Alcademics

Category: non-alcoholic

  • New Drink Book Releases in 2025

    I keep a close eye on new books on drinks (mostly cocktails and spirits rather than beer/wine), and I read most of them that come out every year. 

    On this post I’ll keep track of them. I probably won’t include every cultural franchise tie-in cocktail book (Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc) but some. If you want to see books from 2024, check out:Thirty Four New Drink Books for Fall 2024 and The Best Drinks Books of 2024

    Here’s another one I missed:

    October 2025 Drink Books:

    • The Botanical Bar: 50 Intoxicating Ingredients and Bespoke Cocktails
    • Behind the Bar: Tequila: 50 Tequila Cocktails from Bars Around the World
    • House of Whisky and Bourbon: Over 40 Cocktails to Shake, Muddle and Stir at Home
    • Make Myna Double: Cocktails for Bird Lovers
    • The History of Whiskey: in 100 Bottles, Barrels, and More
    • Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips
    • Home Bartending Mastery: Iconic Cocktails to Build Skills and Drink Better
    • Uneasy Elixirs: 50 Curious Cocktails Inspired by the Works of Edward Gorey
    • The Madrusan Cocktail Companion: 2800+ cocktails with contributions from 100 of the world’s best bartenders

    September 2025 Drink Books:

    September 2025 drink books

    • Savory and Sweet Shrubs: Tart Mixers for Delicious Cocktails and Mocktails
    • American Whiskey Master Class: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Bourbon, Rye, and Other American Whiskeys
    • The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World’s Greatest Spirit
    • Get Lit: Cocktails That Bring Your Favorite Books to Life
    • Tequila, Mezcal & More: Discover, Sip & Mix the Best Agave Spirits
    • The Mixology Way: Classic cocktail recipes to master the art of mixology
    • The Japanese Way of Whisky: Japan’s Whiskies and how to Enjoy them
    • Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste
    • The Comic Book History of the Cocktail: Five Centuries of Mixing Drinks and Carrying On
    • The Whisky World Tour: A curated guide to unforgettable distilleries and their whiskies
    • Booze & Vinyl Country: 100+ Spirited Music-and-Drink Pairings

    New Finds:

    • Kentucky Bourbon: The Essential Guide to the American Spirit
    • THE RUM NEVER SETS: 300 YEARS OF ROYAL NAVY & LONDON DOCK RUM
    • Bar Design-Principles, Practices, Dimensions
    • Mezcal in Oaxaca: A Craft Spirit for the Global Marketplace
    • Mother of Bourbon: The Greatest American Whiskey Story Never Told

    June, July, and August New Drink Book Releases 2025

    New books june july august 2025

    • Behind the Home Bar: The Essential Guide to Making Cocktails
    • Spooky Cocktails: 100+ Spirited and Wickedly Delicious Drinks
    • The Cocktail Bar: Perfectly mixed drinks from London’s iconic hotel bars
    • The Eras Pour: The Unofficial, Ultimate Taylor Swift Cocktail Book
    • Be a Beverage Expert: A Guide to Understanding Wine, Beer, Spirits, and Cocktails

    Additional April and May Books

    • Drink and Democracy: Alcohol and the Political Imaginary in Colonial Australia

    April through May 2025 Drink Book Releases

    Aprilmay2025drinkbooks

    • The Official Barbie Cocktail Book: 50 Dreamy Recipes for Inspired Entertaining
    • Mood Drinks: Alcohol-Free Cocktails to Create the Perfect Mood
    • Hard Seltzer, Iced Tea, Kombucha, and Cider: How to Make Your Own Boozy Fermented Drinks
    • Tequila Wars: José Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico
    • The Curious Bartender’s Agave Safari: Discovering and appreciating Mexico’s tequilas, mezcals & more
    • The Unauthorized Court of Cocktails: Recipes for your Romantasies
    • The Unofficial A Court of Thorns and Roses Cocktail Book

