Alcademics

Time for a new drink book round-up! We last rounded up new books on cocktails and spirits (and a few related topics) in April (see post), and a lot more have hit the market since then and are about to by the end of August. 

As usual, the descriptions come from the publishers and are not reviews by me. Links are to Amazon for purchase. 

Cocktails with a Twist: 21 Classic Recipes. 141 Great Cocktails. by Kara Newman

For anyone looking to expand their palate and discover a new favorite go-to drink, this inventive cocktail book is just the thing. Each chapter is based on a classic (like the Manhattan), but inside the unique gatefolds, readers will discover numerous riffs (like swapping Irish whiskey for rye to make a Blackthorn, or substituting amaro for vermouth to make a Black Manhattan).

More than 100 variations on 21 modern classic cocktail recipes are accompanied by helpful tips on keeping a well-stocked bar, garnishing drinks, and throwing a party. With bold coloring and a foil cover, Cocktails with a Twist is a handsome addition to any home bar. And with 21 gatefolds, with classic recipes and intriguing variants, this is a cocktail book unlike any other.

The Cider Insider: The Essential Guide to 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now by Susanna Forbes

Cider is big news. Just as with craft beer and artisan gin, there's a world of new brands and styles for the drinker to discover – but where to start?

In The Cider Insider, award-winning drinks writer Susanna Forbes has hand-picked 100 great ciders that are worth seeking out and drinking now. She offers a complete, accessible guide to the very best on the market, from single-varietals to vintage ciders and pear cider (perry, the ancient 'new kid on the block'), and even ice ciders. The greatest cider-makers have honed their skills to a fine art – from Spain to Oregon, the world's top ciders are now being appreciated as a versatile drink akin to the finest wines. Indeed, cider's complex flavor profiles make it especially suited for drinking with a meal, and Susanna suggests food matches for each variety.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal 

A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.

With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.

Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?

Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.

Flask: 41 Portable Cocktails to Drink Anywhere by Sarah Baird 

A compilation of portable drinks, Flask comprises 41 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes that can be transported anywhere. From imbibing in the great outdoors to ringing in the New Year, the book offers recipes for all of life's greatest moments. Bold, vivid infographics detail drink recipes for 6- and 17-ounce flasks, perfect for sipping solo or sharing with friends.

Accessible and fun, the book includes a brief history of flasks, common dos and don'ts, and an interactive quiz, all within a sleek, handsome package featuring a die-cut window and bright silver foil endpapers.

Alcohol-Free Cocktails: The Redemption Bar by Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters

Learn how to make delicious, alcohol-free cocktails and healthy canapés that will dazzle your guests and delight your taste buds.

Alcohol-free drinks have never been more glamorous thanks to this stunning new book by Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters, the brains behind Redemption, one of London's healthiest bar restaurant brands.

Redemption Bar will introduce you to a refreshing new take on alcohol-free drinks and innovative, healthy bar snacks. Learn how to make delicious, guilt-free cocktails and tasty canapés that will dazzle your guests and delight your taste buds.

Packed with nutritious recipes, Redemption Bar has something for everyone, with a variety of vegan, low-sugar and gluten-free recipes available.

Quirky, alcohol-free cocktail recipes include: Lychee and Yuzu Martinis, Pineapple Margaritas, and Strawberry & Mango Daiquiris. The book also offers a range of delicious canapés for light snacks and entertaining, from Slow-roasted Activated Almonds to Miso Glazed Baby Aubergine Skewers.

Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for '90s Kids  by Sam Slaughter

A cocktail book with recipes for re-creating adult versions of your favorite '90s childhood drinks as well as original craft cocktails inspired by that iconic decade, Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? is '90s nostalgia in a glass!

Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? is a tongue in cheek cocktail book for the former '90s kid and those just discovering how cool old-school Nickelodeon and Delia's once were. With recipes for alcoholic versions of childhood favorites like Ecto-Cooler and Mondo as well as creative pop-culture inspired originals like the Rum and Stimpy and Semi-Warmed Kind of Cider, this is a perfectly giftable mix of humor, nostalgia, and tasty recipes.

Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us by Jeff Cioletti 

Booze-fueled entertainment: Sci-fi and fantasy worlds are full of characters who know that sometimes magic happens at the bar. Drink Like a Geek is a look at iconic drinks and the roles they play in our favorite movies, shows, books, and comics. It’s also a toast to the geeks, nerds, and gamers who keep this culture alive.

