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Boozehound: On The Trail Of The Rare, The Obscure, And The Overrated In Spirits (2000)

by Jason Wilson(Favorite Author)

3.97 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

review 1: Most of the other reviewers have hit the high, and, to my mind, the most important bits about this book. What I want to add is that the author doesn't take himself seriously. However, he does convey an appreciation for the passion involved in producing excellent spirits. He explains succinctly what it is we should be looking for in drinkable spirits. I found myself laughing out loud as he called a spade a spade regarding martinis - and it's something I've been saying ever since I discovered the original recipe in a 1933 cocktail book. If you only add one drop of vermouth, of just waft the fumes over the glass, you are NOT drinking a martini; you are drinking a glass of gin, so just call it that! The second time I found myself in agreement with him was the matter of vodka. ... moreIt is so utterly worthless that to keep sales high, they've begun dumping in artifical flavors.The third time was at the end, when he discussed barware. For those of you under a certain age, the two or three martini lunch was possible because the size of the cocktail glass was for a traditional martini: 1 ounce gin + 1 ounce dry vermouth + a dash of orange bitters + a twist of lemon (or an olive). These days, one sees cocktail glasses that hold the equivalent of a can of soda! By the time you are two sips into the drink, it is, as he points out, no longer icy cold. Bleah. Even when waxing brilliant of this or that detail regarding a spirit, the author remains firmly rooted in a no-nonsense approach. He calls that spade a spade and doesn't hesitate to add the anecdotes that prove he's still a regular guy who likes booze. He even calls it that!This was a fun read and I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes. I'll add some of the more arcane bottles to the collection whenever the VA ABC store gets with the program (or I make a trip to a state that is more enlightened!), and I look forward to seeing if I continue to be in agreement with him.
review 2: Really enjoyed this. Wilson has an enjoyably tongue-in-cheek approach to his subject, an admirable lack of pretension and willingness to mock sacred cows (and himself), and a good sense about the essential good fortune of working as a spirits writer. While there are plenty of anecdotes that start off in one exotic locale or the next, occasionally leaving the impression that the job is nothing but travel and drinking and other first world problems, he's aware of that issue and balances it with plenty of info and reporting. The chapter about the mythology around the production of St. Germain is alone worth the price of admission. less

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