    January Through March 2025 Drink Book Releases 

    2025 Cocktail Books Jan - March

    • Spirited Women: Makers, Shakers, and Trailblazers in the World of Cocktails
    • Lessons in Mixology: A graphic guide to making the perfect cocktail
    • MockTales: 50+ Literary Mocktails Inspired by Classic Works, Banned Books, and More
    • How to Be a Better Drinker: Cocktail Recipes and Boozy Etiquette
    • Tokyo Bar: 65 recipes for Japanese-style cocktails and izakaya snacks
    • Tiny Cocktails: The Art of Miniature Mixology: A Cocktail Recipe Book
    • Pour Together: A Cocktail Recipe Book: 2-Ingredient Cocktails to Meet Every Mood
    • Margarita Time: 60+ Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails, Served Up, Over & Blended
    • Sleepless in Sangria: 60 Rom-Com Cocktails for Movie Night
    • Drink Your Garden: Recipes, Stories and Tips from the Simple Goodness Cocktail Farm
    • The Art of Cocktails: By the Legendary Bartender at the Ritz
    • The Forgotten Sense: The New Science of Smell―and the Extraordinary Power of the Nose
    • Sours: A History of the World’s Most Storied Cocktail Style
    • This is a Cocktail Book
    • Citrus: A World History
    • Guide to Tropical Potions & Exotic Elixirs

    Note: As indicated on my About page, all purchase links on Alcademics may take you to a page where I earn a small commission. 

  • The Moist Future for MSNBC

    I was invited to write a story for MSNBC.com about the coming new normal of casual sobriety, aka the end of Dry January. 

    I made a bunch of points about generational drinking habits, parallels to vegetarianism, and flaws and challenges of serving nonalcoholic spirits in bars.

    Read the story here.   

     

    Screenshot 2024-01-31 at 4.36.47 PM

  • Nonalcoholic Alcoholic Things Are Just Things

    First there was nonalcoholic alcoholic seltzer.

    To help drinkers in their sober curious exploration, White Claw is introducing a new way of drinking. Introducing White Claw 0% Alcohol – a new, non-alcoholic premium seltzer boasting the complex taste and feel of a real drink. Made from ultra-refined seltzer and blended with iconic flavors and hydrating electrolytes, White Claw 0% Alcohol is a new way to drink.

    Unnamed

     

    And now have nonalcoholic alcoholic sparkling iced tea! 

    Today, Loverboy announced their first-ever non-alcoholic take on the brand’s top-rated sparkling hard teas: Non-Alcoholic White Tea Peach and Non-Alcoholic Lemon Iced Tea.
    Perfect for dry January, mocktail, and healthier resolutions stories, Loverboy is bringing the taste without the buzz to redefine how you imbibe – boasting full flavor, zero sugar, and only 10 calories per can.

    Loverboy_NANow, my math is a little rusty, but I think it goes something like: 

    IMG_7805

     

  • The Technology Behind Nonalcoholic Vermouth

    I spoke with Martini and Rossi’s Master Blender, Giuseppe “Beppe” Musso, and Senior Master Herbalist Ivano Tonutti to learn how they made their new nonalcoholic vermouths. 

    It was fascinating!

    The story is now live at AlcoholProfessor.com. 

     

    Screenshot 2023-01-06 at 6.49.56 PM

  • The Big Nonalcoholic Spirits Rating, Round Two

    In 2021 I hosted a group of bartenders to taste a big batch of nonalcoholic spirits. Read that write-up here.

    Since then, many new brands have come onto the market or been newly imported into the USA. I lined up 17 expressions and tasted them. Fifteen are pictured below, plus I tried the new nonalcoholic vermouth/aperitivos from Martini & Rossi. 

    IMG_2115

    I am not going to take the time to write out my tasting notes, sorry, but I'll share my favorites.

