The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks: 10th Anniversary Edition

This book turned out to be an excellent reference on plants and their many uses by humans. The author discussed many plant uses beside fermenting plant starches into sugars by the addition of yeasts. One could tell the author loved discussing plants with the occasional witty remark and her extensive knowledge of each of the various species. If one could find a fault with the book, it might be the inclusion of many species of which all but those engaged in botanical research would be familiar. But that aside the book was a fun and informative read. The author chose to list all the various plants by their common names rather than list them by their Latin nomenclature, as is more typical in many botanical references, and this point was greatly appreciated. Although there were hundreds of interesting facts regarding the various plant species, I would like to list just a few to give the readers an idea that the book was interesting and did not just discuss making booze. 1. We learn the Barley is the most prolific grain at converting its starches into sugar to make alcohol because it has a high level of enzymes and that it is an easy plant to grow not being much affected by cold, drought, or poor soil conditions. 2. Peat is what gives Scotch its particular taste. 3. Kentucky produces 90% of all the bourbon in the world. [p47] 4. Cork comes from the Portuguese Oak [Quercus Suber. It is stripped annually with each tree yielding about 4k corks, primarily used in wine bottling, yet the trees regenerate new bark each year and live for about 2 centuries before finally dying. 5. The real difference between American and Canadian whiskeys is that each batch of American whiskey reguires a new oak barrel, while Canadians can use barrels previously used for making wine or whiskey before. This gives it more flavor than American bourbon, but each batch may taste slightly different depending on what the barrels had previously held. 6. Absinthe doesn't make you drunk [crazy] because of the wormwood being fermented but the fact that it was originally bottles at 70% ABV as opposed to Brandy commonly bottled at 40% ABV. Since it was 75% stronger you got drunk and started acting crazy much sooner than had you been drinking Brandy which was very commonly drunk when people favored absinthe. In this regard think of Henry Miller and Anais Nin. 7. Vodka became popular in America only after WWII because distillers couldn't get enough grain to use, so begged potato growers to send them all the small and misshapen potatoes they had, since appearance wouldn't matter. Distillers sold 1M gallons of Vodka in 1946 and 30M by 1965. BTW, Vodka uses rye, wheat, and other grains in its manufacture, but most Americans think of it as only made from Potatoes. There is also a big controversy over where Vodka originated, whether Poland or Russia. [p70] 8. We also learn that that the agave plant used to make Tequila is not a cactus but a member of the asparagus family, and that each plant yields enough sap to make about 250 gallons of maguay beer, which was drunk some 2K years ago. How do we know that; well it is because some scientist analyzed some 2k year old coprofites. :-0 9. Although humans have about 25k different genes, an apple tree has 57k. There was also a nice and lengthy section on herbs made from the green or fleshy part of plants and spices made from the bark, root, stem, or seed of plants. As you can see there was a lot more to the book than the simple making of booze. Highly recommended.

Just last night, I went to a booksigning with Amy Stewart for "The Drunken Botanist", the first time I'd heard Stewart speak. Her talk was as infectiously good-spirited (heh heh) as her writing. And, as in her book, there's tons of humor. I laughed when Amy said that when she was researching her previous book, "Wicked Bugs", she had no volunteers to help her. But when she started researching booze for "The Drunken Botanist", "everyone wanted to carry my suitcase". There are all kinds of books out now covering mixology and the new cocktails, etc. What sets Amy's book apart is that she is a horticulturist, and she tells you about the fabulous plants that make or go into all the different kinds of fermented beverages man has come up with. The book is divided into three parts: 1. Plants that are fermented to make the alcohol (wheat, potatoes, grapes, etc.) 2. Plants that are added to the alcohol (hops, gentian, aloe, etc.) 3. Plants that make up mixers and garnishes (spearmint, pomegranate, pepper, etc.) Throughout the book, in the appropriate chapters, are recipes for 50 cocktails, and 13 syrups, infusions and garnishes, such as limoncello and "Brine your own olives". This isn't a staid recitation of facts, but engaging, encompassing and trivia-filled reading. For example, the chapter on sugar cane (in part 1), tells you: - the first and current places sugarcane is cultivated and how it is cultivated - the botany of sugarcane - how to make rum - spirits made from sugar cane - how rum became linked to British sailors - drink recipes Did you know that the British navy had rum rations for it's sailors until 1970! Do you know how to tell "real" tonic water from the cheap imitation? How about why a splash of water actually heightens the flavor of a spirit instead of diluting it? There's a member of the iris family called Orris (part 2) which is used in almost every gin made. Yet is is cultivated on only 173 acres worldwide. Stewart writes, "Its popularity in perfume is due to the fact that it not only holds the fragrance in place but clings to the skin as well. It also happens to be a very common allergen, which explains why allergy sufferers might be sensitive to cosmetics and other fragrances - as well as gin." I could write pages more about the great stories and tidbits of information contained in this book. I really had a fun time reading it. The illustrations in "The Drunken Botanist" are fine, but they're stock illustrations. I miss Briony Morrow-Cribbs' and Jonathan Rosen's incredible drawings and engravings that were such enchanting - and vigorous - enhancements to Stewart's previous books, Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects and Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities . Visit Stewart's website, drunkenbotanist com for links to plant and liquor sources. There are some heritage plants that can only be found in a couple places. and check out Redventure, a type of very slender red celery that is perfect for use as a swizzle stick! Happy Reader

