The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create The World's Great Drinks

by Amy Stewart

The Essential, New York Times-Bestselling Guide to Botany and Booze

"A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again . . . Through this horticultural lens, a mixed drink becomes a cornucopia of plants."-NPR's Morning Edition

"Amy Stewart has a way of making gardening seem exciting, even a little dangerous." -The New York Times

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries.

Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs-but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history.

This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology-with more than fifty drink recipes and a new section on how to grow your very own cocktail garden-will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.

• ISBN10: 1604694769
• ISBN13: 9781604694765
• Publish Date: 19 March 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 2 September 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Timber Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jeff Sexton]

Encyclopedic Look At The Botany Of Booze. This book has a few hundred pages (or just under a dozen hours, for Audible readers) to cover pretty well every plant that can either directly intoxicate a human or any plant that can be used as a mixer to help such other plants taste better. So there is going to be a lot of 2-3 sentence or so summaries of various plants - which is particularly prevalent in the back part of the book. Up front is a larger examination of the botany and history of the primary global liquors and beers and wines, though even here due to the sheer volume of the field, many important (yet more specific) details are often left out. Still, as an overall introduction to the complete field of the botany of booze... this is actually a rather great book. Mostly recommended for bartenders (professional or home) or those looking to possibly begin an actual scientific career in the field, but an interesting read for nearly anyone interested in the overall science of booze. Just be ready to read an encyclopedia volume. (Which I did many times as a kid, fwiw.) Recommended.

[MurderByDeath]

Excellent book! Chock full on information about what it takes to make a drink. As a gardener, I loved reading about how what I grow can be used in my cocktails at the end of the day. Beautifully organised by the base liquor/beer, flavourings, and garnishes, including recipes and growing tips for a few of the many plants discussed. Very accessible, easy to read, and entertaining. This is a book I'll refer to on a regular basis.