    Note that the previous tasting was blind, mostly in Daiquiri format. For this tasting I tasted them neat and not blind. To be truly fair I would do a cocktail taste test with each, because sometimes the flavors in n/a spirits that are overwhelmingly perfumy on their own (a huge negative to me) aren't so intense when mixed. 

    Nonalcoholic Spirits that are Pretty Good from this Group, Kept the Bottles and Will Drink:

    • Everleaf Marine
    • Free Spirits Gin [buy]
    • Spiritless Kentucky 74 Cinnamon Whiskey
    • Free Spirits Bourbon [buy]
    • Ghia [buy]

    Nonalcoholic Spirits I Think are Good Enough to Maybe Drink Without Mixers, just neat or on the rocks (The Best of this Tasting):

    • Everleaf Forest
    • Cut Above Mezcal
    • Free Spirits Tequila [buy]
    • Dromme Calm 
    • Martini & Rossi Vibrante
    • Martini & Rossi Floreale

    The rest I didn't think were worthy. But this list has a lot more winners than the last tasting! 

    Notes:

    • The Free Spirits Gin is the only n/a gin I've tried that I think is drinkable at all, but even this one does not taste like gin. None of them do. I recently found out the reason for this and will share on another post! 
    • The Martini aperitifs have a base of dealcoholized wine, and this makes for a big difference. I have a story going up on AlcoholProfessor in a few weeks in which I review the details on those products. It's cool stuff.
    • Dromme Calm is… not calming but it tastes good. It has tons of capsaicin in it I think, so it's super spicy. 
    • Several of the ones with fruit or vegetable juices in them tasted spoiled or cooked. 
    • As mentioned above, the ones that were perfumy – often soapy- were ones I also rated low. Perhaps they'd perform better in specific drinks.  

     

  • Fall and Winter 2022 Drink Book Preview

    So many drink books are coming out before the end of 2022 I decided to make a list of them. 

    Makephotogallery.net_1663121621761

    Links are to Amazon and they earn me an affiliate fee. 

    The Little Book of Aperitifs: 50 Classic Cocktails and Delightful Drinks

    Cheer: A Liquid Gold Holiday Drinking Guide

    The Cocktail Edit: Everything You Need to Know About How to Make All the Drinks that Matter

    The Bartender's Manifesto: How to Think, Drink, and Create Cocktails Like a Pro

    Cocktails, A Still Life: 60 Spirited Paintings & Recipes

    The Wine Bible, 3rd Edition

    Free Spirit Cocktails: 40 Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes

    New Mocktails Bible: All Occasion Guide to an Alcohol-Free, Zero-Proof, No-Regrets, Sober-Curious Lifestyle (Fox Chapel Publishing) 250 Tasty Drink Recipes Made with Fresh Ingredients

    Cocktail Time!: The Ultimate Guide to Grown-Up Fun

    Seattle Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the Emerald City

    Behind the Bar: Gin: 50 Gin Cocktails from Bars Around the World

    Cocktail Botanica: 60+ Drinks Inspired by Nature

    Brand Mysticism: Cultivate Creativity and Intoxicate Your Audience

    Dicktales or Thankyous and Sluggings

    Cheers!: Cocktails & Toasts to Celebrate Every Day of the Year

    The Five-Bottle Bar: A Simple Guide to Stylish Cocktails

    A Bartender's Guide to the World: Cocktails and Stories from 75 Places

    Imbibing for Introverts: A Guide to Social Drinking for the Anti-Social

    American Rye: A Guide to the Nation's Original Spirit

    Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink

    Midcentury Cocktails: History, Lore, and Recipes from America's Atomic Age

    World Cocktail Adventures: 40 Destination-Inspired Drinks

    Twist: Your Guide to Creating Inspired Craft Cocktails

    Raising the Bar: A Bottle-by-Bottle Guide to Mixing Masterful Cocktails at Home

    Steve the Bartender's Cocktail Guide: Tools – Techniques – Recipes

    Beer A Tasting Course: A Flavor-Focused Approach to the World of Beer

    The Anchor Brewing Story: America's First Craft Brewery & San Francisco's Original Anchor Steam Beer

