Category: tea

  • The Use of Fixatives in Tea-Flavored Gin: A Chat with Gerald Rowland of Coit Spirits

    It's a welcome exception to the hundreds of National Mimosa Day and other generic pitches about liquor I receive to get an email from someone who wants to talk technical details of production, and this post comes from one of them. 

    Gerald Rowland of Rowland Cellars and more relevantly Coit Spirits sent me an email teasing information about using fixatives in the recipe for his three gins that each call for tea:

    Earl Grey Gin – with black tea and bergamot 

    Cape Gin – with fermented rooibos tea (red bush)

    Caravan Gin – with tea smoked over pine needles

    He wrote, "It took 12 months research on finding the correct plant based fixatives to stabilize the tea character that typically dissipates in 4-7 days. Normal gin botanical fixatives don't work."

    Was I intrigued? Yes, yes I was. 

    Coit spirits gins8

     

    Fixatives in Gin

    In my various distillery visits over the years, distillers would say that certain botanicals act not so much as flavors on their own, but as fixatives to other desired botanicals' aromas. 

    Aaron Knoll wrote a very informative article for Distiller Magazine about fixatives in gin. I'll share a few relevant quotes:

    The New Perfume Handbook describes a fixative as an “ingredient which prolongs the retention of fragrance on skin,” and is also sometimes described as “tenacity.” The other definition is summed up by The Chemistry of Fragrances as “a property of some perfume components, usually the higher boiling ones, which enables them to fix or hold back the more volatile notes so that they do not evaporate so quickly.” A fixative keeps the scent around longer. In the world of spirit production and distillation, we’re talking about the second definition.

    The Perfume Handbook, published in 1992, lists 42 separate botanicals with fixative properties. Orris root and angelica, the two most often cited by gin distillers as being fixatives, are both present; however, so are some other common gin ingredients, such as coriander and woodruff that are rarely—if ever—granted that status.

    The article concludes:

    The literature on the topic of fixatives suggests that the effect in spirits and gin may not be big—or even there at all. 

    Furthermore, even in a profession where there is a tradition of considering fixatives in the design process, perfumer Josh Meyer explains that the process is still more artistic than analytical. 

     

    Back to Coit Spirits and Gerry Rowland. He wrote, "Most gins that have tea in their recipe usually don’t advertise it on the label (some state tea, but I have to look for it and wouldn’t have known tea was used unless I was told) as the tea is unstable and progressively dominated by the other botanicals in the recipe over time." 

    For most of the content below I have copied and pasted and moved some stuff around from Rowland's email and our back-and-forth conversation. 

     

    Tea is in the Tails

    Black & Red teas brew at 200-212F to release their flavor [just below the boiling point of water], but London dry gin distillations are usually 176-185 F [just above the boiling point of alcohol].

    The tea notes in my experience will not come over unless it comes with the water late in the distillation. I have found the tea is water soluble, not alcohol soluble.

    To achieve this higher wash temp you use a lower ABV wash so the temp is higher to bring the spirit over. There is a second benefit at higher wash temperature, in that there is a true Maillard reaction of the botanicals in the wash providing a complex natural sweetness so these tea gins are made without adding sugar and yet still friendly to the palate putting them in a sip-able arena. 

    The tea [notes] comes over late in the distillation, usually after the tails cut of most London Dry Gin recipes as the root/bark botanicals are too harsh, triggering the earlier tails cut. The solution was to break away from traditional botanicals that trigger an early tails cut so you can capture the tea notes avoiding the harsh flavored botanicals.

    In other words, some botanicals of traditional gins would need to be left behind so that they didn't interfere with the tea notes in the tails cut. 

    Tea Fixatives in Gin

    I spent as much time solving this as I did working on the recipe and the above. The tea molecules are highly charged and bind with the other botanicals. In doing so there is a polymerization of botanical molecules that provide mouthfeel but the tea definition is lost as the molecule gets too large for our sensors to perceive them. This usually takes 4-7 days and occurs if the tea is distilled or steeped. 

