SteamDrunks: 101 Steampunk Cocktails and Mixed Drinks

by Chris-Rachael Oseland

101 Steampunk Cocktails and Mixed Drinks gently escorts you through the treacherous waters of 19th century mixology.You'll find authentic Victorian punch recipes that could be confused for farmer's cheese, tea recipes which will knock you out rather than wake you up, and downright chewable eggy cream curdles.Along the way, you'll also find some shockingly tasty 19th century recipes made from all natural ingredients you already have at home.Whether you're looking for a delicate cocktail to impress a fine corset clad lady or industrial quantities of affordable Victorian punch to serve the entire crew of your airship, you'll find the perfect Steampunk themed drink inside the pages of SteamDrunks.__Brought to you by the author of the Unofficial True Blood Drinking Guide.

Genres: Steampunk, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Cocktails, Food and Drink

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Erika Zamerica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's definitely a niche market. I guess the best I can say is that it is decently written and easy to read, probably well researched. But as far as entertainment value, not so much. And as far as usable recipes, well I spent more time thinking how gross all those fermented milk drinks had to be. LOL I admit there were several that I might try...not the milky drinks but some of the others. If you have a slight interest in the Victorian era drinks, then sure. I'll keep it on my bookshelf if I decide to concoct one of these.

[Arietta Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great value and is a must for any would be Victorian bar tenders out there or Steam Punk fans who want to delve a little deeper into that world.

Most the recipes are accessible and the average joe could make them at home without any special equipment although some of them sound pretty disgusting so I'm not sure if you would want to bother :/

The books style is jovial, tongue in cheek but informative and is an enjoyable read even if you never make any of the drinks.

[Damona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely fascinating. Some of these recipes sound delightful, some of them made my eyebrows shoot up as I muttered,"People would actually DRINK that??" I may even try a few at the next party we have. (the Cherry Bounce sounds delicious!)

[Sara W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not made any of the recipes in this book (and really don't plan to), but I pretty much read it cover to cover because it's so laugh out loud funny in a lot of sections (with many historical themed jokes - don't see that very often!).

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my style.

A drinking book centered with a steampunk theme, and this book had some (allegedly) legit Victorian booze recipes along with more modern day versions of them.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh dear God in His heaven, this was both revolting and hilarious!

Most of these drinks have an ingredients list that starts with sugar, eggs, lemons, room temperature whole milk and cheesecloth. Are we making cocktails or are we making cheesecake? This really shouldn’t be a question that ever comes up.

The book lists authentic 19th century recipes, followed by modified versions that have less risk of food poisoning. The recipes are quite revealing in that Victorians appear to a) have used alcohol to sterilize their proteins and dairies while also getting their vitamin C, and b) these genteel ladies gathering for some afternoon punch either had some pretty high tolerance levels or got pretty wasted each night.

I’m not sure I’d want to try too many of these recipes (I’m not a fan of “drinking” my cocktails with a fork) but I laughed the whole time and was thoroughly delighted by both the source material and Oseland’s irreverent writing style.

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witty writing. Informative. Some of the period recipes sound repulsive, others sound actually pretty good. Gets a little repetitive in places and could use some pictures...either photos of the drinks, or some black-and-white steampunk doodles of tea cups, punch bowls, etc. I doubt I'll ever make any of these, but it was fun to read.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with a morbid kind of fascination. I would NOT want to try even one of these drinks, but I really enjoyed the way they were described as well as some of the more... eye-opening pointers about former times.

[Jenna Lyday · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I was hoping was to find drink recipes that were made a.) before people had to get crazy trying to be more creative than the last 100 years of mixology and b.) recipes made before artificially flavored vodka. So far, it seems to be shaping up to be just that with a dash of humor for spice. "Grind those nuts like the souls of your indentured servants." It's a step in the first recipe. Enjoy.
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Okay, so I just finished reading this, which is saying something, since it's essentially a cookbook. Almost all of the recipes maintain the level of humor established with the almond milk, and while it's not exactly a history, per se, there are a lot of interesting little historical tidbits about daily life sprinkled throughout. And martha Washington was apparently a damn fine mixologist.

[Jyllian Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A recipe book that makes you think and chuckle--yes anything by Alton Brown. A recipe book that might make you gag just a bit (milk punches? ew) and laugh loudly--yes SteamDrunks. I appreciate the authenticity of the recipes --being someone who had a few degrees in English Lit, but I also appreciate the modern alternatives. Why? because I also have parties and don't want to poison my guest but might want to give them a taste of the Victorian era (just not the food poisoning that was probably common). This was great fun for those who enjoy history, literature AND Steampunk (I happen to be all three).

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you picked this up to begin with you'll probably find a healthy list of things you want to try, and the commentary is both delightfully snarky and on point. Want to get a crowd drunk? Make something appallingly authentic (Louis Pasteur's ghost is shuddering over the milk punches)? Just enjoy a new cocktail with some historical context? Then this is worth checking out. And if anyone ever tells you how straitlaced the Victorians were, let them know that a proper ladies lemonade from that era contained more gin than they think.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious read. The authors have a tongue in cheek sarcasm that is much appreciated, especially with the curdled milk punches and egg drinks. A lot of the Victorian versions sound disgusting, plus they are in massive quantities so the addition of modern versions after some of them is greatly appreciated. The idea of reading a cocktail book instead of only using it as a lookup reference might seem odd. Read it anyway - cover to cover.

[Symmonz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most entertaining recipe book of all time

I ended up reading this cover to cover just out of sheer entertainment. I actually laughed out loud so many times I lost count. Almost each page has something either humorous or deprecating about the drink. The author freely admits that several of these recipes - while period correct - are disgusting and should be skipped. It's worth getting just to have an amusing evening.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that never has a cookbook had me laughing so hard. I ended up reading some of the recipes to friends friends so I could share the laughter. I think my favorite is The Loyal Legion Punch.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historically hilarious recipes

I liked the style in which this was written. Some of the recipes are terrible, but the author knows it and offers modern takes on Victorian cocktails. A nice book for the shelf of any steam fan with a love of bartending and/or booze.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hilarious book. I don't drink, but I thought that the recipes in here were great and hilarious. Some of those Victorians, man... they were pretty hardcore. I recommend this book if you like anything having to do with the Victorian Era or Steampunk.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious text, interesting recipes.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ideas, most of them anyway. I'll post when we test some.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

steampunk cocktails

Super fun and interesting. A lot of the recipes are really good and easy to make. Perfect for a little flair to a party

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterically funny, even for this non-drinker. A great recommendation from my friend Hannah.

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't tried any recipes yet (we're thinking a tasting for the release of BioShock Infinite), but the descriptions of how to make the drinks are worth reading through even while sober! Hilarious.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to find something new to try but nothing was appealing and all made in absurd quantities.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is food porn at it's finest.

[Troy Beals · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the recipes and the stories that go along with them. :-)