Alcademics

Publishers are releasing their last batch of books before the holidays, and here we have ten of them to share.

As usual the book descriptions are not my reviews but information from the publishers. Links are to Amazon. 

The Aviary Cocktail Book by Grant Achatz, Micah Melton, Nick Kokonas, Allen and Sarah Hemberger.

Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, the creators and owners of Alinea in Chicago, have teamed up with Allen and Sarah Hemberger, an artist duo from California, to make an extraordinary cookbook for their cocktail bar The Aviary.

We opened the Aviary in Chicago in 2011; it was born out of our passion for innovation and challenging the status quo. We asked ourselves: “What if we approach crafting cocktails the way we approach cooking?” The result is the Aviary, a place where we leverage techniques we usually apply in our kitchens at Alinea, Next and Roister to the world of beverages.

We’ve wanted to create a book for the Aviary since we first opened. Grant recalls some of his formative years as a chef, when he was first learning his craft and was poring over massive, jaw-dropping tomes in search of knowledge. Fat, heavy, beautiful books like those by Thomas Keller or Alain Ducasse were brimming with beautiful, full-page photos that profoundly inspired him.

We’ve never seen a beverage book that compares to those iconic cookbooks. Cocktail books usually fall into a very narrow category in terms of style and design: “The Gentleman’s Guide to Cocktails”. The small, black book. Few pictures, if any. Kitschy illustrations, and recipes that are portioned for a single drink. This is due to how books are typically produced. For any book, publishers seek to ensure profit and minimize risk. This often means that the photography, design, layout, recipe structure, and printing quality are intentionally compromised.

Further, the bulk of profit generated for a book goes to the publisher; restaurant cookbooks generally only see “good publicity” for the most part. Shortly after we published our first cookbook, Alinea, we came into contact with Allen Hemberger, who was cooking some of our recipes and journaling about it along the way. Incredibly, he ended up working through the entire cookbook. When he finished, he and his wife Sarah decided to create a book about his experience. They sent the first copy to us.

As we flipped through it, we realized that maybe instead of compromising our visions for what we wanted our Aviary book to be, we could approach this whole problem from a totally different angle. We emailed Allen and Sarah and asked if they’d like to work with us to completely circumvent the current publishing system and make these books ourselves.

And...here we are.

World's Best Whiskies:750 Unmissable Drams from Tain to Tokyo by Dominic Roskrow  

Revised and Updated.

Whisky is one of the world’s most revered spirits, with connoisseurs spending a great deal of money and time on the appreciation of rare expressions and limited edition bottles. In addition, many whisky connoisseurs travel direct to the source to see and experience the world’s best distilleries at first hand.

Since the publication of the first edition in 2010, many changes have occurred in the world of whisky which are fully explored in this completely new edition. Over 200 of the 750 whiskies are updated, along with over 20 of the 38 features to reflect the ‘new world of whisky’, from the growing US single malt craft distillery movement (including Balcones in Texas), Japan (Yoichi),Taiwan (Kavalan), India (Paul John), Australia (Overeem), France (Warengem) and Sweden (Mackmyra, Spirit of Hven).

Aimed at beginners as well as connoisseurs, the book encompasses everything you need to know to increase your appreciation of this complex and fascinating spirit. Iconic distilleries such as Lagavulin, Highland Park and Glenrothes in Scotland are fully explored alongside the bourbon innovators of Kentucky such as Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark. From global brands to tiny craft distillers, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the best dram the world over.

The Cocktail Companion: A Guide to Cocktail History, Culture, Trivia and Favorite Drinks by Cheryl Charming

Drink your way through history: The Cocktail Companion spans the cocktail's curious history―from its roots in beer-swilling 18th-century England through the illicit speakeasy culture of United States Prohibition to the explosive, dynamic industry it is today. Learn about famous and classic cocktails from around the globe, how ice became one of the most important ingredients in mixed drink making, and how craft beers got so big, all with your own amazing drink―that you made yourself!―in hand.

Get advice from your favorite bartender: In The Cocktail Companion, well-known bartenders from around the country offer up advice on everything, including using fresh-squeezed juices, finding artisanal bitters, and creating perfect cubes of ice that will help create intriguing, balanced cocktails. You'll want to take your newfound knowledge from this cocktail book everywhere!