    After 4-7 days steeping you have tannin expression but the subtle character of an individual leaf is lost. This fine tea character loss occurs irrespective if you steep in water or distill, the tea character immediately starts degrading post production of the liquid and after 4-7 days lapse post production the fine tea notes are gone.

    When distilling with tea the tails cut is before the tannin comes over so you capture the essence of the fine tea character note without the aggressive tannin body of the tea.

    So the tails cut of the gin is between the tea flavor and the tannins, if tannins come over at all in distillation. 

    There is an argument I have heard that gin doesn’t need fixatives, this might be true for spirit-based aromas & flavors of London Dry gins, but for water-based aromas & flavors missed in most LDGs (London Dry Gins) because of the earlier tails cut. In my experience I find them critical for water based aromas & botanicals. People who make tea extracts find the same as does the perfume industry and why we have fixatives from a century old industry.

    There may be a case that if you don’t have any water based flavors & aromas that fixatives don’t matter and this may be true for many LDGs. 

    For me the solution was to look to the perfume industry at fixative botanicals that the right lock & key configuration to bind onto the tea molecules active polarized sites to keep it a small and discrete molecule blocking its charged receptor sights from other botanicals. Although this creates a stable molecule larger than the tea molecule it is still small enough that we can perceive it with our sensors.

    Trial and Error and Three Fixatives

    When I look at a fixative being successful for Coit Gin it has needed to both protect the aroma and promote lingering. 

    The perfume industry uses the fixatives at much higher rates being at 100-1000 times higher than the rate I use in Coit gin to achieve tea stability. Fixatives in perfume can affect the product in 3 or more ways.

    1) They can be an ingredient directly providing an aroma.

    2) Provide fixative qualities to unstable aromas, protecting the aroma character.

    3) Increasing the persistence intensity and lingering ability of an aroma.

    As far as fixative use in Coit gin it’s for stability its strictly points 2&3 from above, protecting aroma character & increasing the longevity or persistence of the aroma.

    It took three fixatives botanicals to truly achieve stability and that were FDA-approved for consumption, as perfumes are topical whereas gin is internal. This took multiple parallel experiments to determine the rate of each fixative with each other.

    The first fixative took stability out to 30 days at which time a small change was noted indicating a second fixative was required as more of the first fixative didn’t help. The second fixative extended the stability out to 90 days with a small change requiring a third fixative. The third fixative achieved stability.

    If these experiments had been done consecutively instead of parallel it would take 1-2 decades before you would have these results. I tested many more than the 3 final plant based botanical fixatives when I went into production as no single fixative would do the job.

    Once we worked out the maximum levels to prove stability we had to retest to minimum levels so the fixative botanicals did their job but did not influence the character of the recipe.

    Parallels in Perfumery

    I asked Rowland if he could share any examples of perfume fixatives (certain he wouldn't want to reveal the specific three used in Coit gins) so that we could have an idea of how they work. He wrote: 

    I provide the following selection as an example from Eden Botanicals

    Note: I make no representation as to their FDA approval for use in USA.

    Some Common Fixatives:

    Amyris: Has a very tenacious, rich, complex odor that quickly fades out to a weak woody-balsamic scent, but is still a well-known fixative; it finds extensive application as a mild blender in numerous types of perfumes and blends well with lavandin, oakmoss, citronella, rose, Virginia cedarwood, etc.

    Clary Sage: Has an herbal-sweet, nut-like fragrance with unusual tenacity; somewhat heavy with a balsamic, ambergris-like dryout reminiscent of tobacco, sweet hay, and tea leaves. An excellent fixative that can be used with perfumes of a more delicate bouquet, and with bergamot, cedarwood, citronella, cognac, cypress, geranium, frankincense, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, labdanum, lavender, lime, and sandalwood.

