Here are new cocktails and spirits books being released in September 2025.
To see all the New Drink Books of 2025, visit this link.
These are some of my favorite cocktails and spirits books I read in 2024. Several of them I blurbed for their authors. There are few more books that were published this year that I haven't read yet, so maybe they'll get on next year's list.
My 2023 Best Of List is here, by the way. In no particular order:
Cocktail Theory – A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks
A sciency book that's half about the perfect conditions for cocktails, half about applying perfumer techniques to cocktail development.
Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits
My blurb: An investigation into the secretive and competitive collectors and their methods, unsolved mysteries, and mythological caches. The once worthless dusties inspire Goldfarb to debate the monetary value of quality versus rarity and the proximity to fame. And unlike, say, stamp collectors, the author and every other dusty hunter must grapple with the decision whether to taste a moment in time or to keep time locked away in a bottle.
Buy it: Amazon (note: super cheap right now) Bookshop
Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home
My blurb: The Cocktail Parlor is a literature review of women-authored books in which there are mixed drink recipes, and an analysis of what those drinks reveal about the changing role of women in society. [Along the way,] Dr. Nice cites so many fascinating authors that I kept one browser window open to search for more information about them and another to add their books to my reading list. Rarely has a drink book so enthralled me yet left me thirsty for more.
Buy It: Amazon (currently on sale) Bookshop
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit
My blurb: Retracing the steps of a prolific modern-day forger of absinthe who tricked enthusiasts and experts, Evan Rail deciphers how the spirit was distilled, colored, blended, bottled, and sold a century ago, and takes us to meet members of the current absinthe collecting community spread throughout Europe who improbably cracked the case of the faker together. I finished this book in a couple sittings because of its plot and pacing, but also learned a ridiculous amount of new and unexpected information about absinthe along the way. If you’re interested in vintage spirits generally, absinthe specifically, the importance of online communities, or tasty true crime, this book is for you!
Malört: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit
A wonderfully surprising and authentic telling of brand history that had me engaged and enraged!
The Bourbon Drinker's Companion: A Guide to American Distilleries, with Travel Advice, Folklore, and Tasting Notes
Tastings and a travelogue. Tons of great information from a distiller's point of view, and honest reviews not given in isolation.
Spirits Distilled : A Guide to the Ingredients Behind a Better Bottle
My blurb: Spirits Distilled is a new view of booze from the ground up. Beyond illuminating the plants, people, and production of all the major spirits categories, Nat Harry’s thoughtful recommendations should empower us to make better choices in the liquor aisle.
Update 2: Now this list is up to 34 books
Update 1: Detailed reviews of many of these books in my story for AlcoholProfessor are here.
Citrus: A World History
A Forager's Guide to Wild Drinks: Ferments, infusions and thirst-quenchers for every season
Sicilian Cocktails: Contemporary Island Mixology
Flavor Lab Creations: A Physicist’s Guide to Unique Drink Recipes
Cocktails from the Crypt: Terrifying Yet Delicious Concoctions Inspired by Your Favorite Horror Films
The Mindful Mocktail: Delicious, Nutritious Non-Alcoholic Drinks to Make at Home
MockTales: 50+ Literary Mocktails Inspired by Classic Works, Banned Books, and More
The Official Yellowstone Bar Book: 75 Cocktails to Enjoy after the Work's Done
Preserved: Drinks: 25 Recipes
The Cocktail Atlas: Around the World in 200 Drinks
Free Spirited: 60 no/low cocktail recipes for the sober curious
The I Love Trader Joe's Cocktail Book
A Forager's Guide to Wild Drinks
The Whiskey Sour: A Modern Guide to the Classic Cocktail by Jeanette Hurt
Rum A Tasting Course: A Flavor-Focused Approach to the World of Rum by Ian Burrell
Malort: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit by Josh Noel
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail
A Most Noble Water: Revisiting the Origins of English Gin by Anistatia R Miller and Jared M Brown
Spirits Distilled: A Guide to the Ingredients Behind a Better Bottle by Nat Harry
Cocktail Theory: A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks by Dr. Kevin Peterson
Behind Bars: True Crime Stories of Whiskey Heists, Beer Bandits, and Fake Million-Dollar Wines by Mike Gerrard
Scotch: The Balmoral guide to Scottish Whisky by Cameron Ewen and Moa Reynolds
Martini: The Ultimate Guide to a Cocktail Icon by Alice Lascelles
The Hour of Absinthe: A Cultural History of France's Most Notorious Drink
The Vedge Bar Book: Plant-Based Cocktails and Light Bites for Inspired Entertaining by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby
The Sopranos: The Official Cocktail Book by Sarah Gualtieri and Emma Carlson Berne
Drink Pink!: Cocktails Inspired by Barbie, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and More by Rhiannon Lee and Georgie Glass
Puncheons and Flagons: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cocktail Book
Cocktails and Consoles: 75 Video Game-Inspired Drinks to Level Up Your Game Night by Elias Eells
New Editions and Reprints
Jigger, Beaker, & Glass: Drinking Around the World by Charles H. Baker Jr.
