The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks, by Amy Stewart For those who drink and wonder about the where, when, how, and why a particular … --Buffalo Spree, "All drinkers should have The New York Times bestselling author Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist in their library . . When swiveling a craft cocktail in one’s hand, it’s easy to appreciate the mixologist who just made it. 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, … NOOK Book Spanish historian Francisco López de Gómara, writing in the sixteenth century, said: "There are no dead dogs, nor a bomb, that can clear a path as well as the smell of [pulque]." We have not allowed the plant to reproduce in the wild. Strengthening the crops and preserving wild agaves will require a combination of intercropping—the practice of interspersing agaves with other plants—protecting wild areas to increase genetic diversity, reducing chemical use, and taking steps to restore the health of the soil. Hedh, Jan and Klas Andersson (2002). These five books dip back in time to the history of drinks, both how they are made and when they were mixed. Amy Stewart is the award-winning author of six books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world. This lovely book by cocktail expert and historian Ted Haigh (AKA Dr. 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 … The store was a hit and a couple of years later a second location was opened in Fargo, ND. When the Spaniards arrived, they observed the locals tending to agave fields, monitoring the plants closely, and harvesting them at a precise point in their development, right before the bud emerged from the base to form a flowering stalk. The sap needs less than a day to ferment—historically, this took place in wooden barrels, pigskins, or goatskins—and then it is ready to drink. She is delightfully entertaining. The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks, by Amy Stewart Many of the non-tequila spirits are made from wild agaves. (These bacteria do such an efficient job of producing ethanol that they are used to make biofuels today.) In some villages, the distillation takes place in a traditional clay and bamboo still. . She is the cofounder of the popular blog Garden Rant and is a contributing editor at Fine Gardening magazine. (Twenty-ton autoclaves are not an uncommon sight at tequila distilleries today.) and family rituals. . It ferments quickly thanks in part to the naturally occurring bacteria Zymomonas mobilis that live on the agave and on other tropical plants that are made into alcohol, such as sugarcane, palms, and cacao. Current price is $20.95, Original price is $22.95. Horticulturalist, author, bookstore owner, and blogger for Garden Rant, Amy Stewart dives deep into the plants behind alcohol. act of drinking in this gimlet-eyed survey of man's relationship with booze, since the joyful discovery, ten thousand years ago, of fermented fruits and grains. —NPR's Morning Edition, "This wide-ranging mix of alcohol and plant trivia, drink recipes, and scientific research deserves a place on every home bar book­shelf for its conversational value alone . Those were harvested and roasted in brick or stone-lined ovens set in the ground, then covered so that they could smolder for several days. . Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Amy Stewart covers in depth individual … Submit your email address to receive Barnes & Noble offers & updates. —Carl H. Klaus, author of My Vegetable Love and Weathering Winter Amy Stewart had a simple dream. —NPR's Morning Edition, "Fascinating, well researched and instructive — with appealing recipes too." —The Washington Post, "Sipping an evening cocktail while flipping through this fine volume, I discovered that Ms. Stewart knew how to change a run-of-the-mill cocktail into an intriguing one." and the legal details that changed the course of birch beer, which started as a mildly alcoholic beer, morphed into a soft drink during Prohibition, and recently began to be produced as a liqueur. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. The book features a rousing timeline of colonial imbibing and a cultural overview of a dizzying number of drinks: beer, rum and ... Back when people spent their whole lives in one place, life was all about family ... Back when people spent their whole lives in one place, life was all about family The complex sugar molecules in agave nectar don't break down readily during fermentation, and heat from distillation causes unpleasant chemical reactions that create nasty flavors like sulfur and burning rubber. Stewart rounds out her in-depth coverage with a full section on fruit, including apricots and yuzus, and nuts and seeds like almonds and walnuts. The chicken is supposed to balance the sweetness of the fruit. 2.0 out of 5 stars The Drunken Botanist: Purchased at Amazon.com. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. —The Washington Post "Sipping an evening cocktail while flipping through this fine volume, I discovered that Ms. Stewart knew how to change a run-of-the-mill cocktail into an intriguing one." Moonshine is perhaps one of the more elusive liquors with possibly the best name, and a slew of great nicknames as well (white lightning, choop, mountain dew, etc.). News, author interviews, critics' picks and more. Still, it is the perfect catalyst for turning agave sap to pulque. In the case of the agave, the agave snout weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus) introduces bacteria and deposits eggs that hatch into tiny larvae that eat the plant, rotting it from the inside out. Thirsty yet? What makes tequila different? 