Beverages Books

Even if you don't drink, this book is a fun time to be had hanging out with your friends. You'll certainly come up with lots more on your own too. If you just want to check it out instead of buy it, though, just go to the Barguments' website. There are extra bargument questions sent in by website viewers on there too.

A fun and clever way to spend time with loved ones . . . .

great book that will make you really think about things that you never thought about.

What a great book! I foresee many sequels....
Barguments for Prison Inmates: Which is worse: A month in solitary or being Leroy's special love interest....for a year?
Barguments for Kids: Which is more disgusting: nose picking or scab picking?
Barguments for US Soldiers in Iraq, Barguments for Moms, Barguments for College Students....the possibilities are endless.

Having known Doug and his counterpoint Eric for a long time, I loved this book. The whole time I read along, I could see the conversations, the players, and the locations. My wife and I sat down to go through this one together (each holding our own copy) and laughed and thought, and tried to avoid arguing for real. Just a really fun conversation starter for everyone.

f you like tropical cocktail (and I do) then there is no way you should be without this guide. You should also own it's companion "Sippin' Sarfari." With these two books, you pretty much have tiki and tropical drinks covered. These are the original (and sometimes with modifications) recipes. They can't be beat. I gave it only four stars for the simple reason that the layout of these books leaves (for me) a lot to be desired. It'd not that they're hard to read or anything, they just look like some guy in a print shop threw them together with a box of old clip art that they found. Just ill considered layout. A noted tiki/lowbrow artist laid them out and Mr. Berry should have gone with a professional in this line of work. It's not that particular artist's cup of tea and it shows. That sort of thing is my profession so I may be a little over critical. Alas. Buy them.

Fantastic book, just like his first one (Grog Log). Spiral bound to lie flat while you are mixing. Tasty drinks, what more could you want? We have enjoyed "Blood of the Kapu Tiki", "Surf Room Mai Tai" and more. The only downside to Beachbum Berry's books is that you will never want to order a cocktail in a bar again, because you will only want drinks that are as good as the ones in his books.

THANK YOU BEACHBUM BERRY!

We have made quite a few of the drink recipes and they have all been great!!! It was exactly what we were looking for.

This is volume two, and just as good. The only other "tiki" drink books worth buying were printed in the 40s and 50s, and this update is better. You have the current ingredients. Any drink enthusiast needs to have the recipes of the masters on hand.
-Swanky
Organizer of Hukilau - the East coast annual tiki event. ...

Just when my "grog log" was beginning to fall apart in curacao-stained tatters, the Beachbum comes out with the new edition. Intoxica is even BETTER than the first. Timeless recipes and unending fun await. For anyone who wishes to delve into the world of exotic drinks, this is the BEST book that I've come across. In no time at all you will be mixing the most amazing and tasty concoctions in your own kitchen.You will never order a tropical drink at a bar again. Get This Book!

Wit, wisdom, and little known facts of the world of spirits fill these pages. I have a worn out copy on my bar in my house. Guests always pick it up to glance throught it and end up putting it down hours later... A definte must for every person who enjoys spirits. Every bar should have one as well.

It may be the only comprehensive one of its kind, but when there are others it will still be the best because the author knows so much about the subject and does his homework. It is almost as good as conversation with the author himself when he's working. And that's the height of wit.

A rich and varied compendium of interesting, entertaining, and thoughtful quotes on drinking, Bottled Wisdom is the perfect tonic for the ill-view that a minority in our society take toward the culture of alcohol. Best shared with a friend over a tasty beverage, this book offers humorous and thoughtful quotes. In fact, some of the best quotes are surprising in content and authorship. Just as a visit to a quality bar should be, this anthology will make you smile, laugh, and reflect on life. You will make new friends and be happy to see some old cronies in these pages. Pollman has done his homework and offers a varied and rich anthology. Reigle's illustrations are good and complement the text without overpowering the words. For the imbiber that has everything, this book is the perfect holiday gift.

Mark has done a fabulous job of collecting some classic "wisdom" as well as a whole lot of wonderful new material. I now have a habit of purchasing a copy of the book for all of my ex-U.S. co-workers (after a visit with Mark at the pub, of course) to show them that American humor and ingenuity are alive and well !! I suspect that there are a number of foolish publishers out there "cryin' in their beer" over this lost opportunity ! This book is a great gift for yourself or anyone who appreciates great wit and a tasty libation.

Mark Pollman's book, "Bottled Wisdom", is my defense against the British opinion that nothing American can possibly be as good as the "English way". Pub owners, employees and patrons here in London have been fascinated by Mark's book (ps, Mark, you may have some more new customers!) -- a thoroughly enjoyable read. One word of warning: don't read while drinking, unless your fellow imbibers don't mind being sprayed when you laugh uncontrollably!

I am not one for short stories, but I loved "Wine Lovers Soul". In fact, I bought one for my friend's birthday. It was the perfect gift to give to a friend, whom you have enjoyed wine with.