Bartending Basics: More Than 400 Classic and Contemporary Cocktails for Any Occasion by Cheryl Charming
In Fine Spirits: A Complete Guide to Distilled Drinks by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley
The World Atlas of Whisky 3rd Edition by Dave Broom
For the past bunch of years, I've done a round-up of all the drink books (mostly cocktails and spirits) that have come out during the year, in consideration for gifting. I'm not doing that this year, as there are too many cocktail books, and if you want to see them all, you can visit these posts:
But I decided to do a Best-Of list. Importantly, I must note that I haven't read all of these. I have looked through most, and it's fair to say that I have confidence in these selections. There were some other books that sure sound good but I don't know enough about the book or its author to commit.
Do Some Reading
Something and Tonic: A History of the World's Most Iconic Mixer by Nick Kokonas [amazon] [somethingandtonic.com]A Good Drink: In Pursuit of Sustainable Spirits by Shanna Farrell [amazon][bookshop]
Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Books
Topic-Specific Cocktail Books
Base Spirits
General Cocktail Recipe Books
Beer
The Beer Bible: Second Edition by Jeff Alworth [amazon][bookshop]
Cocktails and Spirits Books from Previous Years
All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting
All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting
More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting
Many distilleries brag about their pure water supply, but typically that water is only used for fermentation, and then reverse osmosis filtered or distilled tap water is used to dilute spirits down to bottle proof. So the quantity of that special water left in the bottle is small – in the case of vodka it's just a few percent.
Some producers claim to use special water but then do the RO or distillation to it to remove minerals and other organic matter from it for bottling, making the special water a lot less special.
That's what I suspected was going on when I noticed that on the new Lucky Thirteen bottling from Widow Jane bourbon the label says, "Pure limestone water from the legendary Rosendale mines of NY."
So I asked their PR team for clarification- it would be pretty unusual to be using untreated/filtered water.
I heard back from Lisa Wicker, President and Head Distiller for Widow Jane. She wrote:
It is very unusual to use mineral-rich water for proofing! When I “inherited” proofing using water from the Rosendale limestone mines, it took me a while to determine how to handle it. We worked with water engineers on a withdrawal system that does not strip the minerals. The water tests beautifully, it does not need to be treated. Our cave is under lock and key for purity and we hold the only permit of its' kind in New York for withdrawing cave water as an ingredient. Finally, we “polish” the whiskey without chill and conventional filtration, which would have stripped the minerality out that makes Widow Jane whiskey, “Widow Jane.”
So, it turns out that they do something that I think is pretty unique. I will have to see if I can detect any mineralogy when I taste it.
It's time for the annual Alcademics drink book round-up! Below are all the books that have come to my attention in 2020. I don't follow wine/beer closely so there are only a few in that section.
The links below are to Amazon and to Bookshop.org. If you buy stuff after clicking on a link, I may receive a referral fee, thanks! If there is just one link, that's to Amazon as I only started using Bookshop mid-way through the year – you can always click over to Bookshop and search there. Bookshop.org allows you to order from small bookstores directly, or buy from a general fund that supports independent bookstores.