The Cocktail Companion is a compendium of all things cocktail. This bar book features:

25 must-know recipes for iconic drinks such as the Manhattan and the Martini
Cultural anecdotes and often-told myths about drinks' origins
Bar etiquette, terms, and tools to make even the newest drinker an expert in no time!

Allergen Awareness: A Chef's Perspective by Myron Keith Norman

South Point Hotel Assistant Executive Chef and Food Safety Manager Keith Norman has released his first-ever book, “Allergen Awareness: A Chef’s Perspective.” With more than 15 million people suffering from food allergies, the book serves as a tell-all guide for proper food safety measures for both industry professionals and those who suffer from food allergies. Published by Chef Keith and Eurick Design, “Allergen Awareness: A Chef’s Perspective” is available now on Amazon for $31.83.

“I have been in the hospitality and service industry for more than 20 years and have seen so many people impacted by the growing epidemic of allergies,” said Chef Keith. “ I have trained thousands of industry professionals on proper methods to work with food allergies and create a safe environment for guests and employees, and I hope that somewhere in my book- on one of my pages, you have found something that inspires you to join me on this journey as we embrace and advocate for our food allergic guests. Together, we can change the conversation.”

The book is written to educate two important audiences, industry executives, as well as people with food allergies. Readers will walk away with knowledge surrounding the fears of people with food allergies and how to create an allergy training culture, environment and attitude. In addition, the book includes inserts by some of the most influential members of the culinary industry such as Certified Master Chef, Gustav Mauler and President and CEO of the Nevada Restaurant Association, Katherine Jacobi. There are also inserts from South Point Hotel Owner, Michael Gaughan, South Point Hotel Director of Food Operations, Michael Kennedy, South Point Hotel General Manager, Ryan Growney, and South Point Executive Chef, Chris Johns.

For almost a decade, Chef Keith has been an advocate for food allergen awareness, implementing first-ever techniques to ensure no allergen meal is forgotten or taken lightly. Through his passion, Chef Keith has been recognized as the go-to chef for building allergen awareness and developing food safety programs for industry professionals. In addition, he established a food allergy program at South Point that allows guests with food allergies to dine at ease and to create a culture within the culinary industry that is accepting and educated on food allergies. In 2017 alone, Chef Keith’s allergen program was able to serve more than 10,000 meals to guests with allergen restrictions and was voted 2017 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Restaurants for Outstanding Commitment to Food Allergy Safety and Awareness.

Drink London (London Guides)  by Euan Ferguson

Refreshed and revised!

Drink London is the go-to-guide to the top 100 finest bars and pubs in the city, and this new edition comes updated with 14 new locations.

London is famous the world over for its licensed establishments, but it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the huge choice. Now help is on hand! From rooftop cocktail lounges to low-beamed old inns, and underground speakeasies to the coolest craft beer bars, this is an authoritative yet lively guide to the capital’s thriving drinking scene. With stylish photography and elegant design (including a handy checklist) matched by a wealth of insider knowledge and practical information, the guide features a varied list of unique bars and pubs and illustrates why each one deserves to be on all discerning drinkers’ must-visit lists.

Whether you're a Londoner or first time visitor to the capital, this original companion will be happy to provide the answer to the all important question, ‘Where shall we go for a drink tonight?’

Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by Editors of PUNCH

A giftable collection of 70 cocktails built to fortify against the cold, featuring essential classics; updated riffs on traditional toddies, punches, nogs, and spiked coffees; and thoroughly modern drinks built to channel the season.

Packed with hot, spiced, and buttered seasonal imperatives, plus plenty of nostalgic favorites and homegrown creations, Winter Drinks offers the ultimate collection of cold-weather cocktails, both classic and modern. Curated by the PUNCH editorial team with the help of its network of top bartenders, each recipe has been tested and adapted to contemporary tastes, alongside creative tweaks that offer new ways to incorporate the season's flavors into foolproof drinks. PUNCH covers the ins and outs of making a spirit infusion, how to batch drinks for a crowd, how to bottle favorite stirred drinks and freeze them ahead for on-the-fly Manhattans and martinis, three-step syrups and shrubs to keep on hand, and tips and tools to build a winter-ready bar.

Tequila: Shake, Muddle, Stir: Over 40 of the Best Cocktails for Tequila and Mezcal Lovers by Dan Jones

If you think that tequila can only be consumed as a slammer with salt and lime, and follows with a chaser of the world's-worst-hangover the morning after, think again: Dan Jones is about to set the record straight. In Tequila: Shake Muddle Stir, Dan introduces readers to some rather grown-up and classy ways to consume this agave-based spirit, and will have you drinking like a Mexican in no time.