    Liquidambar (Styrax): Has a very rich, sweet-balsamic, faintly floral, somewhat spicy aroma, with a peculiar styrene topnote and resinous, animalic, amber-like undertones; to be used most sparingly and has excellent fixative qualities. An important element in lilac, narcissus, jonquil, hyacinth, jasmine, tuberose, and wisteria bases; it also blends well with ylang-ylang, rose, lavender, carnation, violet, cassie and spice oils. Benign solvent (ethanol) extracted Resinoid.

    Oakmoss: Has a heavy, rich earthy-mossy, bark-like and extremely tenacious fragrance with a high fixative value; blends well with virtually all other oils, including lavender and ylang-ylang. Used to lend body and rich natural undertones to all perfume types.

    The Choice of Fixatives for Coit Gins

    On the brand's website, they list that there are 10 botanicals in the Earl Grey gin. I asked if the three final fixatives were counted among them. 

    The fixative botanicals are counted separate as they are at so low rates and don’t contribute flavor. My mindset was when I provide the botanical number it is about botanicals that provide the flavor and you could identify in the gin spirit.

    I asked if the fixatives in Coit gins are detectable flavors, or if they're purely functional. 

    It took many months once finding the 3 to achieve the absolute minimum required of each when working in conjunction with each other.

    At these low levels if I increase a fixative botanical rate I can see a change in expression of the tea notes but cannot pick the characteristic of the fixative itself. So the rates at these low levels are very critical. Different rates will have different effects. Fixatives are very dynamic on their rate of use effect as to protecting the aroma, persistence of the aroma and subtly influencing the aroma it is working on to swing it from a slightly savory floral note to a slightly sweeter floral note.

    All 3 fixatives originate from plants i.e. root, leaf, flower, bark, stem. I also tested many highly processed plant compounds and other non-plant compounds to see what worked best, but none of the alternatives were as good as the 3 I found. In Coit’s case I was fortunate with the 3 that I found, were all of plant origin and in alignment of my mindset of a natural, vegan friendly product.

    I didn't get the vegan-friendly thing until I later read the fixative article in Distiller magazine linked above, which states, "Throughout the history of perfume, the most important fixatives have been heavy, animal-derived products. Musk from civets and ambergris from whales are among those derived from fauna, however, distillers tend to draw their fixative heritage from the flora side of things."

    So all of that is very interesting, and nothing I'd spent much time thinking about previously. I hope you enjoyed geeking out with me. 

     

    Other Products

    Worth mentioning is that Coit Spirits also has a bourbon on the market and potentially a fourth gin on the way. 

    The bourbon is as transparent as the gin. From the website:

    Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey, High Rye, Four Grain, 49% ABV

    Distilled and aged on site in Indiana at MGP 

    Unique for MGP is the 4 grain bourbon, the corn and rye provide the backbone, the wheat uplifts both aroma & flavor, and the barley harmonizes the three.

    Straight Bourbon Whiskey, straight from the barrel, assembled, proofed and into the bottle. No charcoal or cold filtration. 49% ABV

     

    And about that fourth gin we may see in the future:

    I am also working on a truly indigenous gin to the Pacific Ocean and coastal Pacific Ranges of the West Coast USA. I am 2+ years into this recipe and 80% there but still working on the finish.

    Some producers have a ‘local or native gin’ these usually contain botanicals that were never indigenous to their region with local but ‘introduced botanicals’ or cross bred sub species; for example a citrus developed/cross bred in Riverside so technically from the USA, but citrus as a species never existed indigenously in the USA in the first place.

    So credit to those producers for being creative but it highlights the difficulty in a truly indigenous recipe that I am working as opposed to native or local.

     

    I look forward to trying the gins (and bourbon) out now and the native gin down the line. 

     

    Coit spirits gins6

  • What to Drink When You’re Not Drinking, According to Bartenders

    It's January, and maybe you're taking a break from drinking so much or maybe you've resolved to drink less. Here are some suggestions on what to drink instead. 