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, … The bewitching green book looks almost like a spell book, with secrets and lore to share for the curious of mind. 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. The history of fermentation and distillation, the origins of plant-based medicines, tips on growing your own plants and more than 50 cocktail recipes add multiple layers to an already vast amount of information on botanicals. (Who isn’t?!) . Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Hardcover They are then crushed by a stone wheel called a tahona. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party. Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide 1862 Reprint: How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant’s Companion, by Jerry Thomas with an introduction by Ross Bolton  The inclusion of rich history throughout will delight armchair historians and the naturally curious. Some distillers of these spirits see the population of wild plants as being nearly unlimited and impossible to decimate; unfortunately, this is the same belief system that led to the destruction of the coast redwoods and other wild plant populations. The book is part history, part biology, and part chemistry, but even if you don’t know much about those subjects, Stewart presents the information in an easy-to-digest manner. But a high-proof spirit can also be made from the roasted hearts. 1 on hand, as of Jan 4 10:30pm (COOKING-BEVERAGE) Description. Then it is punctured again, causing the heart to rot. Cheers! For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. A shallow copper basin sat atop the tree trunk so that the liquid could boil and rise to the copper basin, much like steam collecting in the lid of a pot. The Essential, New York Times–Bestselling Guide to Botany and Booze “A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again . It is, after all, the lively microbial mix that wins pulque comparisons to yogurt as well as beer. inspired cocktail recipes. Her enthusiasm is evident throughout, as she brings readers into "the dazzlingly rich, complex, and delicious lives of the plants that go into all those bottles behind the bar." The method for harvesting the plant and making the spirit is completely different, too. She also studies the herbs and spices used to flavor base alcohols, as well as elderflowers, hops, roses and violets, which will alert gardeners to the potential living in the garden. 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. —The Wall Street Journal, "A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again…Through this horticultural lens, a mixed drink becomes a cornucopia of plants." Each plant description includes history, propagation, and usage details. Vogue, Decanter, The Sunday Times Wine Club newsletter Wine Times, and the journal you have in your hands, as well as snippets from Johnson's bestselling ... With characteristic elegance and delicious wit, Barbara Holland, (a national treasure,-Philadelphia Inquirer) celebrates the age-old ... With characteristic elegance and delicious wit, Barbara Holland, (a national treasure,-Philadelphia Inquirer) celebrates the age-old I'm very concerned." Highly recommended." The much-anticipated bloom is vitally important, however: it yields the raw ingredients for tequila, mezcal, and dozens of other drinks distilled or fermented from this strange, heat-loving succulent. with gusto while respecting the informative nature of the material. Through … Pages: 128, Hardcover, Clarkson Potter Gardeners, nature lovers and mixologists will find themselves reaching frequently for this volume; the hard part will be deciding what to try next as they discover that a liquor store is really "a fantastical greenhouse, the world's most exotic botanical garden, the sort of strange and overgrown conservatory we only encounter in our dreams." $14.99 In “A Lover’s Discourse,” by Xiaolu Guo, and “Just Like You,” by Nick … Many mezcals are double- or triple-distilled to perfect the flavor. The plant waits its entire life for this moment, stockpiling sugars for a decade or more in anticipation of the emergence of this single appendage. Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2018. moments in this book to fill a lifetime of conversational pauses." . The roasting process breaks down the sugars in a different way, yielding lovely caramelized flavors that make for a rich, smoky liquor. (This wheel, by the way, is strikingly similar to apple-grinding stones once used to make cider in Europe. Today, according to Mexico's laws, a spirit carrying the name mezcal can only be made in Oaxaca and the adjacent state of Guerrero, and in three states to the north, Durango, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas. Native people had clearly worked out a method for cultivating and roasting the agave. . Pulque is low in alcohol—only 4–6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV)—and has a slightly sour flavor, like pears or bananas past their prime. The first drink to be made from agave was pulque, a mildly fermented beverage derived from the sap, or aguamiel. Proceeding in an Orderly Fashion through the Alphabet: The Classics, from Agave, 2, to Wheat....................     