Distilled Spirits, General

Blue, Anthony Dias. The Complete Book of Spirits. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004

Wide-ranging review of all major categories of spirits by the well-known beverage and lifestyle writer, with tasting notes and cocktail recopies. Its usefulness is marred by truly awful copyediting.

Dikty, Alan S. Buying Guide to Spirits. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1999

Concise but detailed chapters on all spirits categories, with thousands of tasting notes. Used as a training manual for the sales force of the largest liquor wholesaler in the United States. Written, with a certain dry wit, by the author of this article.

Lembeck, Harriet. Grossman’s Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1983

The grand old reference guide to alcoholic beverages. The spirits section is still a good introduction to all of the major and many, many of the minor categories and brands.

Henriques, E. Frank. The Signet Encyclopedia of Whiskey, Brandy & All Other Spirits. New York: Signet, New American Library, 1979

Cliff Notes for bar management. Quick but informative reference descriptions and explanations for thousands of spirit types, brands and cocktails Out of print, but worth searching out.

Price, Pamela Vandyke. Dictionary of Wines and Spirits. London: Peerage Books, 1986

More wine-oriented, than spirits, but any reference books that tells the truth about Southern Comfort (it contains no Bourbon), is worthwhile.

Distilled Spirits, History

Barr, Andrew. Drink: A Social History of America. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1999

Breezy, but well-researched history of drinking in America combined with droll put-down of prohibitionists, past and especially present

Fleming, Alice. Alcohol: The Delightful Poison. New York: Laurel-Leaf Library, Dell Publishing, 1975

Short history of world and American spirits, followed by an extended essay on the physical effects (positive and negative) of alcohol

Heron, Craig. Booze: A Distilled History. Toronto: Between The Lines, 200

A history of liquor in Canada, written from a feminist, politically correct (!!) point of view. Lots of informative history, eh?

Lender, Mark Edward and Martin, James Kirby. Drinking in America: A History. New York: The Free Press, 1982

Conventional, but well written survey of liquor drinking in America, from colonial times to the present. Heavily illustrated.

Logsdon, Gene. Good Spirits. White River Junction, 1999

A social history of distillation in America, and a call for home distillation. The author is a bit of a crank, but writes well.

Rorabaugh, W.J. The Alcohol Republic: An American Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979

America, 1790 – 1830, was the high tide of spirits consumption. Everyone drank, there were no excise taxes, all distilleries were small and local, and best of all, no organized temperance movement. Ah, the Good Old Days.

Distilled Spirits, Medical Effects

Center for Science in the Public Interest. Chemical Additives in Booze. Washington D.C.” CSPI Books, 1982

The CSPI is a notorious collection of public scolds, and no friend to distilled spirits. But their chemical analysis of assorted brands of wines, spirits and beers makes interesting reading. Hint: Stay away from any liqueur with the word “Crème” in the brand name.

Chafetz, Morris E. Liquor: The Servant of Man. Boston: Little Brown, 1965.

Don’t let drunken fools screw it up for the rest of us, explained in 223 pages.

Ford, Gene. The Benefits of Moderate Drinking: Alcohol, Health & Society. San Francisco: Wine Appreciation Guild, 1988

Listen to your doctor, wine (and spirits) in moderation are good for you.

Distilled Spirits, Philosophy

Amis, Kingsley. On Drink. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972

One of Britain’s great post-war novelists discusses the purpose of drinking in a series of essays where the wit is as dry as his recipe for a Martini.

DeVoto, Bernard. The Hour. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1951

One of America’s great literary critics of the 20th Century explains the importance of good whiskey in a civil society, along with the importance of a properly made Martini in “the violet twilight of each day – the cocktail hour.”

Edmunds, Lowell. The Silver Bullet. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1981

The Martini as a mirror of America’s soul. Seven messages from the cocktail shaker.

Distilled Spirits, Production

Barleycorn, Michael. Moonshiner’s Manual. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1975

Home distillation for beginners.

Byrn, M. Lafayette. The Complete Practical Distiller. Newbury: Raudins Publishing, 2002

Reprinting of 1875 distillery operations manual that contains a lot of still useful information for a small-scale pot distiller. Order at ww.raudins.com.

M’Harry, Samuel. ‘Practical Distiller.’ Newbury, Raudins Publishing, 2001

Reprinting of 1809 (!) American distilling manual. Learn about distilling techniques from the era of the birth of Bourbon. Fascinating reading. Order at www.raudins.com.