    Classic Cocktails Done Well: Tried-and-True Recipes for the Home Bartender

    60-Second Cocktails: Amazing Drinks to Make at Home in a Minute

    How to Drink Like a Rock Star: Recipes for the Cocktails and Libations that Inspired 100 Music Legends

    Modern Classic Cocktails: 60+ Stories and Recipes from the New Golden Age in Drinks

    Bar Menu: 100+ Drinking Food Recipes for Cocktail Hours at Home

    The Cocktail Cabinet: The art, science and pleasure of mixing the perfect drink

    A Sense of Place: A journey around Scotland's whisky

    Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em from the Award-Winning Bar

    Trap Kitchen: The Art of Street Cocktails

    Just a Spritz: 57 Simple Sparkling Sips with Low to No Alcohol

    Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth

     

  • I’ve Been Distilling Some Things

    Wine was (probably) first distilled into eau de vie in the practice of trying to make medicines and perfumes like rosewater and wormwood water. Distilling these herbs would make a preserved medicine that would last beyond the herbs' seasons. Today we'd call them hydrosols and essential oils. 

    These were water based distillations, and it was only when the technology became good enough that the wine could be separated into concentrated alcohol and water that alchemist physicians noticed distilled wine's wonderful properties. 

    In preparing for my seminar for Tales of the Cocktail, Secrets of the Earliest Distillation Books, I decided to try to replicate early water-based distillates. I purchased a still online, one like this, though there are a lot of variations. (I bought one with a temperature gauge but don't think that was necessary.) 

     

    71RM+eajVNL._SL1500_

     

    Note that distilling alcohol is illegal at the federal level in the US, though I am unsure if it is allowed in some states, much like marijuana. In any case I have only been distilling infused waters in it. It has been very interesting! 

    Below are notes I took. After the first few experiments, for green herbs I learned to boil the water first and only toss the herbs into the water in the still at that point. This was to try to have less wilted/boiled herb flavors. 

    Distilling Experiments
    • 35 grams wet rose petals in 250ml water in home distiller – earthy green aroma, intense, somewhat rose-y but more distilled green plants
    • star anise – so much that next distillation was still tons of oil
    • lemon blossoms
      • green, like almond shells note along with the floral that's not in the aroma of the steam but in the liquid
      • settling down in flavor as it cools?
      • took cuts – very sweet and floral high notes (how lavender shocks) first segment, then more green notes not so great, then at end more floral petals like rosewater but flat rather than high notes – you could see taking cuts and recombining
    • Juniper – old dried herbs, then rosemary spice and dusty woodiness
      • then crushed some and added to still – all of the evergreen forest floor notes came out, greenness and pine needles
    • Crushed black pepper
      • tastes just like black pepper, not a lot of new flavors, not spicy i don't think
    • dehydrated cranberries
      • not much flavor at all, and black pepper of prevoius batch in the way
    • dried mint. – tasted stewed with mintiness, stewed aspect gross
    • Dried ginger- not spicy but nice and perfume, ginger flavor but not ginger spice and bite
    • dried basil – swampy!
    • sesame seeds – a little farty, but then peanut butter
    • horseradish  – tangy, maybe it was the vinegar or cream of tartar, with some nice green notes but sublte- great
    • freeze dried wasabi – earthy but super mild, no spice
    • aniseed smelled as expected
    • licorice seed smelled as expected, great
    • Strawberries- smell amazing,  tastes ambrosial,  subtle though, great next day – like Strawberry Starburst
    • Lime juice only – weird, perfumy, I would guess artificial if I didn't know, not that powdery pasteurized taste, but I would guess watered down preserved lime juice. And obviously if distilled lime juice were the answer someone would have done it.
    • Lime shells after squeezing, cut in half (so quarters now) – sweeter, more body, still perfumy, rounder flavor profile. nice finish. I think it's just oils combined with the flesh. at end of run started tasting cooked
    • Lime peels only – lime lime essential oil but a touch more cooked
    • parsely – soapy and green and intense and disgusting!
    • mint – stems – spearmint but quickly turned stewed
    • Rainier Cherries – good but not as flavorful as strawberries; not useful, the flavor didn't last in the fridge either, neutral
    • Canned fruit cocktail – tastes just like fruit cocktail! 
    • fennel seeds- wonderful and delicious like the seeds

