New Drink Books for Spring

Like crocuses emerging from the winter soil, a fresh crop of drink books is hitting shelves this spring, offering inspiration in the form of beer-centric travel and food recipes, vinyl playlists for boozy listening parties, explorations through obscure wine varieties and cocktail recipes aplenty. Here are 10 new titles to add to your reading list.

March

The One-Bottle Cocktail
by Maggie Hoffman
Sometimes when you’re looking to make a cocktail, you just want to grab one bottle and call it good. Maggie Hoffman’s new book offers 80 recipes from some of the best bartenders in the industry that celebrate the simple joy of cocktails made with a single spirit, like the vibrant Gin Rocket or the brunchy Slippery When Wet. Fresh ingredients, easy substitutions and gorgeous photos will inspire you to start working through your own bar, one bottle at a time.

Julep: Southern Cocktails Refashioned
by Alba Huerta
When Alba Huerta opened Julep in Houston in 2014, the bar quickly gained acclaim for its celebration of traditional Southern foodways and its creative interpretations of classic cocktails. Fast forward a few years and Huerta realized the accumulated seasonal menus already read like a book that told the story of Julep and embraced the spirit of Southern hospitality. Her new book features 65 recipes, from the classic Julep and its many riffs to bespoke creations like Huerta’s nostalgic favorite Tops and Bottoms, which calls for sunflower seed–infused rum and reminds her of summer days spent at baseball games.

The Beer Pantry: Cooking at the Intersection of Craft Beer and Great Food
by Adam Duyle
The new cookbook from Adam Duyle, former chef and owner of The Abbott’s Cellar in San Francisco and now the executive chef for the Brewers Association, reads like a love letter to craft beer. Duyle doesn’t simply pair beer with his food recipes, he creates dishes that mirror and highlight the specific flavors in various brews, resulting in a totally cohesive experience. Divided into sections like Hoppy & Bitter, Malty & Sweet and Sour, Tart & Funky, the book offers a diverse mix of recipes, from Four-Carrot Salad with Toasted Grains to Butterscotch Budino with Brown Ale Caramel.

April

Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine
by Jason Wilson
If your wine education only extends to the classic Cabs and Sav Blancs of the world, allow Jason Wilson to open the door to the dozens of other kinds of varietal wines that make for brilliant, terroir-driven wines. In Godforsaken Grapes, his second book since Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits, Wilson’s signature wit and wisdom returns as he recounts the travel shenanigans that lead him around the world in a rabbit hunt for these obscure and under-the-radar wines. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the wine industry and an itch to book a ticket to destinations you’ve never heard of before.

Prosecco Made Me Do It: 60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails
by Amy Zavatto
Prosecco is still savoring a moment in the spotlight, and to help champion the alt-sparkler, drinks writer (and Imbibe contributing editor) Amy Zavatto dives into the bubbly topic with her new book. Gleaned from her own travels through Italy, Zavatto offers a brief history on the beverage and what exactly qualifies as Prosecco proper, along with 60 recipes for everything from the classic Venetian Spritz to fresh and fizzy riffs on cocktails like the Tequila Sunrise. The colorful, original illustrations by Ruby Taylor add a playfulness to the topic, making the book an attractive addition to your coffee table or bar cart.

Drinking Distilled: A User’s Manual
by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Bartender and manager of Portland’s Clyde Common, Jeffrey Morgenthaler has spent more than two decades behind the bar, and nearly as long writing about drinks for a variety of publications. Along the way, he’s picked up a some tips, stories and insight, and his newest book distills that information into a user’s guide of sorts. Told with his signature matter-of-fact sense of humor, the book is divided into sections like the basics of cocktail prep, how to drink with work colleagues, and how to make some classic recipes, like a gin martini. It’s a quick, entertaining read for those who already enjoy Morgenthaler’s wry style, or perfect for anyone whose drinking knowledge consists solely of how to keep score in beer pong.

Booze and Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks
by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington
Listening to a vinyl record, start to finish, is a lot like enjoying a well-made cocktail—it’s all about the experience—and places like New York’s Tokyo Record Bar combine the two. Taking the concept further, siblings André and Tenaya Darlington (The New Cocktail Hour) have compiled 70 iconic albums, from The Beatles and David Bowie to Radiohead and Amy Winehouse, offering serving suggestions for a boozy listening party, including Side A and Side B cocktails, and liner notes on the history of the record. At your next boozy brunch, drop the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers on the turntable, start with a Tequila Sunrise and wrap things up with Jack and Coke.

Homebrew World: Discover the Secrets of the World’s Leading Homebrewers
by Joshua M. Bernstein
Intrepid beer writer (and Imbibe contributing editor) Joshua Bernstein has sampled beers at breweries around the world, but for his newest book he brings the topic back to the original creatives who spawned the craft beer movement more than two decades ago: homebrewers. In our March/April 2018 Drinks at Home Issue, Bernstein shares a sneak peak of the book with his article that introduces some of the most dedicated and decorated homebrewers making beer today. With this book, he expands on their stories and shares their experiences and advice for anyone who has ever wanted to brew their own.

May

Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion
by Drew Lazor
Just as session beers have seen a resurgence in popularity, low-ABV “session cocktails” are increasingly making appearances on menus across the country. In his new book, food and drinks writer Drew Lazor, together with the editors of Punch, has assembled a collection of sessionable drinks from prominent bartenders, such as the Mermaid Parade (Aperol, Marie-Framboise, grapefruit and lemon) from Nitecap‘s Natasha David and the U.S.S. Wondrich (amontillado sherry, sweet vermouth, allspice dram and pineapple juice) from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, as well as low-proof re-creations of classics.

Will Travel for Beer: 101 Remarkable Journeys Every Beer Lover Should Experience
by Stephen Beaumont
Globe-trotting beer writer Stephen Beaumont (World Atlas of Beer, The Pocket Beer Book) has compiled a full bucket list of beer-centric adventures in this comprehensive new guidebook. From the original Oktoberfest in Munich and pub-hopping via train in the UK to the Yakima hop harvest in Washington state and craft beers at “the end of the world” in Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina, Beaumont takes readers around the world in way more than 80 beers.

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