Whiskey Books
Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, and More by Lew Bryson
The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries: The Portable Expert to Over 200 Distilleries and the Spirits they Make (From Absinthe to Whisky, and Everything in Between) by Davin de Kergommeaux and Blair Phillips
Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon?: Setting the Table for Tastings, Food Pairings, Dinners, and Cocktail Parties by Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler
Whisky, it's not rocket science by Mickael Guidot
Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-Country Guide to Distilleries, Their Spirits, and Where to Imbibe Them by Stephen Beaumont and Christine Sismondo
Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland’s Whiskies by Margarett Waterbury buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Curious Bartender’s Guide to Malt, Bourbon & Rye Whiskies by Tristan Stephenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Sazerac by Tim McNally [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Beginner's Guide to Whiskey: Traditions, Types, and Tastes of the Ultimate Spirit by Sam Green [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Terroir of Whiskey: A Distiller's Journey Into the Flavor of Place by Rob Arnold [Amazon][Bookshop]
American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon from Ripy to Russell by David Jennings [Amazon][Bookshop]
Other Spirits: Gin, Rum
Gin: How to Drink it: 125 Gins, 4 Ways by Dave Broom [Amazon]
The Curious Bartender’s Guide to Rum by Tristan Stephenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Brand Books
Seedlip Cocktails: 100 Delicious Nonalcoholic Recipes from Seedlip & The World's Best Bars by Seedlip
Chartreuse, The Liqueur [CocktailKingdom]
A Long Stride: The Story of the World's No. 1 Scotch Whisky by Nicholas Morgan buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Science Food and Drink Books
Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, From Homemade to Haute Cuisine by Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, David Weitz [Amazon][Bookshop]
Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells by Harold McGee: [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes by Nik Sharma [Amazon][Bookshop]
Beer, Wine, Vermouth, Sake, Fermentation
Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles by Natalya Watson
A Spirited Guide to Vermouth: An Aromatic Journey with Botanical Notes, Classic Cocktails and Elegant Recipes by Jack Adair Bevan
How to Make Hard Seltzer: Refreshing Recipes for Sparkling Libations by Chris Colby [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Wine, Unfiltered: Buying, Drinking, and Sharing Natural Wine by Katherine Clary [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Hugh Johnson s Pocket Wine Book by Hugh Johnson [Amazon]
The Wine Game by Zeren Wilson [Buy]
The Japanese Sake Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Great Sake (With Tasting Notes and Scores for Over 100 Top Brands) by Brian Ashcraft [Amazon][Bookshop]
Journey of Sake: Stories and Wisdom from an Ancient Tradition [Amazon]
Fermentation as Metaphor by Sandor Ellix Katz [Amazon] [Bookshop]
History Books
Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us About Rabbinic Literature by Jordan D. Rosenblum
How to Drink: A Classical Guide to the Art of Imbibing (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers) by Vincent Obsopoeus [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
How to Drink without Drinking: Celebratory alcohol-free drinks for any time of the day by Fiona Beckett [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You're Not Drinking for Whatever Reason by Julia Bainbridge [Amazon] [Bookshop]
FIZZ: A Beginners Guide to Making Natural, Non-Alcoholic Fermented Drinks
by Elise van Iterson and Barbara Serulus
Zero: A New Approach to Non-Alcoholic Drinks [Amazon] [The Aviary]
Bartending: Narrative and Professional
Unvarnished: A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar by Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll
Bartender as a Business: Building Agency from Craft by Jason Littrell [Amazon][Bookshop]
Botanical Focus and Witchcraft
Garden to Glass: Grow Your Drinks from the Ground Up by Mike Wolf
Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine by Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han
WitchCraft Cocktails: 70 Seasonal Drinks Infused with Magic & Ritual by Julia Halina Hadas [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Potions, Elixirs & Brews: A modern witches' grimoire of drinkable spells by Anais Alexandre [buy on Bookshop ] [buy on Amazon]
Blackthorn's Botanical Brews: Herbal Potions, Magical Teas, and Spirited Libations by Amy Blackthorn [buy on Bookshop ] [buy on Amazon]
Cocktail Books
General/Classic/Historic Cocktail Books
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: Prohibition Centennial Edition: From the 1920 Pick-Me-Up to the Zombie and Beyond – 150+ Rediscovered Recipes … With a New Introduction and 66 New Recipes by Ted Haigh (Author)
Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails by John deBary
Spirited: Cocktails from around the World by Adrienne Stillman [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Think Like a Master Mixologist, with 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroff [Amazon] [Bookshop]
On the House: Over 100 Essential Tips and Recipes for the Home Bartender by Cider Mill Press buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Classic Cocktails by Brian D. Hoefling [Amazon][Bookshop]
Splash: Modern Classic Cocktails by Ivy Mix (Author), Whoo Kid [Amazon]
CO Specs: Recipes & Histories of Classic Cocktails by Cas Oh [Amazon]
Themed Cocktail Books
The Good Reverend's Guide to Infused Spirits: Alchemical Cocktails, Healing Elixirs, and Cleansing Solutions for the Home and Bar by Steven Grasse, Sonia Kurtz, Michael Alan
Camp Cocktails: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Drinks for the Great Outdoors by Emily Vikre
Drinking with Chickens: Free-Range Cocktails for the Happiest Hour by Kate E. Richards
Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette
Disco Cube Cocktails: 100+ innovative recipes for artful ice and drinks by Leslie Kirchhoff
Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails: 75 Classic And Contemporary Drinks To Make At Home by Amy Traynor
Pink Gin: More than 30 pink-hued cocktails
Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails.