    Later, I carbonated the strawberry water in a Soda Stream (it has no particulates or sugar so it didn't fizz over) and it was fantastic! I also carbonated canned fruit cocktail hydrosol; it was also good. 

     

    D8DACA10-3B01-48EE-AECC-738792E8A4D7


    D8DACA10-3B01-48EE-AECC-738792E8A4D7
    D8DACA10-3B01-48EE-AECC-738792E8A4D7

  • The 2021 Best Drink Books Round-Up

    Makephotogallery.net_1637959840342For 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

    • 6a00e553b3da2088340282e1130225200b.jpgSomething and Tonic: A History of the World's Most Iconic Mixer by Nick Kokonas [amazon] [somethingandtonic.com]
    • Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization by Edward Slingerland [amazon][bookshop]

    • A Good Drink: In Pursuit of Sustainable Spirits by Shanna Farrell [amazon][bookshop]

    • A Woman's Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches, and CEOs  by Tara Nurin [amazon][bookshop]
    • Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O'Meara  [amazon][bookshop] 
    • Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition by Mark Lawrence Schrad [amazon][bookshop]
    • The Thinking Drinkers Almanac: Drinks For Every Day Of The Year by Ben McFarland, Tom Sandham [amazon][bookshop] 
    • The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails by David Wondrich, Noah Rothbaum [amazon][bookshop]

     

    Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Books

    • Zero Proof: 90 Non-Alcoholic Recipes for Mindful Drinking by Elva Ramirez [amazon] [bookshop]
    • Gazoz: The Art of Making Magical, Seasonal Sparkling Drinks by Benny Briga, Adeena Sussman [amazon][bookshop]

     

    6a00e553b3da208834026bdeec4e06200c.jpgTopic-Specific Cocktail Books

    • Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson [amazon][bookshop]
    • The Japanese Art of the Cocktail by Masahiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig [amazon][bookshop]
    • The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes by Julia Momosé and Emma Janzen  [amazon][bookshop] 

     

    Base Spirits

    • The Big Book of Amaro  by Matteo Zed [amazon][bookshop]

    • The Atlas of Bourbon and American Whiskey: A Journey Through the Spirit of America by Eric Zandona [amazon][bookshop]

     

    6a00e553b3da2088340282e13042ad200b.jpgGeneral Cocktail Recipe Books

    • The Cocktail Seminars by Brian D. Hoefling [amazon][bookshop]
    • HOME BAR BASICS (AND NOT-SO-BASICS) by Dave Stolte [website]
    • The Curious Bartender: Cocktails At Home: More than 75 recipes for classic and iconic drinks by Tristan Stephenson  [amazon][bookshop]
    • Mixology for Beginners: Innovative Craft Cocktails for the Home Bartender by Prairie Rose [amazon][bookshop]
    • Death & Co Welcome Home by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, Dave Kaplan [amazon][bookshop] 
    • The Cocktail Workshop: An Essential Guide to Classic Drinks and How to Make Them Your Own by Steven Grasse, Adam Erace [amazon][bookshop]
    • Can I Mix You a Drink? by T-PAIN, Maxwell Britten [amazon][bookshop]

    Beer

    • The Beer Bible: Second Edition  by Jeff Alworth [amazon][bookshop]

    • World Atlas of Beer: The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World by Tim Webb, Stephen Beaumont [amazon][bookshop]

     

    Cocktails and Spirits Books from Previous Years

     

  • The Big Non-Alcoholic Spirits Taste Test

    For a long time I've been tracking the increasing number of non-alcoholic spirits. There are now more than 115 brands on the market. 

