The Complete Book of Spirits: A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment – Discover Your Favorite Vodka, Whiskey, Tequila, and Gin with Expert Tasting Tips

by Anthony Dias Blue

An indispensable follow-up to his classic Complete Book of Mixed Drinks , Anthony Dias Blue presents The Complete Book of Spirits , a comprehensive collection of history, lore, and tasting tips, along with recipes for select cocktails. Here, in one concise and easy-to-use volume, is all the information a consumer needs to shop, mix, and sip like a spirits expert. From bathtub gin to mojito madness, Blue brings the dynamic history of the spirits industry alive, demonstrating that spirit making is not only one of mankind's oldest pursuits but also perhaps its most colorful. In ten captivating chapters, readers are treated to everything they ever wanted to know about their favorite liquors, including vodka, aquavit, tequila, and whiskey. Blue also provides step-by-step instructions on how to host spirit tastings to educate your palate and to help you and your friends discover your favorite brands and blends. For every chapter and every spirit, there is also a handy tasting-notes section, with Blue's expert comments and his favorites, along with price points. If you've ever wondered about the difference between potato and wheat vodkas, or between mescal and tequila or American and Irish whiskeys, or what makes single malt Scotch so desirable, look no further. With Anthony Dias Blue, America's leading wine and spirits expert, and The Complete Book of Spirits as your guides, you will take your enjoyment to a new level.

Genres: Food and Drink

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2004

About the author

Anthony Dias Blue is the author of several books, including The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks and American Wine: A Comprehensive Guide. For twenty years he has been Wine and Spirits editor of Bon Appétit. His reviews have appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country, including Wine Spectator, Robb Report, epicurious.com, American Way, and Decanter. Mr. Blue's Lifestyle Minute is broadcast several times daily on CBS radio. He lives in California.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Complete Book of Spirits is a broad survey of a very large field. For someone like myself, with huge gaping holes in my liquor knowledge, this was a very helpful reference. A brief, shallow guide like this is great when you know a little (or a lot) about certain portions of a subject but little to nothing about others.

For example, having already read quite a bit about Tiki drinks, I already knew quite a bit about rum. But I knew very little about Scotch. Now I feel able to converse about both.

The general information and histories of each spirit were dry, but readable. I most enjoyed the "Brand Profiles" portion in each chapter. Here, Blue explores the select specific manufacturers of a type of spirit. Many of these were very interesting, and I was surprised to learn about the rich and long histories of inexpensive everyday brands that have passed through my hands without a second thought. It's amazing how many centuries of history sit in our liquor shelves.

However, I did not enjoy the Tasting Notes which concluded each chapter. These are page after page of dollar signs, stars and single-sentence reviews containing endless repetitions of phrases like "fresh and balanced," or "mellow and long." These might be helpful if you're about to go to the store to grab a bottle of something (or, like me, you tried to recognize brands from your own cabinet), but it's hardly riveting reading. Instead, I wish these had been rolled up into the Brand Profiles section where Blue could have written more interesting information about each item.

Off the top of my head, I can think of only two examples where he broke from the pattern to make note of something extraordinary. One of them was for British Royal Navy Imperial Rum, in which he notes that it is "The world’s priciest rum, sourced from rare unused British navy reserves" before going on to say that it has "rich flavors with sublime notes of rancio." I just wish more of these little snippets of info accompanied the tasting notes.

[Jill Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, informative read. Great historical info about various spirits and some fun-to-know facts are included. Great tasting notes after each chapter. At the risk of sounding silly, I really wish this book had some pictures to break up the solid text a little bit. Some color pics of liquor bottles of various types would be a good addition for reference, and some mixed drink photos with the included recipes would be welcome as well.

[Ambrosia Borowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of the information in the book was obviously prompted from the alcohol distributers themselves. Incredibly PC, this is as informative as a label. A good portion of the information is also out of date. I found the 'vodka' and 'tequila' section particularly incomplete or outdated. Reads like a high school book report. Recommended only to the home drunk who wants to impress her friends with random alcohol stats and info.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book so far, though not much info on the history of spirits themselves that I didn't already know, its still a good read, and another great reference, with its brand profiles and tasting notes. I learned a lot from the brand profiles, I knew a lot about the general history of the spirits, but not a lot about the companies. Very interesting.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

really really detailed. the tasting notes are very helpful.