Behind the Bar: 50 Cocktail Recipes from the World's Most Iconic Hotels by Alia Akkam [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Fizz: 80 Joyful Cocktails and Mocktails for Every Occasion by Olly Smith [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Beautiful Booze: Stylish Cocktails to Make at Home by Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Cocktail Dictionary: An A-Z of cocktail recipes, from Daiquiri and Negroni to Martini and Spritz by Henry Jeffreys [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Peaky Blinders Cocktail Book: 40 Cocktails Selected by The Shelby Company Ltd by Sandrine Houdre-Gregoire [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The Shaken and the Stirred: The Year's Work in Cocktail Culture (The Year's Work: Studies in Fan Culture and Cultural Theory) Edited by Stephen Schneider and Craig N. Owens [Amazon] [Bookshop]
T𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 by Grade A Fancy Magazine [buy]
Star Trek Cocktails: A Stellar Compendium by Glenn Dakin buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Classy as Fuck Cocktails: 60+ Damn Good Recipes for All Occasions buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home by J. M. Hirsch buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Tequila & Tacos: A Guide to Spirited Pairings by Katherine Cobbs buy on: [Amazon][Bookshop]
Queer Cocktails: 50 Cocktail Recipes Celebrating Gay Icons and Queer Culture by Lewis Laney [Bookshop]
Drinks on the Lanai: Cocktails, Mocktails And Cheesecake Inspired By The Golden Girls by Elouise Anders [Amazon][Bookshop]
The Aviary: Summer Cocktails [The Aviary]
Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink!: 65 Cocktails to Protest America’s Most Outlandish Alcohol Laws by C. Jarrett Dieterle
Very Merry Cocktails: 50+ Festive Drinks for the Holiday Season by Jessica Strand [Amazon][Bookshop]
Winter Drinks: Over 75 recipes to warm the spirits including hot drinks, fortifying toddies, party cocktails and mocktails [Amazon][Bookshop]
Bar L.M. by Lindsay Matteson [etsy]
How to Drink Like a Royal by Albert W. A. Schmid [Amazon][Bookshop]
Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm up Winter by Emma Stokes [Amazon][Bookshop]
Düngeonmeister: 75 Epic RPG Cocktail Recipes to Shake Up Your Campaign by Jef Aldrich, Jon Taylor [Amazon][Bookshop]
Drink Books Tied to Places
Distilled in Vermont: A History & Guide with Cocktail Recipes by Chris Maggiolo [Amazon] [Bookshop]
The United States of Cocktails: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions from All 50 States (and the District of Columbia) by Brian Bartels [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Behind Bars: High Class Cocktails Inspired by Low Life Gangsters by Vincent Pollard [Amazon] [Bookshop]
Spirits of Latin America: A Celebration of Culture & Cocktails, with 100 Recipes from Leyenda & Beyond by Ivy Mix
Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes by David Lebovitz
The Pikes Cocktail Book: Rock 'n' roll cocktails from one of the world's most iconic hotels by Dawn Hindle
Apotheke: Modern Medicinal Cocktails by Christopher Tierney, Erica Brod [Amazon][Bookshop]
Drink-Culture Related Books
The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
It's time for my annual post of (almost) all the cocktails and spirits books published this year, in consideration for gifting to others or keeping to read yourself. I know my shelf of to-read books is looking pretty menacing already, and I still have to buy some of these.
If I forgot your favorite book please do let me know and I'll add it! I am not excluding any cocktails/spirits books on purpose.
Links are to Amazon.com but you are encouraged to support your local independent bookstores when possible.
