The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks: 10th Anniversary Edition

By Amy Stewart

Book Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A fascinating, entertaining exploration of the plants behind alcoholic beverages, blending botany, history, science, gardening, and cocktail culture--now updated to include a guide to planting your very own cocktail garden to go with more than fifty drink recipes.

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 charming concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology--with delightful drawings, tasty cocktail recipes, and fun factoids throughout--will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party, and makes this book anideal gift for any cocktail enthusiast or plant lover.

"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

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1616200464
• ISBN13: 9781616200466
• Release Date: March 2013
• Publisher: Algonquin Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent addition to flora history.

I have a copy of "Wicked Plants" and thought it could not get any better. Well, this book might not be better, but a lot more information helps with understanding economic history and planning gardens. If I do nothing but lounge on the veranda, drinking mint juleps, watching the weeds grow in my half-planted garden, at least this book is entertaining. I do not know how Amy Stewart can pack so many unique details in such a small book. I saw a page on Tamarind and finally figured out what I have been drinking for years.

Interesting book, good quality.

The book seems really interesting, with recipes and information. I only flipped through to check the quality and learned something new just in that few seconds, like the reproductive system of corn! If you like alcohol, or learning new things, it’s a good option for your bookshelf. The quality seems pretty good too, some little dents and bends but nothing structurally wrong.

Good for all

There is a lot of complexity in the study of botany, Amy Stewart manages to make it readable for all

Stewart is a genius

I have been working as a server/barista/bartender for years and there a few books that have taught me more than this one. Even as someone not working in the service industry, you will find this book to be a treat. The book is essentially a ton of small sections that break down the ingredients that go into the things we love to drink. Stewart is a wonderful story teller, funny, and informative. I would 100% recommend this read