Goldsmith, David J. A Practical Handbook on the Distillation of Alcohol from Farm Products. Amsterdam: Fredonia Books, 2001

Reprint of 1922 distilling manual first published during National Prohibition. Just remember folks, don’t drink it because that would be illegal, wink, wink. Order at www.fredoniabooks.com.

Kania, Leon W. The Alaskan Bootlegger’s Bible. Wasilla: Happy Mountain Publications, 2000.

Home distilling of just about anything organic.

Murtaugh, Dr. John E. The Alcohol Textbook. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press, 2003

Commercial scale ethanol and beverage alcohol production techniques and reference charts. Not for light reading.

Nixon, Mike and McGaw, Mike. The Compleat Distiller. Auckland: Amphora Society, 2001

Advanced home distilling from New Zealand. Lots of practical information for newbies.

Smiley, Ian. Making Pure Corn Whiskey: A Professional Guide for Amateur and Micro Distillers. Wellington: Amphora Society, 2003

A crash course in small-scale distilling from New Zealand, the homeland of modern moonshining.

Stone, John. Making Gin & Vodka. Vancouver: John Stone, 1997

Advanced home distilling techniques for white spirits. Order at www.gin-vodka.com.

Stone, John. Moonlight & Roses. Vancouver: John Stone, 1999

Practical explanations for different flavoring techniques for white spirits. Order at www.gin-vodka.com

Brandy & Eau du Vie

Behrendt, Axel & Bibiana. Cognac. New York: Abbeville Press, 1997

Detailed tasting notes and histories for over 100 producers.

Behrendt, Axel & Bibiana. Grappa: A Guide to the Best. New York: Abbeville Press, 2000

Extensively researched guide to Italian pomace brandy. Detailed tasting notes and producer histories

Brown, Gordon. Handbook of Fine Brandies. New York: Macmillan, 1990

British-oriented guide to the brandies of the world. Odd bar chart product ratings, but still a good general overview of the subject.

Calabrese, Salvatore. Cognac: A Liquid History. London: Cassel, 2001

Big type, lots of pretty pictures, but still a useful reference work, with intelligent tasting notes.

Herbert, Malcolm. California Brandy Cuisine. San Francisco: Wine Appreciation Guild, 1984

Primarily a cook and mixed drink recipe book, it also contains historical notes on the California brandy industry prior to the arrival of modern craft distillers.

Hannum, Hurst and Blumberg, Robert S. Brandies and Liqueurs of the World. Garden City: Doubleday, 1976

Well-written and still useful overview of the brandies of the world.

Neal, Charles. Armagnac: The Definitive Guide to France’s Premier Brandy. San Francisco: Flame Grape Press, 1998

Exhaustive guide to every commercial distillery in Armagnac, most of which are tiny farm distilleries. The author loves his topic, hates inferior production techniques, and lets you know exactly what he thinks.

Nicholas, Faith. Cognac. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2005

Typical flashy-looking Mitchell Beazley beverage book. Quick history, lots of tasting notes on pricey XOs.  

Page, C.E. Armagnac: The Spirit of Gascony. London: Bloomsbury, 1990

Standard, British-centered guide to Armagnac. Tour and tasting notes.

Ray, Cyril. Cognac. New York: Stein & day, 1973

Well known British wine writer presents a droll history of France’s best known brandy.

Gin

Coates, Geraldine. Discovering Gin. London: NewLifeStyle Publishing, 1996.

Flashy graphics and History Lite text on the social history of Gin.

Dillon, Patrick. Gin: The Much-Lamented Death of Madam Geneva. Boston: Justin, Charles, 2003

The story of the 18th Century Gin craze in England is even stranger than you can imagine.

Emmons, Bob. The Book of Gins & Vodkas. Chicago: Open Court, 2000

Quick but comprehensive introduction to the two primary white spirits.

Watney, John. Mother’s Ruin: The Story of Gin. London: Peter Owen, 1976

The social history of Gin in England. Sloe Gin explained!

Liqueur

Conrad, Barnaby. Absinthe: History in a Bottle. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1988.

The crack cocaine of its time, but in truth, much maligned. A social history of the “Green Fairy.”

Walton, Stuart. The New Guide to Spirits and Liqueurs. London: Lorenz Books, 2000.

Well organized reference guide to Liqueurs, and how to mix them.

White, Francesca. Cheers!: A Spirited Guide to Liquors and Liqueurs. London: Paddington Press, 1977.

Capsule explanations of many liqueurs, well-known and obscure.