    I asked my bartender pals on Facebook what they drink when they're not drinking alcohol. I didn't expect 100 of them to reply! I put them into various categories mostly based on their first answer to the question. There are some conclusions at the end. It is very long. 

     

    JugWater! And Coconut Water

    It seems that people who like plain water also like herbal tea. 

    Daniel Castro of La Banane in  Toronto, Ontario:  Water. I'm getting older, I get migraines, and so looking after my health is #1. Herbal, peppermint tea is another go-to.

    John Lermayer, Sweet Liberty, Miami:  Alkaline water and green tea (together and separately)

    Paul Bradley of Dubai: Large amounts of water, St Clements, lashings of ginger beer. And coconut water

    Jabriel Donohue of Circadia, Seattle: Plain soda water, herbal tea, non alcoholic beer

     Robert Freeman of Sidecar in Jacksonville FL:  Acqua Panna with fresh squeezed lemon. 

     Charles Steadman: Mayim sparkling water and sencha tea from JoJo tea

    Nonna Titulauri of Hakkasan San Francisco: If I'm out but not drinking, if I'm at a restaurant bar, I either drink hot/cold tea or a coffee beverage. And if I'm at a single standing bar, I just drink water with no ice. I like to keep it simple. I often times go visit my friends after my shift at bars where they work and just have a glass of water. 

    Chris Grimm of Sugar & Olives, Norwalk, CT: I try to drink a couple of litres of water, during a shift. My non-alcoholic, non-water go-to is Pellegrino Pamplemousse. 

    Ricardo Albrecht: Coconut water

     

    1009066_157612477757223_1316551939_oTopo Chico Sparkling Water

    Mindy Kucan of Hale Pele Portland, OR: Topo Chico!!!! I always have a case of topo in my car! Iced tea- sometimes I sweeten it. Black tea, golden milk, and I make this coconut water-banana-cocoa powder-Hawaiian sea salt smoothie that does the trick. 

    Pamela Wiznitzer of Seamstress, NYC: Topo Chico when available. Otherwise, I drink loads of tea and very into matcha these days!

    Brad Bowden of Lounge Here Dallas, TX: Topo Chico for sure! HOLY Kombucha is up there on my go to list. 

    Donnie Pratt: Tap water, Topo Chico or Mountain Valley Springs and espresso 1000 Faces out of Athens, GA are my favorite.

    Stuart Humphries of The Pass & Provisions, Houston, TX: Topo Chico, a highly effervescent agua mineral hard to find outside of Mexico and Texas, goes great with everything, esp. tacos and hangovers

    Greg West: Topo all the way. Topo with hint of lime. So good.

    Cameron George: Topo chico and Ango.

    Kyle Zimmerman, Hutch on Avondale, Oklahoma City: Topo Chico with bitters and an orange slice. I feel like the minerality of topo really plays well with the bitters.

    Will Croxville: Topo Chico if possible, but if not just regular old seltzer water for me.

    Rich Heider II:  Topo Chico

     

     

    Sodas or Soda Water with Splashes of Something

    1449356763-spellegrinoPaul Russell of Hugo's, Portland Maine: Cinotto by San Pellegrino. Also, what I call the hydrito…an N/A mojito with a heavy hand of ango.

    Danny Ronen, Consultant: I go for effervescent with little to no sugar, so:  Perrier Grapefruit, Coconut water (preferably the one Robert Pallone has been working on for the past few years, it's so GD delicious and some of the lowest sugar content i've seen), Hot water, fresh lemon juice (neighbor's tree). 

    Tony Morandi of 900 wall/the Capitol. Bend OR: Coffee. Half soda water/half water. Tea is awesome mid day and night. Veggie based smoothies. Coconut water. But for special occasions, well made/ interesting sodas in limited quantities. Made a pineapple allspice soda the other day that was killer

    Jason Laidlaw of The Shameful Tiki Room, Vancouver: Water, splash of pineapple if I need an energy boost (and the opened can(s) of soda water at the end of the shift. Not at work: coconut water (no added sugar), kombucha, water.

