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Loading... Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating Historyby Mark Spivak
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I love cocktails. I don't watch Mad Men but I'm grateful for the resurgence in cocktail culture. Spivak's book is perfectly timed for those who are obsessed with martinis and those who are a little curious. Iconic Spirits is a series of readable, nerdy, trivia-filled essays on twelve of the world's most popular and, well, iconic alcoholic spirits. This volume isn't a historical survey or even a popular non-fiction look at how these spirits were developed or evolved. Instead, Spivak chooses a snapshot moment to explore, a chapter in the long histories of alcohol. Opening with a chapter on American moonshine, Spivak surprised me by not talking about how moonshine is made, or the Prohibition or Whiskey Rebellion, and instead focused on how early 20th century moonshine runners were the forefathers of NASCAR drivers. The moonshiners interest in fast stock cars and flashy driving became commodified and eventually family friendly-ified; the earliest NASCAR winners were notorious moonshiners. The chapter concluded, as they all do, with a series of recipes. Vodka's chapter is focused specifically on the Grey Goose brand and how it achieved its luxury appeal; the bitters chapter looks at the Italian liquor, Campari. Spivak takes on cognac -- and many of its myths -- as well as tequila, rum, gin, scotch, absinthe, St. Germain (elderflower liquor), whiskey, and the famous brands associated with each. Mixing interviews, scientific research, trivia, and an obvious enthusiasm for his subjects, Spivak's book is like having a non-pretentious cocktail geek hanging out with you. The book includes color-plates of ads (pretty!) and an extensive bibliography. no reviews | add a review
Over the past decade, the cocktail culture has exploded across America. Bars and lounges have become the Broadway theater of mixology, with bartenders resurrecting classic pre-Prohibition cocktails and dazzling customers with their creations. Consumers, in turn, are recreating these cocktails at home, and spending unprecedented amounts on upscale bar gear. With more and more emphasis on quality ingredients, the number of small-batch spirits is increasing all the time, and craft distilling has become popular as an offshoot of the locavore movement. In Iconic Spirits, Mark Spivak, wine and spirits guru and host of the NPR show Uncorked , explores the history and cultural significance of twelve iconic spirits and reveals how moonshine invented NASCAR; how gin almost toppled the British Empire; how a drink that tastes like castor oil flavored with tree bark became one of the sexiest things on earth; how cognac became the "it" drink of hip-hop culture, and much more. To top it all off, Spivak then offers the most tantalizing cocktail recipes from the era in which each spirit was invented. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)641.2Technology Home and family management Food And Drink DrinksLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I have to admit that some of the spirits mentioned in the book were ones I had never heard of. But the evolution of how drinks were made was quite interesting. Having toured wineries in California, I am familiar with the distilling process and was surprised at the levels of flavors and length of time some of the spirits need to evolve before being bottled. Patience is definitely a virtue with a lot of these businessmen.
Nearly each one of the creators came from meager beginnings and just had an idea. Each of them had a strong determination to make their dream a reality and fought through prohibition, wars, bad economies, and clearly came out ahead...most living as millionaires.
I think my favorite story came from Jean Paul DeJoria. In 2010, he was 66th on the list of Forbes 400th wealthiest Americans. DeJoria is the cofounder of John Paul Mitchell Systems (hair care products) and surprisingly, also of Patron Tequila. He grew up in a foster home, joined the Navy, became homeless and was a single dad. He sold Coke bottles to buy food and eventually got a job at Redken Laboratories. That led him and a friend to create John Paul Mitchell Systems. Then one day, drinking with another friend, he was given tequila in beautiful hand blown bottles from Mexico. That sparked an idea that has since rocketed to the high-end tequila we know today. But, the best part of this story is DeJoria's philanthropy. His motto is "Success unshared is failure". He is extremely committed to helping others including Boys and Girls Club of America, Mine Seekers, those suffering from MS, cancer, diabetes, leukemia, and autism, and providing food for children with AIDS in Africa to name a few. His most impressive charity is one he started in 2009 called Grow Applachia, an organization that teaches families how to grow their own food by distributing seeds and equipment and then teaches them how to use their crop to feed their families as well as their communities. DeJoria is living the American dream and helping others to live it as well.
Each chapter features one spirit and then ends with recipes using the featured spirit. I know my husband and I will enjoy going through the recipes and trying them out. I think first on my list will be a Tequila Sunrise made with Patron Tequila.
If you are a history buff or like true stories of self-made businessmen, this is the book for you. If you are curious about how some of your favorite spirits are made, the distilling processes of some of the spirits were quite surprising. With each chapter being a stand alone, this is a book that can be read quickly or at your leisure. Or, you can just go straight to the recipes! As Spivak states, "These are the best kinds of stories. They are the kind a writer could never make up." ( )