    I've also made hundreds of non-alcoholic cocktails with these n/a spirits (mostly Seedlip) for events, when there used to be events pre-Covid. In my opinion, these products do not perform well when you taste them neat, nor when they are mixed with carbonated beverages like soda water and tonic water.

     

    IMG_2507

     

    I have found that taste good when mixed in a basic Daiquiri or with a strongly flavored syrup, as in these recipes I shared a couple years back. Since then, I've received a lot more n/a spirits in the mail – I share new products on Instagram by the way, in case you're not already following the @alcademics account over there. 

    So I decided to lead a tasting of all the non-alcoholic spirits in my house in a Daiquiri format. Actually, I didn't taste them at all – I invited three bartenders over to my house to do it. I made one batch of sweet-and-sour mix (lime, simple syrup) and added equal parts of each n/a spirit to it. The bartenders tasted them all and I wrote down their impressions, which are recorded below. 

    After we tasted all of them, the bartenders went back through and tasted them unmixed. Boy did that ever give different reactions! And that confirmed that trying these products neat really doesn't reveal all that much about how they'll taste mixed. 

    We tried 11 gins or herbal spirits, 2 tequilas, 2 rums, and the Three Spirit line of herbal beverages. 

    The tasting notes are below (from the bartenders, opinions are not mine), and some conclusions I wrote down after the tasting notes. 

    IMG_2521

     

    Gin/Botanical Spirits
    1. Bowser Leaf –
      1. lots of licorice, playdough, elmer's glue
      2. cloves
      3. I like it, I don't think it's a gin though. Little bit of a piney finish, mentholy
    2. Seedlip Spice
      1. cloves, allspice, warm spices, like chai – cardamom,
      2. overpowering in this application but in another application it could be useful
    3. Wilderton Luster
      1. tastes like earl gray tea to everyone – tannic drying oversteeped tea
      2. acid- citric acid
      3. very low rated
    4. Sipsong Indira Tea
      1. cumin? culinary spice , caraway
      2. not so aggressive after a couple of sips
      3. "that doesn't taste like gin" – taste like Kummel
    5. Seedlip Garden
      1. they all identified it blind as seedlip garden
      2. it's its own flavor; not trying to be gin
      3. everyone enjoys
    6. Lyre's London Spirit
      1. this is bangin' i like this; banana candy; banana runts
      2. real bitter finish though,
      3. tastes like candy but that's a hard finish
      4. (turns out the finish is quinine)
    7. Damrak 0.0
      1. most like water to me
      2. a touch of apple and pear but that could be me grasping
      3. it lets the citrus shine
      4. expensive water
    8. Ginnocense
      1. taste reminds me of something chewy
      2. playdough on the nose
      3. taffy notes
      4. not gin-like
    9. Wilderton Earthen
      1. omg why! terrible
      2. cinnamon ret hots – dried out,
      3. not good in a daiquiri
      4. "sour cinnamon" and that doesn't go well together
    10. Seedlip Grove
      1. it's bitter, resiny
      2. I would not be surprised if this is what  juniper does in water distillation
      3. Musty, like when you walk into a thrift store
      4. Tastes more like gin – resiny but mellow; not the bright herby of the gin but not citrusy
      5. "interesting" i don't dislike it; it's weird, need a better application for it
    11. Fleure Floral Blend
      1. neutral
      2. wood thing going on, woody
      3. a finish more than a flavor; i don't get much
     