Low and No Alcohol
Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt
Alcohol-Free Cocktails: The Redemption Bar by Catherine Salway and Andrea Waters
All Day Cocktails: Low (And No) Alcohol Magic by Shaun Byrne and Nick Tesar
The Art of the Garnish by Leeann Lavin
Gin Books
The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World's Greatest Drink, with Recipes by Robert Simonson
Sip: 100 gin cocktails with just three ingredients by Sipsmith
The World Atlas of Gin by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley
The Big Book of Gin by Dan Jones
Gin Made Me Do It: 60 Beautifully Botanical Cocktails by Jassy Davis
Ginspiration: The Best Distilleries, Infusions, and Cocktails by Klaus St. Rainer
Gin Cocktails: Classic & contemporary cocktails by Hamlyn
Aged Gin Cocktails: 25 Cocktails for Gin's Newest Style by Aaron J Knoll
International Books
The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages by Stephen Lyman, Chris Bunting
Great Northern Cocktails by Shawn Soole
Drunk in China: Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture by Derek Sandhaus
Whisky Books
World of Whisky: Taste, Try and Enjoy Whiskies From Around the World by David Wishart, Neil Ridley
The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes by Robin Robinson
The Whisky Dictionary: An A Z of whisky, from history & heritage to distilling & drinking by Ian Wisniewski
Whisky Cocktails by Hamlyn
The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius by Bob Batchelor
Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2020: North American Edition by Jim Murray
Rum and Tiki
Rum Cocktails by Hamlyn
The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails: A Spirited Journey Through Suburbia’s Hidden Tiki Temples by Tom Morgan and Kelly Reilly
Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails by Shannon Mustipher
Minimalist Tiki by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith
A Rum Tale: Spirit of the New World by Joseph Piercy
(new translation) D. KERVÉGANT – Rhum and Cane Eau-de-vie (1946)
Other Spirits
That's the Spirit!: 100 of the world's greatest spirits and liqueurs to drink with style by Jonathan Ray
The Tequila Dictionary by Eric Zandona
Understanding Mezcal by James Schroeder
Misc Recipe Books
Schofields Classic Cocktail Cabinet by Joe Schofield, Daniel SchofieldHow to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen
Gather Around Cocktails: Drinks to Celebrate Usual and Unusual Holidays by Aaron Goldfarb
Vogue Cocktails by Henry McNulty
Cocktails with a Twist: 21 Classic Recipes. 141 Great Cocktails. by Kara Newman
Flask: 41 Portable Cocktails to Drink Anywhere by Sarah Baird
Happy Hour: The Cocktail Card Game by Laura Gladwin and Marcel George
Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World by Derek Brown and Robert Yule
The Complete Home Bartender's Guide: Tools, Ingredients, Techniques, & Recipes for the Perfect Drink by Salvatore Calabrese
Bar Chef: Handcrafted Cocktails by Christiaan Rollich
Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion by Maggie Hoffman
Floral Libations: 41 Fragrant Drinks + Ingredients by Cassie Winslow
From Garden to Glass: 80 Botanical Beverages Made from the Finest Fruits, Cordials, and Infusions by David Hurst
French Moderne: Cocktails from the Twenties and Thirties with recipes by Franck Audoux
Fancy AF Cocktails: Drink Recipes from a Couple of Professional Drinkers by Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval
The Postmodern Bartender by Hayden Wood
The NoMad Cocktail Book by Leo Robitschek
The Aviary: Holiday Cocktails by Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, Allen Hemberger
How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks by America's Test Kitchen
Let's Get Blitzen: 60+ Christmas Cocktails to Make Your Spirits Bright by Sother Teague
Misc Books: Industry, Bitters, Distilling
Botany at the Bar: The Art and Science of Making Bitters by Selena Ahmed, Ashley Duval, Rachel Meyer
How To Get U.S. Market-Ready: Wine and Spirits by Steve Raye
The Art of Distilling, Revised and Expanded: An Enthusiast's Guide to the Artisan Distilling of Whiskey, Vodka, Gin and other Potent Potables by Bill Owens, Alan Dikty, Andrew Faulkner
Cocktail and Culture Books
The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions
Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming, the Official Cocktail Book
Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time by Brad Thomas Parsons
Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: and Other Cocktails for '90s Kids by Sam Slaughter
Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us by Jeff Cioletti
A Sidecar Named Desire: Great Writers and the Booze That Stirred Them by Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp
Gin Austen: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen by Colleen Mullaney
Gin Rummy: Gin Lovers Playing Cards by Emma Stokes and Jean Andre
Glass and Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court and Alcohol by Nancy Maveety
Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America by Brian F. Haara
Beer, Cider, and Wine Books
