Delicious Frozen Cocktails by Kathy Kordalis

Love cocktails? How about popsicles? Enter poptails, the icy cool alcoholic beverage you can enjoy on a stick! The Poptail Manual is packed with over 90 recipes, including all your favorite cocktails from the Pina Colada to the Mojito, plus more exciting and indulgent flavor combinations such as Tiramisu, Amaretto Sour, and Strawberry and Black Pepper Sambuca poptail.

All recipes use premium alcohol, fresh fruits, and natural ingredients only. The book also includes ideas for making your own popsicle molds.

Books on Related Topics:

The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavor from Ground to Glass by Alice Feiring 

Still drinking Cabernet after that one bottle you liked five years ago? It can be overwhelming if not intimidating to branch out from your go-to grape, but everyone wants their next wine to be new and exciting. How to choose the right one? Award-winning wine critic Alice Feiring presents an all-new way to look at the world of wine. While grape variety is important, a lot can be learned about wine by looking at the source: the ground in which it grows. A surprising amount of information about a wine’s flavor and composition can be gleaned from a region’s soil, and this guide makes it simple to find the wines you’ll love.

Featuring a foreword by Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, who contributed her vast knowledge throughout the book, The Dirty Guide to Wine organizes wines not by grape, not by region, not by New or Old World, but by soil. If you enjoy a Chardonnay from Burgundy, you might find the same winning qualities in a deep, red Rioja. Feiring also provides a clarifying account of the traditions and techniques of wine-tasting, demystifying the practice and introducing a whole new way to enjoy wine to sommeliers and novice drinkers alike.

What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro 

Everyone eats, and food touches on every aspect of our lives—social and cultural, personal and political. Yet most biographers pay little attention to people’s attitudes toward food, as if the great and notable never bothered to think about what was on the plate in front of them. Once we ask how somebody relates to food, we find a whole world of different and provocative ways to understand her. Food stories can be as intimate and revealing as stories of love, work, or coming-of-age. Each of the six women in this entertaining group portrait was famous in her time, and most are still famous in ours; but until now, nobody has told their lives from the point of view of the kitchen and the table.

It’s a lively and unpredictable array of women; what they have in common with one another (and us) is a powerful relationship with food. They include Dorothy Wordsworth, whose food story transforms our picture of the life she shared with her famous poet brother; Rosa Lewis, the Edwardian-era Cockney caterer who cooked her way up the social ladder; Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady and rigorous protector of the worst cook in White House history; Eva Braun, Hitler’s mistress, who challenges our warm associations of food, family, and table; Barbara Pym, whose witty books upend a host of stereotypes about postwar British cuisine; and Helen Gurley Brown, the editor of Cosmopolitan, whose commitment to “having it all” meant having almost nothing on the plate except a supersized portion of diet gelatin.