    Travis St Germain of Clover Club, Brooklyn: Soda water lime juice and salt. 

    Matt Roberts of London: 1 lime, Mexican elbowed, pinch salt and soda water during service. Pot after pot of pu'erh tea helps keep the focus on line clean day too!

    Josey Packard of Bar Mezzana, Boston: I make a tamarind syrup that has brags vinegar in it, a no-sugar St John's "syrup," and a sarsaparilla syrup.

     Andy Griffiths:  Sparkling water with yuzu juice!

    Jamaal PatronJames Bowen:  Clayton's Kola Tonic, splash Ginger Ale and 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters for good measure

    Elliot Clark of Trick Dog, SF: Soda water, pineapple juice, and Peychauds bitters. 

    Alastair Burgess: Lemon, lime and bitters, actually available as a canned soft drink in the Caribbean. Other wise, ginger juice, lemon juice ango bitters and soda water.

    Kailee Asher of Counter Intuitive/Undertow in Phoenix AZ: I'm pregnant right now so no drinking for a while…  Clausthaler N/A beer, club soda and ango, dealer's choice N/A cocktail at a cocktail bar – had a really good smash at Otium in LA!

    Odd Strandbakken of Himkok, Oslo. Norway: soda, ice, grapefruit bitters and grapefruit zest!

    Francis Schott of Stage Left & Catherine Lombardi a restaurants, New Brunswick, NJ: Blenheim Ginger Ale (not-so-hot) out of the painted glass bottle (never plastic) or Elderflower syrup and soda. 2 oz in 6 oz seltzer- my favorite brand is Austrian by Nikolaihof. Elderflower syrup in German is Holunderblütensirup (available through Michael Skurnik Wines). Fun to drink – fun to say. I keep a bottle in my refrigerator at all times. 

    Zachary A. Evans: Fresh squeezed lemonade, ginger ale, and cran. Equal parts.

    Ole Buddrus: Technically speaking bitters contain alcohol, that aside my favorite is still ginger ale and angostura, preferably East Imperial.

    Ben Johnson of The Imperial Life, Asheville, NC: I find myself drinking a lot of Coke, or specialty soda in general. When I go out to eat or to a bar, my go to is almost always Peach Nehi soda if they've got it (and most places in Western North Carolina do). I'll also crush a soda water with lime after a long shift. And if I'm at a real dive, I'll generally go for a grapefruit juice (out of a can) and soda, as it looks more like a drink. There's really no reason to be at a dive bar if you're not drinking, so I find it best to mask it at these types of places. 

     

    Tonic Water, Modified

    East-imperial-tonicJacopo Rosito: 54 Mint, San Francisco: Cranberry, tonic, lime !

    Mike Henderson of Edible Beats (Root Down), Denver: Tonic, Lime, and Angostura Bitters. Preferably Q or Indi tonic.

    Jay Villafana of The Slanted Door, San Francisco: Grapefruit and Tonic

    Blair Frodelius. Mid-Century Lounge. Syracuse, NY: Fever-Tree Tonic water and a squeeze of lime, Orangina or Lavender Dry Soda all served on the rocks.

    Brian Means, Michael Mina Group: Seedlip and tonic is delicious!

    Tyler Fry:  Tonic on anything, especially grapefruit. Juices and tea. Chai-spiced cider.

    Jessi Mess, Absinthe, SF: grapefruit & tonic, sometimes with ango.

    Paul Mathew  of The Hide/The Arbitrager, London: House tonic syrup, orange bitters, squeeze of lime, soda, long w/lots of ice. And shots of 50:50 maple syrup and lime juice for a pick-me-up.