Drink Better Beer: Discover the Secrets of the Brewing Experts by Joshua M. Bernstein
Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard by Jason Wilson
Spritz Fever!: Sixty Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails by Elouise Anders
The Cider Insider: The Essential Guide to 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now by Susanna Forbes
The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal
Natural Wine for the People: What It Is, Where to Find It, How to Love It by Alice Feiring
Celebrate Rosé: Cocktails & Parties for Life's Rosiest Moments by Ashley Rose Conway
Cheese Beer Wine Cider: A Field Guide to 75 Perfect Pairings by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley
Sakepedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage by Jeff Cioletti
The Bucket List: Beer: 1000 Adventures " Pubs " Breweries " Festivals by Justin Kennedy
The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
YES WAY ROSÉ A Guide to the Pink Wine State of Mind by Erica Blumenthal and Nikki Huganir
Not enough books for you??? Check out:
All the Cocktail and Spirits Books Released in 2018
All the drink books that came out in 2017
All the Cocktails and Spirits Books Published in 2016 for Reading or Gifting
All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting
More Than 40 Drink Books Published in 2014 for Reading or Gifting
Another exciting bit of information to come out of my visit to the George Dickel distillery was learning more about the sour mashing process.
To review (from a recent post about souring at Jack Daniel's):
"Souring" is not like sourdough starter in that the process' job is to remain consistency between batches. "Souring" means lowering the pH, making it more sour/acidic. "Sour mash"ing is adding backset (stillage) from the previous distillation run to the next one. The stillage contains lots of dead yeast that is food for the new yeast, but also it is acidic and lowers the pH.
At Jack Daniel's they use 30% backset/sour mash. That seems like a lot, so I was wondering: If the purpose of it is to simply lower the pH and provide nutrients, wouldn't a far simpler way to do that be to add some dried nutrients and acid like citric or hydrochloric acid?
Dickel's distiller Nicole Austin set me straight: the sour mash process is smart industrial waste reuse. Yes, the yeast get nutrients from the sour mash (dead yeast; they're cannibals like that). But the distillery also gets recycled water and heat out of it.
The sour mash is the hot liquid that comes off the still, separated from the grain solids but still containing dead yeast and other small particles. It has just been boiled during distillation, so obviously it's hot.
That stillage is added to the cooking as well as the fermentation process at Dickel. In preparing grains for distillation, they are ground up, cooked with hot water to break down carbohydrates into fermentable sugars, and then fermented in the next step. The cooking requires lots of super hot water, and a free source of hot water is the stillage!
At Dickel they also add some stillage/sour mash to the fermentation process as well as in cooking.
Austin says that in the ideal situation, you'd use all stillage water for cooking and fermentation – that would save fresh water. But the dead yeast solids are a limiting factor – too many of them and they stress the live yeast that needs to ferment the cooked grains. So the stillage water needs to be watered down, essentially. Additionally solids retain a lot of heat so it doesn't cool down as fast and this limits how much they can use.
I asked Austin if the sour mashing process then actually has much impact on the flavor of the finished whiskey. She said that it's basically "setting yourself up for success" with a good fermentation.
In conclusion, in addition to acidifying and providing dead yeast as nutrients for a healthy fermentation, the sour mash process is industrial recycling, using stillage both for water and for heat.
Hooray for new-to-me information!
Though I know the rules for bottled in bond whiskey and other spirits, in my head the whole thing operated differently than it does in reality. This came to light for me on a visit to the Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., home of George Dickel. The trip I took was to celebrate their bottled in bond (BIB) release.
I knew that BIB is a guarantee of certain standards – the spirit must be distilled in one season by one distiller at one distillery, be a minimum of 4 years old and bottled at 50% ABV – but I thought it went further than that. In my head the government had an active role in overseeing the bonded warehouse and maybe observing the actual bottling, and that was the point of the whole thing. How naive!
As George Dickel distiller Nicole Austin pointed out, all pre-taxed liquor warehouses are bonded warehouses. So any non-blended whiskey over 4 years old bottled at 50% can be stuck in a bottle and labelled as BIB; there's no special extra process to it. Most single barrel bottlings would meet that if they were bottled at 50% (not that there is any real definition of single barrel). BIB is just a weirdly specific set of rules.