Rum

Arkell, Julie. Classic Rum. London: Prion Books, 1999

Quick moving survey of Rums of the World, with an emphasis on the Caribbean.

Ayala, Luis. The Rum Experience. Round Rock: Rum Runner Press, 2001

Enthusiast guide to the Rums of the Americas. Highly opinionated.

Barty-King, Hugh and Massel, Anton. Rum: Yesterday and Today. London: Heinemann, 1983

Serious history of Rum in all of its major markets.

Broom, Dave. Rum. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2003

More specifically, Rums of the Caribbean for Brit drinkers. Lots of pretty pictures.

Coulombe, Charles A. Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink that Conquered the World. New York: Citadel Press, 2004

The political history of Rum from a Catholic perspective (Really!).

Gelabert, Blanche. The Spirit of Puerto Rican Rum. San Juan: Discovery Press, 1992

Cooking and mixing drinks with Puerto Rican Rum.

Hamilton, Edward. The Complete Guide to Rum. Chicago: Triumph Press, 1996

A yacht-cruising tour of the Rums of the Caribbean. A great read.

Hamilton, Edward. Rums of the Eastern Caribbean. Culebra: Tafia Publishing, 1997

The Minister of Rum recycles The Complete Guide to Rum.

Obe, Capt. James Pack. Nelson’s Blood: The Story of Naval Rum. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1983

Rum as a tool of social control in the Royal Navy. So how much is a tot of Rum?

Plotkin, Robert. Caribe Rum: The Original Guide to Caribbean Rum and Drinks. Tucson: Bar Media, 2001

Many, many mixed drink recipes, uniformly enthusiastic product reviews, and a very, very annoying page layout featuring a winged heart (Don’t ask).

Tequila

Emmons, Bob. The Book of Tequila: A Complete Guide. Chicago: Open Court, 1997

Truth in advertising. Excellent introduction to the history and production of Tequila. Brand listings are now somewhat dated, but still very useful.

Martinez Limon, Enrique. Tequila: The Spirit of Mexico. New York: Abbeville Press, 2000

Extensively illustrated consumer guide to the production and brands of Tequila.

Sanchez, Alberto Ruy and De Orellana, Margarita. Tequila: A Traditional Art of Mexico. Washington: Smithsonian Books, 2004.

Breezy, lightweight guide to current brands of Tequila. Lots of drink recipes.

Valenzuela-Zapata, Ana G. and Nabhan, Gary Paul. Tequila!: A Natural and Cultural History. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2003

Tequila as seen through the eyes of plant biologists.

Vodka

Begg, Desmond. The Vodka Companion. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1998

Quick history of Vodka with extensive tasting notes.

Delos, Gilbert. Vodkas of the World. Edison: Wellfleet Press, 1998

Excellent survey of Vodkas and Aquavit.

Wisniewski, Ian. Vodka: Discovering, Exploring Enjoying. London: Ryland Peters & Small, 2003

A stylish magazine article on Vodka turned into a very short book.

Whiskey, General

Gabanyi, Stefan. WHISK(E)Y. New York: Abbeville Press, 1997

English translation of a German guide to the whiskies of the world. Thousands of brands and terms listed and explained. Excellent quick reference guide.

Jackson, Michael. WHISKEY. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2005

Heavily detailed and beautifully laid-out guide to the whiskies of the world, including the new craft distillers. Required addition to any serious distiller’s library.

Jackson, Michael. The World Guide to Whisky. Topsfield: Salem House Publishers, 1988

The Bard of Brew’s first take on the whiskies of Scotland, Ireland, Canada, America and Japan. A worthy companion to his seminal The World Guide Beer.

Murphy, Brian. The World Book of Whiskey. Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1979

Interesting view of the whiskies of the world just before the late 20th century rash of mergers, closures and brand changes. Apres moi, le deluge.

Murray, Jim. The Complete Guide to Whiskey. Chicago: Triumph Books, 1997

More properly a guide to Scotch, Irish, Canadian and American whiskies, and the distilleries that make them. Good capsule histories of the distilleries with minimal tasting notes.

Murray, Jim. Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible: 2005. London: Carlton Books, 2004

Close to all-encompassing pocket tasting guide to the world’s whiskies from Britain’s other leading spirits writer.

Whiskey, American - General

Getz, Oscar. Whiskey: An American Pictorial History. New York: David McKay, 1978

Excellent pictorial history of liquor and distilling in American society.

Waymack, Mark H. and Harris, James F. The Book of Classic American Whiskeys. Chicago: Open Court, 1995

Concise history of American whiskey and current distilleries with detailed tasting notes.

