Mixology is definitely a buzz word today and our lead book this issue (Craft Spirits) is certainly packed full of very useful information for the budding mixologist. You can discover how to infuse base spirits with artisan flavours and grab the ‘liquid’ confidence to create your very own signature cocktail.
We also recommend The Legend of Port Ellen Distillery which traces the history of this long shut down distillery. Diageo continues to release bottlings which are very much sought after.
Please make sure that you visit our website, as detailed below, to get the best deals on all of these great reads, and other books. If your order is over £30 you will receive a free Whisky Tastings Journal.
Craft Spirits
Eric Grossman
ISBN 9780241229682
Bookclub offer: £12.00 plus P&P
(RRP: £14.99)
Featuring more than 250 top-tier craft spirits from across the world, this book guides you through the producers to watch, the spirits to try, and the cocktail techniques to master. It will help you discover the most respected distillers through illustrated profiles on renowned craft spirits, including information on
how each spirit is produced, flavoured and aged, as well as the all important tasting notes. Craft Spirits is a perfect book for budding mixologists, showing you how to conjure up classic and contemporary cocktails at home. Each chapter is devoted to a specific spirit, including vodka, gin, whisky, Bourbon, rum, brandy, cognac, agave spirits and more. The illustrated step-by-step guide to infusing spirits at home provides plenty of inspiration for flavouring your tipple, from horseradish vodka to rosemary gin and blackberry whisky.
The Legend of Port Ellen Distillery
Holger Dreyer
ISBN 9783934900639
Bookclub offer: £19.00 plus P&P
(RRP: £24.00)
Port Ellen distillery owned by Diageo was closed in 1983 and was one of three owned by Diageo (then DCL) on Islay. The other two were Lagavulin and Caol Ila. Despite being closed for so many years, Diageo release one bottling a year which is very much sought after. For instance in 2014 it released a 35 Years Old which was distilled in 1978. This book attempts, for the very first time, to compile all the various pieces of information which up until now have been found in a large number of works. The author acquired his first bottle of Port Ellen back in 1996 and has since then had a fascination for the distillery and its yearly bottlings. Today the site is associated with huge drum maltings that were built back in 1973. It supplies all Islay distilleries and a few others with a large proportion of their malt. The book details all the bottlings and they all make a very good investment.
Bourbon Curious
Fred Minnick
ISBN 9780760347409
Bookclub offer: £10.50 plus P&P
(RRP: 14.99)
Award-winning writer Fred Minnick creates an easy-to-read, interactive tasting journey to help you choose the right Bourbons for your flavour preferences – and take the next step in expanding your palate. The book groups Bourbon into four main flavour profiles – grain, nutmeg, caramel and cinnamon. Job well done.
Let Me Tell You About Whisky
Neil Ridley & Gavin D. Smith
ISBN 9781862059658
Bookclub offer: £13.00 plus P&P
(RRP: £16.99)
Written by two well known whisky writers, this book is probably the best primer out there. There have been many primer books about whisky in recent years, but not one with such detailed and all encompassing scope. The book assumes that the reader has no prior whisky knowledge and explains fully the whisky process.
The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2016
Edited by Ingvar Ronde
ISBN 9780957655324
Bookclub offer: £9.50 plus P&P
(RRP: £13.95)
Whisky enthusiasts all over the world really do look forward to receiving this annual publication. It is written by people who really know about whisky, it is fully revised every year and has become the best guide of its type on the market. An essential read for any whisky lover.