Some Specifics
Speaking of rules, there are some neat things in the wording of bottled in bond spirits on the government's website that I don't usually see spelled out.
Stored for at least four years in wooden containers wherein the spirits have been in contact with the wood surface except for gin and vodka which must be stored for at least four years in wooden containers coated or lined with paraffin or other substance which will preclude contact of the spirits with the wood surface;
So gin and vodka can be bottled in bond if they're stored in non-reactive wood containers. No wonder we don't see any of those on the market.
Unaltered from their original condition or character by the addition or subtraction of any substance other than by filtration, chill proofing, or other physical treatments (which do not involve the addition of any substance which will remain incorporated in the finished product or result in a change in class or type);
They can't have any additives. I assumed this, but never see it spelled out when reading about BIB products. I guess because mostly BIB products are straight bourbon and can't have additives anyway.
Putting Bottled in Bond in Context
We frequently hear the BIB Act of 1897 as the first first consumer protection law, predating the Pure Food and Drug Act by nearly a decade. In an era when many whiskeys were blended and adulterated, this was a guarantee to the consumer of certain minimums.
But also the BIB Act seems to have changed the way whiskey was stored: pre-tax rather than post-tax, in bonded warehouses.
As Wikipedia states, "The practice was also connected to tax law, which provided the primary incentive for distilleries to participate. Distilleries were allowed to delay payment of the excise tax on the stored whiskey until the aging of the whiskey was completed, and the supervision of the warehouse ensured proper accounting and the eventual collection of the tax."
That's a huge deal, tax-wise. If you're aging spirits, imagine having to pay tax on every gallon of whiskey distilled four-plus years before you've sold it. That's a huge burden and this act would have been a huge relief.
[Note that I haven't researched if there was a way to defer tax payment previous to the BIB act, it's possible that this wasn't the first act to defer taxes but it could be.]
So for me, understanding the tax part puts it all together. In 1897 the BIB law guaranteed an unadulterated product to the consumer, and incentivized it to the producer via the tax deferment. I needed to understand both parts of this.
Today most mass market bourbon is 4+ years old and additive-free anyway, the only difference between regular and BIB bottlings is that most brands are blends of various ages and bottled at various proofs. I wouldn't consider bottled in bond products to be a higher statement of quality these days; just a quirky set of standards.
I first visited the Cascade Hollow Distillery aka George Dickel in 2012, and rereading my previous post it seems a lot has changed since then!
This May (2019) I had the opportunity to revisit the distillery in advance of their release of the new Dickel Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey. For the trip they had us "intern" with various members of the production staff. We didn't really have to do anything (so don't worry I didn't screw up the whiskey); we just got to spend time with team members and were able to ask lots of questions.
At Dickel they distill 6 days per week, on two shifts per day. They shut down distillation every night, unlike larger distilleries that run 24/7. Dickel is expanding but it will take a lot of work to expand to 24/7 production; it didn't sound like that was going to happen in the next couple of years anyway.
They run two staff shifts, roughly 6AM-2PM and 2PM to 10PM.
Grinding and Cooking
The Dickel Tennessee whiskey mashbill is 84% corn and 8% each rye and malted barley. Their rye is made at MGP so for the most part they're just making the same thing every day. Distiller Nicole Austin said that though you'd think she'd be in the distillery actively tasting and blending and such, all the work you'd assume she does daily only takes a few weeks per year. The rest of the time seems to be administration, marketing, research and other tasks related to running the brand.
They receive two truckloads of grain per day. The grains are measured for moisture content to ensure it's less than 15%. They said they've only had one bad load of grains in 15 years, and that was due to someone at the grain producer accidentally mixing in wheat.
The corn they mill (grind up) in advance of using. The corn, malt, and rye are each milled separately then combined by weight into the cooker at different times. The guy in charge of this "drops" grains into the cookers located on the floor below.
They go in order : pre-malt, corn, then rye then the rest of the malt. I missed what the pre-malt is for. But the order is because the corn needs a hard boil to cook it properly. After cooking, the liquid cools a bit before rye is added ("We don't want to cook the crap out of it" because it's there for flavor, says Austin.). Then most of the malted barley is added- they don't want it too hot because that would kill the enzymes in the malt. Each of these stages begins or ends when the mash reaches certain temperatures.
