The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails

by David Wondrich (Editor), Noah Rothbaum (Editor)

Anthropologists and historians have confirmed the central role alcohol has played in nearly every society since the dawn of human civilization, but it is only recently that it has been the subject of serious scholarly inquiry. The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is the first major reference work to cover the subject from a global perspective, and provides an authoritative, enlightening, and entertaining overview of this third branch of the alcohol family. It will stand alongside the bestselling Companions to Wine and Beer , presenting an in-depth exploration of the world of spirits and cocktails in a groundbreaking synthesis.

The Companion covers drinks, processes, and techniques from around the world as well as those in the US and Europe. It provides clear explanations of the different ways that spirits are produced, including fermentation, distillation, and ageing, alongside a wealth of new detail on the emergence of cocktails and cocktail bars, including entries on key cocktails and influential mixologists and cocktail bars. With entries ranging from Manhattan and mixology to sloe gin and stills , the Companion combines coverage of the range of spirit-based drinks around the world with clear explanations of production processes, and the history and culture of their consumption. It is the ultimate guide to understanding what is in your glass.

The Companion is lavishly illustrated throughout, and appendices include a timeline of spirits and distillation and a guide to mixing drinks.

Genres: Cocktails, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Food and Drink

864 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2021

About the author

Born on the banks of the Monongahela. Raised in major urban centers. Ex-bass player, ex-English professor, ex-ragtime writer. Mixographer. Brooklynite. Likes port and Stilton and Artemus Ward.

Reviews

[Charline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be a book you never read cover to cover but refer to for the rest of your life. Being a spirits and cocktail lover this is a definitive scholarly work that will be used as a reference and the question answerer for all things spirits.
Topics Outline
"Bartenders, Mixologists, and Mixographers (Contemporary) Bartenders, Mixologists, and Mixographers (Historical) Brands and Spirits Companies Cocktail Bars Cocktails Distillation, Blending, and Maturation General and Miscellaneous Mixers and Garnishes Mixology Culture, Theory, Technique, and Tools Spirits Spirits Institutions Spirits Personalities The World of Spirits and Cocktails, by Region"

I was on a webinar (Bourbon Women) with the authors last night and I recommend you find them being interviewed. With 10 year journey to get this written and published, they have many stories of how it was completed. And both are great storytellers.
I purchased a hardcover prior to the webinar but during it, I purchased the Kindle version so I will always have it with me on my phone. I highly recommend purchasing the kindle version in that it is very well linked and tagged and will be even easier to go down the Rabbit Hole.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cocktail fans will quench their thirst for knowledge with this mammoth, authoritative and illuminating guide, written with great wit and astounding scholarship by James Beard Award-winner David Wondrich ("Imbibe!") and co-editor Noah Rothbaum ("The Business of Spirits"). This lavishly designed reference book gives readers the origin story, evolution and recipe for hundreds of cocktails, along with biographies of bartenders and mixologists; histories of spirits, mixology cultures, tools and terms.

This international companion encourages readers to happily lose themselves as one fascinating entry cross-references another. Under "Harvey Wallbanger," readers will find its racy origin, recipe and a link to creator Donato "Duke" Antone, who ran a heroin ring while bartending. Readers never know where they'll end up, but it will always be entertaining and enlightening.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have started reading this A-Z, but it's also a wonderful thing for reading one entry and then bopping around as the references carry you. The number of entries and contributors is impressive. Many of the entries are short but you get a good sense of the topic, while others that have more to say extend for a few pages. It's interesting to see the included recipes for a few cocktails too. Not for everyone, but something that I pull off the shelf at least monthly to check on something.

[Ravanagh Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encyclopaedia of all things spirits and cocktails — all the things that would fit into one volume, anyway.

Lots of cross-referencing keeps you going for hours, learning about your favourite drinks, past, present and future.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to learn so much to remember

[Karl]

Decided this isn't for reading straight through, at least not for me. It's now on the reference shelf in the bar.

[Kas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Christmas gift for the serious cocktail & spirit enthusiast.

Since this is an encyclopedia, I haven't read it all yet. Obviously. But I'm posting this in case someone is thinking about gifting this during the holidays.

So far so great. The book has a "How to use this book" bit at the start which is good because I had no idea how to tackle this book. I end up picking a random topic I was interested in (Tiki) and then put notes/index markers at every chapter that was referred to in the Tiki chapter. Tiki obviously talked about Donn Beach so I read that next and so on.
Topics vary immensely. From cocktail history to types of liquor and liqueurs and distilling processes. It also talks about historical figures in the cocktail industry such as Donn Beach and Trader Vic.

It's mostly text upon text upon text with a few black and white pictures every now an then. The colour pictures are glossy.

Will update when I've read more... might take a while though 😅