Big Shots: The Men Behind the Booze

by A.J. Baime

Offers a fascinating look at the men behind the labels of such popular alcohol labels as Jim Beam, Jack Daniel, Jose Cuervo, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Smirnoff, Bacardi, Seagram, Captain Morgan, Dom Perignon, Beefeater, and Hennessy. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Food and Drink

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2003

Reviews

[Adam DeBord · Rating 4 out of 5]

How much do you really know about the names behind your favorite liquors? Do you know who Jack Daniel was? Do you know about the Seagram brothers? What about Jose Cuervo?

The stories behind how these liquors came to be are as interesting and engaging as the millions of stories they have inspired over the years.

Additionally, the stories show how world history and important events impacted these brands. The Russian revolution killing one of the Smirnov brothers and sending the other to various places in Europe begging anyone to buy his way of making Vodka. We see the prohibition era be a major boon to the brothers who sold Seagram’s, particularly to black market bootleggers smuggling the whiskey from Canada to the US. Prohibition sending the real life Jim Beam into guarding a coal mine. The dry county where Lynchburg, Tennessee exists sending Jack Daniel into politics, and how Frank Sinatra made the Jack Daniel’s brand a cultural phenomenon.

The list goes on and on, the Mexican revolution’s impact on Jose Cuervo, or the Spanish-American War and Cuban revolution having an impact on Don Facundo Bacardi.

This book shows how history and politics impacts everything. That includes the way we pursue our drunkenness. In many respects, the pursuit of drunkenness has also driven a lot of our history.

[John Espie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little bit of a different book for Baime. While it reads with great entertainment, it is organized more like a textbook (this chapter is about his person, the next chapter is about that person, etc.) rather than his typical "standards book" organization. I'm only giving it four stars not because it isn't well written, but simply because the format is a bit stodgy. Still worth the time as a fun read.

[TERRY L ENGELHARDT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok

While a nice detour from my serious reading endeavours there are many obvious factual errors and unnecessary, gratuitous vulgarity. Sure signs of a careless or unskilled writer and a poor or nonexistent editor.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

History and booze combined

A real page turned that makes me want to sample some of the subjects covered. I look forward to reading more of the author’s work.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a drinker but I enjoyed the history!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun. Some good knowledge for pub trivia too.

Only problem, it's now a bit dated.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting History of The men behind the booze culture. It was a fun read for our men's book group and was done in a straight up forward style.

[Robert B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

D
Good book. Like Baime’s historical writing.

[Jamie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for Christmas. The tag said - because you enjoy books and drinking. Which I do:)

I thought it would be a bunch of cocktail recipes but there's much more inside and this is a great little book.

It gives a brief and interesting history, science and secrets of some for some of the most famous brands that we destroy brain cells with. Jack Daniel, Mr Bacardi, Bailey's and Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Mr. Hennessy and a few more.

Some of the information is already stuff of legend but there is some really fascinating stuff in this little book, about the makers -( Captain Morgan particularly was quite a bloke!). A bit about how the names and recipes survived this long, which given a few had prohibition to contend with is quite impressive.

It does have some some cocktail recipes, many of which sound bloody awful, a few of which I will be trying. If I can only find a bottle of $3000 Hennessy or some green label Jack lol

I really like the way this author writes, coincidentally he wrote one of my favourite books - [b] Go Like Hell [/b] about Ford at Le Mans - even if you don't like racing, it is an interesting story. The same applies to this - even if you don't drink much, the historical stuff is worth reading.

[Ditshego Madopi]

This book will do as it says and impress your friends the next time you go drinking when you're able to tell them interesting facts about how the alcohol they drink originally came to be. It averages at around ten pages for each of the liquor brands it discusses and is organised in chapters according to the region in which the alcohol is or was originally produced. It's very informative and is written in a relax and almost casual writing style that entertains as well - a good strategy for this type of content.

[Anu Apte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A J Baime writes a historical account of booze legends such as Bacardi, Beam, Cuervo, Walker, and more. The book is filled with facts and knowledge that a bartender should know. IMO. The book is also filled with historical dates and places and other interesting facts for people who have no interest in bartending. Info such as the invasion on Cuba and the effects on economy, and how Bacardi almost played a role in the assasination of Fidel Castro.
Very interesting indeed.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Incredibly interesting and written for prime entertaining. Enjoy with a scotch on the rocks.