Whiskey, American – Biography

Green, Ben A. Jack Daniel’s Legacy. Nashville: Rich Printing, 1967

Quasi-official biography of the founder of America’s leading whiskey distillery.

Krass, Peter. Blood & Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2004

Interesting analysis of the life of Jack Daniel and his business world.

Taylor, Richard. The Great Crossing: A Historic Journey to Buffalo Trace Distillery. Frankfort: Buffalo Trace Distillery, 2002

Well-written company history with good insights into the development of Bourbon distilling in early Kentucky.

Van Winkle Campbell, Sally. But Always A Fine Bourbon: Pappy Van Winkle and the Story of Old Fitzgerald. Louisville: Limestone Lane Press, 1999

Self satisfied family history with lots of pretty pictures.

Whiskey, American – Bourbon & Tennessee

Carson, Gerald. The Social History of Bourbon. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1984.

The evolving role of Bourbon in America’s collective lifestyle.

Cecil, Sam K. The Evolution of the Bourbon Whiskey Industry in Kentucky. Paducah: Turner Publishing, 1999

County-by county listings and capsule histories of every distillery to operate in Kentucky. An obvious labor of love.

Cowdery, Charles K. Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey. Chicago: Made and Bottled in Kentucky, 2004

An independent and frequently irreverent view of the American Bourbon industry. Must reading for all serious students of American whiskey distilling.

Murray, Jim. Classic Bourbon, Tennessee and Rye Whiskey. London: Prion Books, 1996

An Englishman tastes American Whiskey, and likes them. Extensive tasting notes.

Regan, Gary and Mardee Haidin, The Book of Bourbon. Shelburne: Chapters Publishing, 1995

Extensive tasting notes, somewhat dated at this point, and recipes.

Regan, Gary and Mardee Haidin. The Bourbon Companion. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1998

Cliff Notes for virtually all current brands of Bourbon.

Whisky, Canadian

Bingham, Madeleine. King of the Castle: the Making of a Dynasty: Seagram’s and the Bronfman Empire. New York: Atheneum, 1979

The dirt on the now vanished dominant force in Canadian distilling.

Bronfman, Samuel. …From Little Acorns…: The Story of Distillers Corporation-Seagrams, Ltd. Montreal: Distillers Corporation-Seagrams Limited, 1970

The Grand Old Man of Canadian Distilling tells a cleaned up version of the history of Seagrams and Canadian whisky. Nary a mention of Joe Kennedy and bootlegging.

Brown, Lorraine. 200 Years of Tradition: The Story of Canadian Whisky. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1994.

A non-Seagramscentric history of Canadian whisky. A bit on the short side.

Marrus, Michael R. Samuel Bronfman: the Life and Times of Seagram’s Mr. Sam. Boston: University Press of New England, 1991

Academic analysis of the Canadian distilling industry through an overview of the now dismantled Seagrams Whisky Empire.

Rannie, William F. Canadian Whisky: The Product and The Industry. Lincoln: W.F. Rannie Publisher, 1976

Interesting snapshot of the Canadian distilling industry on the eve of the late 20th Century industry consolidation.

Whiskey, Moonshine – History

Carr, Jess. The Second Oldest Profession: An Informal History of Moonshining in America. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972

The history of moonshining, primarily in southern states.

Dabney, Joseph Earl. Mountain Spirits. Asheville: Bright Mountain Books, 1974

A social history of Appalachian moonshine distilling with an attitude. Corn whiskey: Good; sugar distillation: Bad.

Dabney, Joseph Earl. More Mountain Spirits. Asheville: Bright Mountain Books, 1980

There is more to moonshine than just corn whiskey; peach brandy for example. Chock full of recipes and homemade still designs.

Keller, Esther. Moonshine: Its History and Folklore. New York: Weathervane Books, 1971

Moonshine in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Lightweight, but entertaining.

Mauer, David W. Kentucky Moonshine. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1974

Moonshining as an industry, from colonial times to the present.

Whiskey, Irish

Magee, Malachy. Irish Whiskey: A 1000 Year Tradition. Dublin: O’Brien Press, 1998

Short, but detailed history of Irish whiskey distilling, with capsule histories of every commercial distillery in Ireland.

McGuffin, John. In Praise of Poteen. Belfast: Applegate Press, 1978

Moonshine, Irish style. As is usually the case, romantic history is better than the rather squalled current state of affairs, with kitchen stills in urban housing estates distilling fermented sugar water.