The Drunken Botanist manages to combine botany, history, myth, science, chemistry, and gardening tips into a fantastic, highly readable book. Amy Stewart covers in depth individual plants and their role in creating a variety of drinks. The book is divided into three parts that outline the steps to create an exquisite drink. First there is the fermentation and distillation processes that produce alcohol. The discussion of agave is the most complete I have read. For example, Stewart even gets into the taxonomy of agave as well as which parts of the plant are used for fermentation. Included is a "Field Guide to Tequila and Mezcal" and "A Selected List of Agaves and Agave-Based Spirits" as well as cocktail recipes. The super curious reader will be happy to know that no stone is left unturned, the worm sometimes found in a bottle of mezcal is discussed. Part Two is devoted to the many herbs and spices added to alcohol for flavoring. Plain alcohol straight from the still is not pleasant. Botanicals are added in order to take the alcohol to a new level. Perhaps one of the best known examples is gin. Alcohol is redistilled with juniper berries and other botanicals to render gin. Stewart lists twelve common gin ingredients and describes the different styles of gin. I recently came across a Scottish gin with 22 botanicals, named appropriately, The Botanist. A recipe, "The Classic Martini," completes the juniper section. Thus far the alcohol and botanicals have been discussed. Part Three turns to the mixers and garnishes that complete a drink. Herbs, flowers, trees, berries and vines, and fruits and vegetables are covered. Each section begins with a table that lists plants by common and scientific name along with a description and some horticultural notes. There are recipes for syrups (Grenadine), infusions (Garden-Infused Simple Syrup), drinks (Lavender-Elderflower Champagne Cocktail), and even a recipe for brining your own olives. Stewart takes the reader way beyond simply sticking a celery rib in a Bloody Mary. The book ends with a Recommended Reading list and an index. I have already turned down corners of pages so that I can return to a recipe. This book is a welcome delight! Gardeners and even sober botanists will learn and have fun with this book.

Plants soak up CO2 and sunlight and convert it to sugar and exhale oxygen. When sugar is combined with yeast, alcohol is born. So alcohol is very a very close cousin to the substances that make life possible. Yeast is plentiful in the air, which I didnt know, so many staple foods will turn to alcohol with time. I am not a drinker, but I am a gardener, and I am nosey. So I found this encyclodedic book to be delightful reading. Stewart does a thorough job of describing the the various plants that form the basis of the alcoholic drinks in the world. She adds a few myth busters such as the fact that a worm in mescal actually just means a marketing tool for cheap mescal and is not remotely hallucinogenic. Good cider is made from apples so sour they are called spitters. Gin is actually flavored vodka. These are not spoilers, there are many such facts. In addition, she feeds my garden soul with the history of how these plants were found, mutated, grown, etc. And she points out which plants have very toxic relatives which look remarkably like the good cultivers so these you should not pick in the wild. She addresses the taste of each type of drink, how they taste, and how to make a cocktail with each type. And for us clueless types, she describes the "top shelf" specimens and what makes them premium. SHe also explicates the appropriate mixers and herb additives and how these came into popular use. The drink recipes seem intriguing as well. I especially enjoyed the nuggets of social history that accompany the text, for example the extreme creation of the slave trade to harvest the sugar so vital for rum. I enjoyed reading this book. It is more a collection of essays or entries than one narrative. As such, it makes perfect reading for those short breaks we all take. I personally got a bit weary with all the different permutations of alcohol and their precursors, but overall found the text to be full of information that I didnt know; much of it is fun to know. As a source book, I would find it excellent. Right now, different variations of familiar drinks and alcohols are particularly popular, so I would especially recommend this book to people who like to experiment with combinations. For the rest of us, we learn something new, always an excellent attribute in a book.

A very good book for beginners. If you're looking for a book to help you learn a thing or two about mixology and is an easy read then this is the book for you.

A fun book with some interesting information. Wait till it goes on sale to buy it.

I must admit, the sample page of the introduction was about gin which caught my interest. I am fond of a nice gin, but alas, these days, I am not able to imbibe. The book has recipes for many basic drinks, some, like the aforementioned gin, and some were novel to me. It is a dictionary-style compendium of history and facts of each type of alcohol and the beverages made with them, from various plant varieties around the world, various additives, and concoctions. Not so much a bartender's guide to mixology as more a source of interesting facts and background histories to spice up the conversation as the drinks are mixed. If I were still enjoying martinis with my old friends, it would be great fun to discuss this book. Even so, I still enjoyed the way the author presents the information in easy to read text about the botany. I also gathered some ideas for flavoring non-alcoholic sodas to broaden my beverage choices beyond iced tea and sparkling waters.

This is a gift for a friend who has a deep interest in what various substances, including plants, can do to a body. I finally found a book not already in the vast collection used for reference in their talks!!