107, Then Moving onto a Sampling of More Obscure Sources of Alcohol from around the World: Strange Brews....................     111. 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, … . 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. These and other microorganisms bring about a quick, frothy fermentation. VERDICT With more than 50 drink recipes, and growing tips, this highly entertaining book will please both cocktail enthusiasts and backyard gardeners. Once it begins flowing, the sap is extracted every day by means of a rubber tube or, in the old days, a pipette made from a gourd called acocote. | $22.95. Thirsty yet? Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. It is the cause of "cider sickness," a secondary fermentation that can ruin a batch of hard cider. In the nineteenth century, tequila simply applied to mezcal made in or around the city of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco. Thirsty yet? It is something of an acquired taste. (Continues...), About the Recipes....................     xvi. While gin and electricity sound like excellent ingredients for a cocktail, this wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Roasted agave is a gourmet experience; imagine a richer, meatier version of grilled artichoke hearts. This is an elegant tale of suspense, mystery, and wry humor...A surprising Kopp family secret, a kidnapped baby, … Cocktail), dips into drink history by resurfacing long lost beverages. $20.95 —The New York Times "Many boozy books have been published over the years, spilling over with fun facts about absinthe, grog and bathtub gin. Paperback This is a controversial idea hotly debated among academics. Canned, pasteurized versions are available, but the microbes die off and the flavor suffers. . —The Wall Street Journal "A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again…Through this horticultural lens, a mixed drink becomes a cornucopia of plants." The … (Agaves are monocarpic, meaning that they bloom only once and then expire, so this is not as much of a tragedy as it may seem.). To make pulque, the flowering stalk of the agave is cut just as it starts to form. "Amy Stewart has a way of making gardening seem exciting, even a little dangerous." He attributes an increased use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides to the weakness of the plants themselves. The Drunken Botanist is a strange brew—part Ripley's Believe It or Not, part compendium on the order of Schott's Original Miscellany and part botanical garden tour, albeit with a curated cocktail party at the end…What Stewart's book lacks in narrative spine…it makes up in easygoing charm, sly wit and an eye for the telling anecdote…The Drunken Botanist is a sipping book, not a quaffing book, best enjoyed in moderation. Her new book is The Drunken Botanist… . It might have been made with a different species of agave, but the method was generally the same. Updated and Revised Edition: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar, The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them, Moonshine: A Cultural History of America's Infamous Liquor, Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide 1862 Reprint: How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant's Companion, moonshine: a cultural history of america's infamous liquor, Comfort Food for Staying In: Recipes from Magnolia Table, Volume 2, Treat Your Favorite Mom with These Healthy Yet Decadent Cookbooks, 5 Bowl Cookbooks to Start the New Year Right, 5 Fresh Cocktail Books to Enjoy this Summer, 10 Books that Make Small Space Summer Cooking Possible, Cook Epically: 5 Cookbooks to Pair with Epic Stories and Classic Tales, Cooking with Diabetes: 5 Inspired Cookbooks, Show your Zest for Spring with 5 Citrus Cookbooks. Add to Bag (Hardcover - $20.95) Hardcover - $20.95; Audio CD - $34.95; NOOK Book - $10.82; You've Reached the End of Sample The Drunken Botanist… The Drunken Botanist The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks Algonquin Books • 2013. Pre-Columbian stone pits built for this purpose can still be found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. 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. … rare horticultural treat. Like the title of this book, the content is tons of fun, with engaging fonts, whimsical illustrations, and a charismatic voice that speaks directly to the reader like a friend enjoying a beer—er, cocktail. ", Over the last few centuries—and until the last decade or so—agavebased spirits were considered to be rough products that in no way compared to a good Scotch or Cognac. You can view Barnes & Noble’s Privacy Policy. Many of the earliest stills in Mexico are a derivation of the Filipino still, a wonderfully simple bit of equipment made entirely from local materials—mostly plants themselves. Fine Gardening contributor Stewart (Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other … A comprehensive guide to the intersection of plants and booze. "The Drunken Botanist is a sipping book, not a quaffing book, best enjoyed in moderation...Part Ripley’s Believe It or Not, part compendium on the order of 'Schott’s Original Miscellany' and … . Through a snifter glass, the book peers back in time, beginning with “The Archaic Age” of mixology in the United States of the late 1700s, then following developments of punches, juleps, cocktails, and other delights. $25.99 The Drunken Botanist (Hardcover) The Drunken Botanist (Hardcover) By Amy Stewart. 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