McGuire, E.B. Irish Whiskey. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1973

A Last Hurrah view of the Irish Distilling industry, just prior to the final industry consolidation.  

Murray, Jim. Classic Irish Whiskey. London: Prion Books, 1998

More or less complete tasting and buying guide to Irish Whiskey, including local brands. Murray does tend to like everything, though.

Townsend, Brian. The Lost Distilleries of Ireland. Glasgow: Neil Wilson, 1999

Companion book to the author’s Scotch Missed: The Lost Distilleries of Scotland, only sadder. Scotland still has around 100 distilleries, while Ireland only has three.

Whisky, Scotch

Barnard, Alfred. The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2003

Reprint of 1887 guide to the distilleries of Scotland, England and Ireland. Wonderful window into a long vanished world of distilling, with many engravings. A must have for the historically-minded distiller.

Brander, Michael. The Essential Guide to Scotch Whisky. Edinburgh: Canongate Publishing, 1990

Compact report on the state of the Scottish distilling industry, circa 1990.

Cooper, Derek. A Taste of Scotch. London: Andre Deutsch, 1989

The role of Scotch whisky in various facets of British culture. Lots of great graphics.

Daiches, David. Scotch Whisky: Its Past and Present. New York: Macmillan, 1970

The world of Scotch whisky distilling, just prior to the late 20th century shutdowns.

Graham, Duncan & Wendy. Visiting Distilleries, 2nd Edition. Glasgow: Angel’s Share, 2003

Does your favorite Highland distillery have a gift shop? How clean is the loo? All your Whisky Trail questions are answered here.

Greenwood, Malcolm. A Nip Around The World: The Diary of a Whisky Salesman. Argyll: Argyll Publishing, 1995

Stories from the Front of whisky selling in Europe. Interesting, but short.

Gunn, Neil M. Whisky & Scotland: A Practical and Spiritual Survey. Edinburgh: Souvenir Press, 1988

SMWS reprint of 1935 classic tome on Scotch whisky production and history.

Hume, John R. and Moss, Michael S. The Making of Scotch Whisky, Revised Edition. Edinburgh: Canongate, 2000

A business history of Scottish distilling. Very detailed, yet well written.

Jackson, Michael. Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, 5th Edition. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2004

The benchmark guide to Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, with over 1,000 tasting notes. A must-have reference book.

Jackson, Michael. Scotland and its Whiskies. New York: Harcourt, 2001

A travel guide to the various distilling regions of Scotland. Lovely photographs and lyrical text from Britain’s leading spirits and beer writer.

Lockhart, Sir Robert Bruce. Scotch: The Whisky of Scotland in Fact and Story. London: Putnam, 1970

A standard history of Scotch Whisky, much used (quoted and otherwise) by subsequent books on the topic.  

MacLean, Charles. MacLean’s Miscellany of Whisky. London: Little Books, 2004

A collection of whisky-themed essays on a wide variety of topics. Great bedside book.

MacLean, Charles. The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Whisky Book. London: Mitchell Beazley, 1993

Pocket guide with ratings to Single malt, Grain and Blended Scotch whiskies. Now somewhat dated.  

McDougall, John and Smith, Gavin D. Wort, Worms & Washbacks: Memoirs from the Stillhouse, Glasgow: Angel’s Share, 2000

Journeyman stillmaster’s tales of life in a variety of Scottish distilleries. Old slights and scores are settled in a most amusing manner.

McDowall, R.J.S. The Whiskies of Scotland. New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1967

Distilleries, blenders and their whiskies of the time are described in extensive detail, while American mixers are denounced as foul pollutants of pure malt spirits.

Milroy, Wallace. Wallace Milroy’s Malt Whisky Almanac. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991

Limited tasting notes of Single Malt whiskies from an early British advocate of the style.

Morrice, Philip. The Schweppes Guide to Scotch. Sherborne, Alphabooks, 1983

All encompassing guide to every Scotch Whisky distiller, blender, merchant bottler and marketing group. Somewhat outdated now, but still a useful reference guide.

Reeve-Jones, Alan. A Dram Like This… London: Elm Tree Books, 1974

Droll social history of Scotch Whisky with extensive mixed drink and food recipes.

Townsend, Brian. Scotch Missed: Scotland’s Lost Distilleries, 3rd Edition. Glasgow: Angel’s Share, 2004

The life and death of over 100 Scottish distilleries is chronicled with photographs and directions. Try cross-referencing it with Barnard’s The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.