Looking for something to give that booze-lover in your life? Check our these 9 books about different aspects of the alcohol industry, from craft beer to cocktails to Japanese whisky.
1) The Little Book of Craft Beer
By Melissa Cole; illustrated by Stuart Hardie
Hardie Grant, October 2017
$14.99
This book celebrates more than 100 of the world’s most innovative and tastiest beers, from classic IPAs bursting with hops to silky-smooth stouts. Self-confessed beer geek and expert Melissa Cole takes readers through the brewing process and guides them to some of the best and most eclectic craft brewers. Each section of the book is finished with a cocktail and food recipe using beer as the key component. Readers will also discover a tasty selection of gluten- and alcohol-free offerings, as well a helpful advice on shopping for craft beer, tasting and food-pairing notes. The Little Book of Craft Beer is complete with clear and practical illustrations, and little-known facts, hints and tips on different brews throughout.
2) The Way of Whisky: A Journey Around Japanese Whisky
By Dave Broom
Mitchell Beazley, November 2017
$50
Internationally recognized whisky expert Dave Broom has visited Japan 25 times in the past 12 years, studying and learning about its whiskies. He shares his personal journey around Japan’s whisky distilleries and the unique whisky culture of the country in this new hardcover book. Each chapter in The Way of Whisky details the history of the distillery, its production and current whiskies, along with tasting notes. Broom considers why Japanese whisky is different, questions of tradition vs. innovation, and how whisky links with many aspects of Japanese culture. Photography from Kohei Take leads readers deeper into the philosophy behind the drink, making this book a great read for any whisky lover, whisky drinker, whisky collector or Japanophile.
3) Atlas of Beer: A Globe-Trotting Journey Through the World of Beer
By Nancy Hoalst-Pullen, Mark W. Patterson and Garrett Oliver
National Geographic, September 2017
$40
This beer-lover’s guide to the world is filled with photography, unique drinking destinations, little-known histories and insider knowledge from brewers and bar owners around the globe. Among the more comprehensive beer atlases available, this illustrated compendium includes information on numerous beers and where they’re brewed. Containing beer recommendations from Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, and written by “beer geographers” Nancy Hoalst-Pullen and Mark Patterson, this book features more than 100 maps and 200 color photos. Readers will find beer history, trends and tasting across six continents, as well as how to order a beer in 14 languages. Travel tips include the best breweries, beer festivals and pubs in each location.
4) Rum: Shake, Muddle, Stir
By Dan Jones; illustrated by Daniel Servansky
Hardie Grant, September 2017
$16.99
Author Dan Jones introduces readers to some of the best rum-makers on the planet, as well as some of the most exciting concoctions that can be made from the spirit. Oozing style and flavor, these rum-based cocktails have it all: Start with a refreshingly fruity Pina Colada and transport yourself to the laid-back beaches of Hawaii, or bring out your naughty side with the dark, stormy flavors of the Negroni-like Dirty Little Ruby. The 144-page book also features all the staples like the Mai Tai, rum Negroni and Hot Rum Toddy. With more than 40 tantalizing cocktails as well as recipes for do-it-yourself syrups, sours, infusions and more, Rum: Shake, Muddle, Stir is an indispensable guide for working with the venerable spirit.
5) Tasting Cider: The CIDERCRAFT Guide to the Distinctive Flavors of North American Hard Cider
By Erin James
Storey Publishing, July 2017
$19.95
This guide to North America’s oldest beverage celebrates hard cider’s rich history and its modern makers, as well as its deliciously diverse possibilities. Flavor profiles and tasting guidelines highlight 100 selections of cider—including single varietal, dessert, hopped and barrel-aged—plus perry, cider’s pear-based cousin. To show the beverage’s food-friendliness, cider pairings are featured in 30 food recipes, from Brussels sprouts salad to salmon chowder, brined quail and poached pear frangipane. An additional 30 cocktail recipes include combinations such as Maple Basil Ciderita and Pear-fect Rye Fizz. Author Erin James is the editor in chief of Cidercraft and Sip Northwest magazines.
6) Against All Hops: Techniques and Philosophy for Creating Extraordinary Botanical Beers
By Butch Heilshorn
Page Street Publishing, October 2017
$18.99
Join brewer Butch Heilshorn and discover gruits: incredible botanical beers that were brewed throughout the world for most of human history. Heilshorn provides techniques and approaches for the intermediate to advanced brewer to create these unique, out-of-the-box brews. These increasingly popular beers use a wide array of plants, often local to the brewer, to delight palates and ignite imaginations. Heilshorn’s philosophy espouses a practical reverence for the earth, appreciation for the plants he regards as brewing partners and a decidedly anti-authoritarian streak. He encourages brewers to use his recipes as a jumping off point for their own adventures in botanical brewing.
7) New Zealand Wine: The Land, The Vines, The People
By Warren Moran
Hardie Grant, July 2017
$60
Geographer and wine enthusiast Warren Moran has followed the development of the New Zealand wine industry for half a century, talking extensively to the winemakers and tasting their wines. He provides an introduction to the industry: the climate, soils and geography the winemakers work with and the grape varieties they have tried to tame. Moran also covers the extraordinary personalities, families and companies who have made the country’s wine and the industry internationally recognized. Illustrated with three-dimensional maps of regions and localities and photographs of the vineyards, the wines, and the winemakers, this book is a resource for anyone interested in understanding the wines of New Zealand.
8) Fever-Tree: The Art of Mixing
By Fever-Tree
Mitchell Beazley, October 2017
$20
This book offers more than 125 drink and cocktail recipes, created for Fever-Tree by the world’s top bartenders. Contributors including Angel Teta of Portland, OR-based Ataula, whose creative update on the Moscow Mule won the 2016 cocktail competition at Tales of the Cocktail. The hardcover book makes world-class long drinks accessible to readers at home. The book focuses on key mixers—including tonic, lemonade, ginger ale, ginger beer and cola—and provides 125 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes that make the most of the botanical partnerships. Readers will discover fascinating facts about the origins of key ingredients, including quinine, lemons and elderflower. The book also reveals the role quinine has played in geo-politics, and the impact that different herbs have on taste.
9) Drink Progressively: A Bold New Way to Pair Wine with Food
By TJ and Hadley Douglas
Spring House Press, November 1, 2017
$24.95
TJ and Hadley Douglas are the owners of The Urban Grape retail store in Boston’s South End. Their first book takes readers through their intuitive approach for pairing wine with food by using The Urban Grape’s Progressive Scale, a system that identifies wines by their weight, from light-bodied to full-bodied, rather than varietal or region. This way of thinking about wine encourages readers to explore new regions, producers, varietals, and price points – all while staying in their wine comfort zone. Seasonal recipes for every cooking level created by Chef Gabriel Frasca of Nantucket’s Straight Wharf restaurant, in addition to personal recipes from the Douglas’ home kitchen, are accompanied by wine pairing notes.