They also add liquid enzymes to the mash – it looked to be about 4 cups worth of liquid to each cooker.
The mashing/cooking process takes 3-4 hours.
Some of the sour mash, the yeasty water from the previous distillation, goes into the cookers along with fresh water, and some goes into the fermenters directly. They say splitting it in these two stages is just because of volume, not for any flavor reason. I have another post just about the sour mash process going up later this week.
Fermentation
Grains and water come out of the cooker at 150 (Fahrenheit, I think) and are cooled to 72 as they go into the fermenter so that the hot water doesn't kill the yeast. They use a custom made dry yeast that's propagated elsewhere.
They have 3 sets (distilling 3 vats daily) of 3 vats. Because of the 6 day workweek, they have "3 day beers" and "4 day beers" for the fermentation that needs to go an extra day. They said the only difference between them is the fermentation temperature is slightly different to allow for the extra time.
The fermentation expert also takes samples of the uncooked, cooked mash and the backset (sour mash) and measures/makes notes of their pH, total acid, and brix. After fermentation the beer is 10% ABV.
Distillation
It takes 4.5 hours to distill 1 fermenter.
The distillation column has 19 plates. The mash goes in at the 17th plate near the top and drips down the column as it removes alcohol from the mixture. The alcohol passes up through the column and comes off the top above the 19th plate.
The alcohol comes off the still at 135 proof, then it is redistilled in the double up to 150 proof.
After the spirit comes off the still, it is run through a copper reactor filled with copper "Raschig rings" before it goes into the doubler. Though I'm not positive, I think in other distilleries the top of the still above where solids enter is filled with these copper rings, rather than being in a separate container as at Dickel.
Because they shut down the plant each night, the heads and tails at the beginning and end of each day are simply redistilled in the next run.
The byproducts of distillation are the wet grains and the yeasty liquids. Some of the liquids go into the sour mash. The wet grains are sold as animal feed. (At some distilleries like MGP the drains are dried first. Here they are not.)
Charcoal Filtration
Because this is Tennessee Whiskey, it is filtered through charcoal before aging, like at Jack Daniel's. But unlike at JD, they chill the whiskey to 42 (Fahrenheit, I think) before running it through the charcoal. The chilling increases flocculation.
The sugar maple charcoal is prepared on site – burned and then extinguished at a certain point.
It takes about 24 hours to filter one day's worth of distillate. The distillate comes off the still at 150 proof, is reduced to 126.5 before charcoal filtration, and comes out at 125 proof.
Virgin wool blankets line the bottom of the filtration tubs to collect the charcoal dust. In my last visit to Dickel, I noted that they fill the charcoal vats up with liquid then let it drip out rather than having it drip into and out of the vats continually. I'm not sure that's the case anymore, though I could be mistaken.
Austin gave more detail on the charcoal filtration process. She said that the liquid comes off the still very oily, buttery, and fruity smelling with popcorn notes due to their distilling with low reflux. Filtration through charcoal is a selective filtration that takes out the heavy oily notes while leaving the fruity ones in the spirit. So according to Austin they can distill in a way that builds lots of character because the charcoal filtration takes out notes that they don't want in the final spirit.
Aging and Warehouses
Barrels are filled at the distillery and then are delivered to the warehouses. We took a hay ride up the road behind the distillery to where several warehouses are located – and where many more are being built.
Most of the time this distillery produces their Tennessee whiskey, just making the same mashbill daily. But distiller Austin has been doing some experiments. She said they're "exploring" making their own rye "to see if there is a reason to do it" themselves, rather than continuing to use MGP's rye in their bottling. They've also tried some other mashbills recently, but I don't know if any new products are in the pipeline.
The warehouses are all single-storey warehouses 6 barrels high. There is only about 5 degree temperature variation between the bottom and top of these warehouses, unlike the 6 storey warehouses many bourbon producers use. The newer warehouses are palatized, meaning the barrels stand on their flat ends rather than on their sides. This is more space efficient than rickhouses.
The angel's share takes about 50% of the liquid in each barrel after 7 years. And because they don't combine and refill barrels, the angel's share is even more as the barrels get emptier. They told me that each 9 year old barrel makes between 10 and 16 12-packs of whiskey. Not a lot!
Thanks to George Dickel for a great visit!
Stay tuned for a couple more posts related to my visit.