    Rum
    1. Fleure Spice Cane Dark Roast
      1. smells like rum, spiced rum, bubblegum
      2. smells like coffee cake
      3. workable as a rum; but rum is easier than other spirits
      4. sweeter – i feel like this has sugar in it
      5. I dont hate it but it tastes like coffee
    2. Ritual Rum Alternative
      1. banana bread
      2. tropical fruit
      3. cadaverine /decay
      4. I lke this! tastes like a daiquiri, butterscotch, caramel, but good in a daiquiri
      5. Everyone enjoys and prefers this one
     
    Tequila/Agave
    1. Fleure  Smoked Agave
      1. liquid smoke
      2. i don't hate that
      3. burnt rubber but not in a bad way; iodine
      4. everyone likes it !  – but not on its own; in this margarita
    2. Ritual Tequila Alternative
      1. "it has the cuervo smell"; mixto
      2. taste is more fruity but it smells like tequila – "smells like bad decisions"
      3. there's actual heat – spicy note – too spicy – spicy margarita
      4. pepper spice; not alcohol spice – too much of the spicness; maybe better in a long drink; if it was intended as a spicy margarita it would be fine
      5.  
     
    Liqueur Fleure Raspberry Blend
      1. soapy
      2. raspberries and violets
      3. pink lemonade –
      4. could use it as a modifier but not a base spirit – but cheaper to use raspberries in a cocktail rather than this product – could be useful as a martini style drink where you don't want to add sugar
     
     
    Herbal Liqueurs (these were tasted neat; not in a Daiquiri)
    1. Three Spirit Livener
      1. smells like tea, tastes a little like prune juice
      2. not a fan of this
      3. tons of warm spices
      4. capsaicin
      5. 1 didn't hate it, 2 hated it
    2. Three Spirit Social Elixir
      1. molasses
      2. bitter, burnt caramel
      3. not pleasant
      4. i could sub that for Averna in a cocktail
    3. Three Spirit  Nightcap
      1. something sour in the smell
      2. kinda like it – juicy
      3. spice in all of them, well integrated
      4. favorite of the Three Spirit line
      5. after-dinner beverage, one bartender would serve it as a digestif to a non-drinker after dinner

    Conclusions of this Tasting:

    • This is a good way to taste/compare these products. When we went back through to taste them neat, bartenders had some radically different opinions; particularly with regard to the spicy notes that may have gone unnoticed mixed. 
    • Lyre's London Spirit- people liked flavor a lot but didn't like the quinine finish at all.
    • Seedlip Garden was enjoyed and identified easily – the favorite product of the whole tasting.
    • Seedlip Grove was considered interesting and generally well-received.
    • Every one wished there was juniper present in the gins, and found that none had any detectable. So none were really gin substitutes.
    • "I wish more of them were better" said one bartender. 
    • The rums and tequilas overall tasted more like their alcoholic versions. 

     

    IMG_2541

     

  • All the Cocktail and Drink Books from 2020 for Reading or Gifting

    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

    41qEbUqNtIL._SX316_BO1 204 203 200_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 

    51afRqSoTsL._SX331_BO1 204 203 200_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 

    51vBdm4PpeL._SX357_BO1 204 203 200_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

    Bok-char_web1Chartreuse, 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

    418mGG7kVHL._SX376_BO1 204 203 200_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 

    61Dpkit3R2L._SX309_BO1 204 203 200_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]

     

     

    411Bcmkd-oL._SX331_BO1 204 203 200_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]

    9781984856340Good 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]

     

     

     

    41q5TY-mxkL._SX331_BO1 204 203 200_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 

    51tX57Rj7nL._SX373_BO1 204 203 200_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

    51eciGNJ9RL._SX363_BO1 204 203 200_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

    41s2l11kAVL._SX396_BO1 204 203 200_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  

    Optimistic Cocktails Vol 1 

     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]

    51PEMjShYAL._SX394_BO1 204 203 200_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]

    9781925811704Drinks 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

    418OG1OJk7L._SX383_BO1 204 203 200_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

    41H4HjMTchL._SX336_BO1 204 203 200_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