     

    Coffee, Please

    CoffeeFred Yarm of Loyal Nine in Boston: My number one nonalcoholic drink is coffee, hot and black, although I have no problem drinking it room temperature such as during a shift or if I have left overs from yesterday's pot. Otherwise, the majority of my nonalcoholic drinking consists of water either still or sparkling. And medicinally (besides its use for making Bucks and Mules), ginger beer such as a ginger-forward one like AJ Stephens is my go to.

    Adam Patrick K of Rothbard Ale & Larder, Westport, CT:  Bulletproof Coffee, tisanes, kombucha

    Tom Zyankali of Zyankali Bar, Berlin:  Café au laut with Vietnamese coffee

    Anthony DeSerio:  Coffee… lots and lots of coffee. Verners ginger ale when i can get it.

    Or Geshury: Espresso tonic. Cold brew from coconut water. Jasmine green speedballed with chamomile/peppermint depending on the time of day. Coconut water + activated charcoal + sea salt (hangover preventative). Fevertree sodas. Mexicoke. Bitters lime and soda when at a bar and not drinking.

     

    Tea and Iced Tea

    TeabagBill Brooks,  The Cannibal Liquor House, Manhattan: I am a big fan of sun tea in the summer. I have 2-3 empty clear growlers that I fill with water, various fruits (watermelon, lemon, raspberry, peaches, etc), spices (mint, lemon verbena, basil), and some really good quality tea. Leave it out in the sun for a couple of hours and I will go thru a jug every 2-3 days. Love my sun tea.

    Gary Crunkleton of The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, NC: Sweet Tea

    Christian Suzuki of multiple bars, San Francisco: Genmaicha, Oolang (iced for summer, hot during winter), coffee (black…like my soul)

    David Bonatesta: Genmaicha tea , Evian Water or San Pellegrino. Vitamin Water, Carrot Juice, Espresso

    Trevor Easter of Normandie Club, Los Angeles: Bhakti original and coldbrew chai blend.

    Bethany Ham:  If it's cold out – green tea with honey and lemon or chai tea with a little hot almond milk.  If it's hot out – bitters and soda #ftw, iced tea or ice water with a splash of fresh sweetened ginger and ango. 

    Jared Hirsch of Sidebar, Oakland, CA:  At work: Arnold Palmer the way he liked it (3:1 iced tea : lemonade.) At home: Harney and Sons' Paris tea, or Lapsang Souchong tea, or Dr. Browns' Cream Soda. 

    Matthew Rowley, writer: For me it's tea. Iced tea all year and, when the mercury dips, hot tea in an old 500 ml West German beer stein. First one goes down usually before dawn. Second by 7am or so. A third only if I'm not going to the gym that day. Between hot and iced teas, I usually dispatch 2-4 liters per day.  I may have a tea problem.

    Andreas Künster: Black tea (the English way), cold milk, calpis or calpico with soda and a lot of non sparkling water

    Tim Morrison of 4th Street Bar & Grill, Lake Mary, FL:  I'm a tea addict. Hot or cold or any kind. I go thru more unsweet iced black tea than anything. 

    Christopher Day:  Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

     Niquito Constan: mate-cocido (a famous argentinean infusion) with milk and mascabo (red sugar), coffee with milk and honey, ginger beer whenever I can lay myself on one. I tend to mix tonic with juices. Homemade guarana soda, or homemade pomegranate with soda! From time to time I go full on zombie mode and drink guarana flavoured energy drink called V.

    Jen Ackrill, Top of Waikiki, Hawaii: Technically when I'm "not drinking" I'm drinking Dolin Blanc with soda and a grapefruit zest, but when I'm NOT drinking it's Yogi Egyptian Licorice Tea, hot or cold!

     

    Weird Miscellany

    A1jAdGiMqPL._SX522_Cari Hah of Big Bar in Los Angeles: Korean Corn Silk Tea

    Blake Pope of Kindred, North Carolina: Switchel.  It's composition is incredibly simple – usually, just three ingredients: seltzer, apple cider vinegar, and either honey, molasses or maple syrup. I love the simplicity. Kindred currently has a pomegranate switchel on tap and I can’t get enough.