Flights of fantasy: Drink Like a Geek is a fan encyclopedia and cocktail book. Because audience participation is strongly encouraged, dozens of recipes for otherworldly cocktails, brews, and booze are included.

A gift they’ll love: If you’re looking for geek gifts, Drink Like a Geek raises the bar. Homebrewers and mixology nerds who are fans of superheroes, wizards, or intergalactic adventure will also enjoy this book’s celebration of real-world bar-arcades, geeky Tiki culture, and the surprising connections between space and modern booze.

In Drink Like a Geek, you’ll find entertainment and drinks for fans who love:

sci-fi
comic books
wizards
genre TV
B-movies
videogames
cosplay and conventions
space!

Readers will love this book if they enjoy pun-filled cocktail recipe books and cookbooks like Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist, Gone with the Gin: Cocktails with a Hollywood Twist, The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers, and The Geeky Chef Drinks: Unofficial Cocktail Recipes from Game of Thrones, Legend of Zelda, Star Trek, and More.

Happy Hour: The Cocktail Card Game by Laura Gladwin and Marcel George

Shake, stir – or shuffle? Step up to the bar and order your favorite drinks in this cheerful game of cocktails. Collect illustrated cards of 52 iconic drinks and group them into sets of four to win. Perfect for cocktail parties and game nights, Happy Hour also includes short histories and full recipes for each of the 52 drinks. Cheers!

All Day Cocktails: Low (And No) Alcohol Magic by Shaun Byrne and Nick Tesar

Enjoy cocktails at any time of day with this collection of fresh, creative low- and no-alcohol recipes.

Celebrating seasonal ingredients, and with a focus on sustainability, All Day Cocktails showcases nearly fifty varieties of citrus, berries, tropical fruits, stone fruits, pome fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts. Each variety features a versatile prep recipe that can extend into your cocktails and beyond, meaning All Day Cocktails is much more than your average cocktail book.

All Day Cocktails brings you ninety cocktail recipes + fifty prep recipes, including: bitters, caramels, cordials, coulis, granitas, honeys, jams, jellies, juices, kefirs, liqueurs, sherbets, shrubs, syrups, tisanes and vinegars.

Natural Wine for the People: What It Is, Where to Find It, How to Love It by Alice Feiring 

A compact illustrated guide to the emerging and enormously popular category of natural wine, a style that focuses on minimal intervention, lack of additives, and organic and biodynamic growing methods.

Today, wine is more favored and consumed that it's ever been in the United States--and millennials are leading the charge, drinking more wine than any other generation in history. Many have been pulled in by the tractor beam of natural wine--that is, organic or biodynamic wine made with nothing added, and nothing taken away--a movement that has completely rocked the wine industry in recent years. While all of the hippest restaurants and wine bars are touting their natural wine lists, and while more and more consumers are calling for natural wine by name, there is still a lot of confusion about what exactly natural wine is, where to find it, and how to enjoy it. In Natural Wine for the People, James Beard Award-winner Alice Feiring sets the record straight, offering a pithy, accessible guide filled with easy definitions, tips and tricks for sourcing the best wines, whimsical illustrations, a definitive list to the must-know producers and bottlings, and an appendix with the best shops and restaurants specializing in natural wine across the country, making this the must-buy and must-gift wine book of the year.

Celebrate Rosé: Cocktails & Parties for Life's Rosiest Moments by Ashley Rose Conway 

With an intoxicating collection of rosé-based cocktails for fun, sun-splashed occasions—alfresco soirees to bachelorette bashes, beach parties to boozy brunches—this charming book by a cocktail maven also offers stylish entertaining ideas, food pairings, bar techniques, and a wealth of insider know-how for lovers of this delightful pink drink.

This enchanting book extols the many virtues of rosé—and shows how to craft enticing cocktails with this beloved pink wine that’s versatile, affordable, and fashionable. Choose from tried-and-true classics like sours, spritzes, punches, and palomas—all made uniquely different and special—as well as contemporary concoctions like a Rosé-Aperol Spritz or Frosé. Organized by gathering, each party includes recipes and styling ideas for rosé-perfect occasions throughout the year like Mother’s Day, pool parties, and bachelorette celebrations. You’ll also discover tabletop styling tips, food pairings, and plenty of clever bar techniques, such as creating rose liqueurs, flavoring and garnishing with botanicals, and more. For lovers of pink wine everywhere, this is your go-to guide for expert cocktail and party inspiration.