Starting with the basics for your home bar, and following with the best tequila-makers on the planet, you'll be shopping for your tequila kit like a pro. Like a fine whiskey, tequila should be sipped, savoured and enjoyed. With this in mind, Dan has curated over 40 tequila recipes for the home mixologist.

With more margarita recipes than you can shake a cocktail shaker at, as well as a glut of amazing tequila cocktails you have never even heard of, this is a recipe book that will change your drink repertoire for good. Including recipes for DIY syrups, sours, infusions and more, Tequila: Shake Muddle Stir will show you just how versatile this underrated liquor is, and proves there is a tequila-based drink out there for everyone, just waiting to be discovered.

Pickle Juice: A Revolutionary Approach to Making Better Tasting Cocktails and Drinks by Florence Cherruault

Pickles have been considered a health food for centuries. FACT: Cleopatra credited pickles as contributing to her health and legendary beauty, and Julius Caesar is also said to have fed them to his troops to boost their strength! So what's the big Dill? Even for the most avid pickle fan, downing a glass of briny pickle juice may sound like a step too far – but you might want to think twice before you toss it away.

Pickle Juice shows you how to use homemade or store-bought pickle juice to great effect with over 40 innovative recipes for cocktails and health drinks. Florence Cherruault starts off by showcasing a variety of easy pickle juice recipes that can be incorporated into exciting and inventive tipples. Take the spicy Pickled Bloody Mary, the best cure for any hangover, or beat away those January blues with a tasty and nourishing Hot Spiked Cider. As well as cocktails you'll also find recipes for detoxing smoothies, flavored vinegars, shrubs, batched cocktails, and more!

Naughty but nice all the same time, Pickle Juice will revolutionize your home-bar and transform the way you drink.

The Mini Bar: 100 Essential Cocktail Recipes; 8 Notebook Set by Editors of PUNCH

From the editors of PUNCH, these eight small notebooks, organized by base ingredient, feature classic and modern drink recipes for essential spirits, liqueurs, and wines: whisky, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, champagne, sherry, and amaro. Each notebook also includes space in the back for jotting down that new cocktail creation. Nested in a sturdy slipcase, this colorful compilation is the ultimate bar cart accessory.

The Sommelier's Atlas of Taste: A Field Guide to the Great Wines of Europe by Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay

The first definitive reference book to describe, region-by-region, how the great wines of Europe should taste. This will be the go-to guide for aspiring sommeliers, wine aficionados who want to improve their blind tasting skills, and amateur enthusiasts looking for a straightforward and visceral way to understand and describe wine.

In this seminal addition to the wine canon, noted experts Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay share everything they've learned in their decades of tasting wine. The result is the most in-depth study of the world's greatest wine regions ever published. There are books that describe the geography of wine regions. And there are books that describe the way basic wines and grapes should taste. But there are no books that describe the intricacies of the way wines from various subregions, soils, and appellations should taste. Now, for the first time ever, you can learn about the differences between wines from the 7 grand crus and 40 premier crus of Chablis, or the terroirs in Barolo, Champagne, and Bordeaux. Paying attention to styles, winemakers, soils, and the most cutting-edge of trends, this book explains how to understand the wines of the world not in the classical way, but in the modern way--appellation by appellation, soil by soil, technique by technique--making it an essential reference and instant classic.

 A Thousand Thirsty Beaches: Smuggling Alcohol from Cuba to the South during Prohibition by Lisa Lindquist Dorr

Lisa Lindquist Dorr tells the story of the vast smuggling network that brought high-end distilled spirits and, eventually, other cargoes (including undocumented immigrants) from Great Britain and Europe through Cuba to the United States between 1920 and the end of Prohibition. Because of their proximity to liquor-exporting islands, the numerous beaches along the southern coast presented ideal landing points for smugglers and distribution points for their supply networks. From the warehouses of liquor wholesalers in Havana to the decks of rum runners to transportation networks heading northward, Dorr explores these operations, from the people who ran the trade to the determined efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies to stop liquor traffic on the high seas, in Cuba, and in southern communities. In the process, she shows the role smuggling played in creating a more transnational, enterprising, and modern South.