    Thor Bergquist of PS40 in Sydney, Australia:  Smoked lemonade made in house

    Dan Brink:  Apple cider vinegar, honey, cinnamon, ice

    Leilani Vella:  I don't find the trade of sugar for alcohol to be a healthier choice. So kombucha, bitters and soda, lemon grass mint tea, orange slice with fresh mint a splash of lemon juice and soda, or fresh juiced ginger, lemon apple and greens.

     Ariana Vitale: Verjus

     Cordula Langer: Joghurt with soda and homemade smoothies

    Alex Smith, Whitechapel, SF: I have a favorite recovery drink when I go to the gym – when I am coincidentally also "not drinking." Combo of the following: some concentrated cold brew coffee w/ chicory (4 oz), hemp milk (2 oz), natural cane ginger beer (2 oz), coconut water (10 oz), and some Bob's Red Mill chocolate protein powder (3 tbs).

     

    Conclusions

    So if you wanted to take something away from this, here is what I see. Bartenders like:

    • Tea, perhaps even more than coffee. I did not know this. 
    • Grapefruit and Tonic – If you're a tonic water brand you're going to want to release this as a combination flavor. 
    • Topo Chico is so, so hot right now. (I introduce it to my friends as 'bartender water.') Here's a good NYT story about it's new popularity.

     

     

  • (Almost) All the Cocktails & Spirits Books Published in 2015, For Reading or Gifting

    Throughout the year I post new drink books to Alcademics, because I love drinking and books. Below is all of them put together so that you can make your holiday wish list for yourself or see them all together to pick presents for friends and family.

    Know of a book I missed? Let me know and I'll add it.

     

    Culture and Fun

    Party-like-a-president-2d-high-resjpg-f9aeaf69d8544ad7You Suck At Drinking: Being a Complete Guide to Drinking for Any and All Situations in Your Life, Including But Not Limited to Office Holiday Parties, Weddings, Breakups and Other Sad Times, Outdoor Chores Like Deck-building, and While in Public, Legally and Illegally  By Matthew Latkiewicz

    Toasts: The Perfect Words to Celebrate Every Occasion By June Cotner and Nancy Tupper Ling

    Party Like A President: True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery, and Mischief from the Oval Office By Brian Abrams

    The Field Guide to Drinking in America By Niki Ganong 

    You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery by Mamrie Hart

    A Visual Guide to Drink by Pop Chart Lab: Ben Gibson, Patrick Mulligan

     

    Vintage Reprints

    ImgresHoffman House Bartender's Guide By Charley Mahoney

    The Ideal Bartender By Tom Bullock

    W. C. Whitfield's Mixed Drinks and Cocktails: An Illustrated, Old-School Bartender's Guide by W. C. Whitfield (Author), Tad Shell (Illustrator), Joaquín Simó (Foreword)

    Shaking Up Prohibition in New Orleans: Authentic Vintage Cocktails from A to Z
    By Olive Leonhardt and Hilda Phelps Hammond

     

    Historical Books

    Cocktail Noir: From Gangsters and Gin Joints to Gumshoes and Gimlets by Scott Deitche

    UrlLost Recipes of Prohibition: Notes from a Bootlegger’s Manual by Matthew Rowley

    To Have and Have Another Revised Edition: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene

    Gone with the Gin: Cocktails with a Hollywood Twist by Tim Federle

    Cocktails of the Movies: An Illustrated Guide to Cinematic Mixology by Will Francis , Stacey Marsh

    Imbibe! From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to “Professor” Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar (Updated and Revised Edition)
    By David Wondrich

    Contraband Cocktails: How America Drank When It Wasn't Supposed To by Paul Dickson 

     

    UrlNarrative Cocktail Books

    The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance with Jigger, Shaker & Glass by Paul Clarke  

    Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and her Cocktails by Duggan McDonnell

    Ten Cocktails: The Art of Convivial Drinking by Alice Lascelles 

     

    Cocktails from Specific Bars

    6a00e553b3da20883401b8d17a925a970cThe Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual: Secret Recipes and Barroom Tales from Two Belfast Boys Who Conquered the Cocktail World by Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry, Ben Schaffer

    Experimental Cocktail Club: Paris, London & New York by Romée de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros, Olivier Bon, Xavier Padavoni 

    Cuban Cocktails: 100 Classic and Modern Drinks by Ravi DeRossi, Jane Danger, Alla Lapushchik 

    Tujague's Cookbook: Creole Recipes and Lore in the New Orleans Grand Tradition by Poppy Tooker 

    Cocktails for Dingdongs Vol. 1. by Dustin Drankiewicz and Alexandra Ensign

     

    Themed Cocktail Books

    51bB5UXlUyL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_Summer Cocktails: Margaritas, Mint Juleps, Punches, Party Snacks, and More! By MarТa del Mar Sacasa and Tara Striano

    The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore  By Gary Regan

    Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer By Jacob Grier

    The Tippling Bros. A Lime and a Shaker: Discovering Mexican-Inspired Cocktails by by Tad Carducci & Paul Tanguay with Alia Akkam

    Classic Cocktails by Salvatore Calabrese

    Tea Cocktails: A Mixologist's Guide to Legendary Tea-Infused Cocktails by Abigail R. Gehring

    The Mason Jar Cocktail Companion by Shane Carley

    Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar  by Robert Sharp and Nicole Weston 

    The Manhattan Cocktail: A Modern Guide to the Whiskey Classic by Albert W. A. Schmid

    Paris Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the City of Light  by Doni Belau 

    Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home by Emily Han

    The Periodic Table of COCKTAILS by Emma Stokes 

    Forager's Cocktails: Botanical Mixology with Fresh, Natural Ingredients by Amy Zavatto

    Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails: Restorative Vintage Cocktails, Mocktails, and Elixirs by Warren Bobrow

    The Essential New York Times Book of Cocktails  by Steve Reddicliffe 

    Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends by Ryan Chetiyawardana

    The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion by Julie Reiner

     

    Whisky and Whiskey

    51YffZpl9ML._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_Whiskey: What to Drink Next: Craft Whiskeys, Classic Flavors, New Distilleries, Future Trends By Dominic Roskrow 

    Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker by Fred Minnick

    Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler 

    Spirit of Place: Scotland's Great Whisky Distilleries by Charles MacLean 

    The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All: Know Your Booze Before You Choose  by Richard Betts

    The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries by Carol Peachee

    American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye (New Edition): A Guide to the Nation's Favorite Spirit by Clay Risen

     

    Other Spirits

    51VHrm7ytCL._SX359_BO1,204,203,200_Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters & Amari: 500 Bitters; 50 Amari; 123 Recipes for Cocktails, Food & Homemade Bitters  by Mark Bitterman

     

    How the Gringos Stole Tequila: The Modern Age of Mexico's Most Traditional Spirit By Chantal Martineau

    Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production  by Sarah Bowen

    Gin: The Manual by Dave Broom 

    Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit That Created America’s Cocktail Culture by Adam Ford

    Branca: A Spirited Italian Icon by Niccolo Branca di Romanico

     

    Science-Minded

    Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson: Recipes for Innovation from IBM & the Institute of Culinary Education

    Hidden Scents: The Language of Smell in the Age of Approximation by Allen Barkkume 

     

    Miscellany

    51u5h1zPGDL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and other Treats By Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall

    The River Cottage Booze Handbook by John Wright

    The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth

    Cider Made Simple: All About Your New Favorite Drink  by Jeff Alworth

    Discovering the New York Craft Spirits Boom by Heather D. Dolland

    Branding: Distilled by Cynthia Sterling