Each story is touching or funny in one way or another, whether it is the couple of many years sharing a quiet moment at home with a good wine, or a daughter making a fine dinner for her family using her father's oldest reserve wine by accident. Once you finish the book, it is easy to see that the love of wine is about tradition, celebration, love of friends and family and much more.

Not only did I love the short stories, but I also appreciated the extra little tidbits and facts that are given as a side note in each chapter. As well as, the suggestions at the end of different chapters on wines to try.

I checked out the new Chicken Soup specialized books - chocolate lovers, tea lovers, etc. and this wine lover's is the best of the lot.

Not only are the stories well-written, beautiful, and inspiring, so are the many other features included in the book. This is a must read for any wine lover.

This is a fun book on wine that was so nostalgic for me. While living in San Francisco for seven years, I learned a lot about wine and took many day trips to Napa and Sonoma. Now that I live in the Arizona desert, several stories in this book took me back to those fun experiences! A great book for anyone who enjoys wine and wine tasting.

This book is the perfect present for the holiday season (or any other special occasion). For those not knowing what to give as a gift, this little tome will definitely please male and female friends and relatives with its inspirational true stories of wine and how wine has brought people together in fellowship and family. First off, this book looks a bit different from the usual Chicken Soup tome - the cover is about an inch smaller in size and the inside pages are printed on soft white paper (instead of the usual bright white) which makes reading easy on the eyes. The cover is shaded with a rosy pink, reminiscent of rose wine. It's a pleasure to hold this book in my hands. And it's an even greater pleasure to relax with this book for an invigorating spell of reading enjoyment. I always feel better after leafing through a Chicken Soup book, and this one in particular. I thrive on "feel good" stories. I appreciate the life lessons that the authors provide, and I get a kick out of seeing how they incorporate those lessons with the joy of wine. Pass the cheese tray, friends, and relax with a glass of rose or white wine - and this book.

If you're like me, you've probably sampled many beers over your lifetime. You may have also considered brewing your own beer from time to time. Mr. Kunath's book is an excellent reference to the process. Full of great advice, this book is more than a simple "how to" guide; it is a well researched exploration of beer making, complete with beautiful photos and illustrations. If you've ever considered brewing beer, buy this book! Mr. Kunath, I raise this glass to you.

Kunath's love of beer, brewing, and writing all combine to form a spectacular feast of knowledge and enchantment. The author establishes a relationship with the reader that make one feel he may have spent time brewing with him. His artful wit along with necessary instructions gives the reader a full reward. I am not a professional brewer, but from my days at SUNY Cortland, I can tell you that Kunath captures the "clock-tower" of brewing. My wife enjoyed the book as well. Hats off to Kunath, that little devil! A job well done!

I raise my glass to Mr. Kunath. I have struggled with brewing on and off for years. Finally I stumbled across this book. I orignally brought it home for the coffee table. With its exquisite illustrations and presentation it is a perfect way to demonstrate my hobby to my guests. However, when I actually read the information, recipes and data I was amazed. This book is the ultimate guide for the homebrewer. From the absolute novice to the experienced brewer Mr. Kunath gives the reader all of the tools necessary to improve their brew. Cheers!

My brother is was very interested in home brewing. I bought this book as a birthday present and he was thrilled. Last week I tried a sample of his first batch, it was wonderful. Mr. Kunath deserves high praise!!!! The book was easy to follow and very informative!

I enjoyed the book but the information was too basic for the advanced brewer. One of the best features of this book is the section that steps the intermediate (extract and grain) brewer into the realm of "all grain." The "Don't worry..." theme of brewing has been carried through without using the cliche. I do highly recommend the book for those who enjoy malt extract/malt extract and grain brewing and want to improve their product or are working their way toward advanced brewing.

Cheers!

LET'S OPEN A BOTTLE: MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE SPANISH WINE REVOLUTION takes readers to Spain along with the English teacher/author, who considers the Spanish wine revolution. Murdock is an expatriate living in Madrid the past fifteen years: his background lends to a blend of memoir and travelogue which brings readers into the heart of Spanish wine country politics and winemaking tradition. Travel tips include listings of regional wineries, specialties, and recommendations for destination-bound wine fans. A wonderful, detail-packed read for any interested in Spanish wines and wine region history.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Books on Spanish wine are difficult to find, good books on Spanish wine are rare and books such as Brian Murdock's are unique. Not only is it up-to-date and thorough but it blends a current knowledge of the Spanish wine industry with insights into Spain's history and culture. Robert Parker (aka God), the world's leading wine critic, has said of Spanish wine that,"Spain has done an outstanding job of maintaining respect for its traditions of the past and also looking forward to the future." This wine revolution is perfectly captured in Murdock's book.
However, this is not just a (well above) average reference book on Spanish wine regions and their wines. This book is far more. It is a personal journey, literally, among the highways and byways- most Spanish wineries are on byways- where the author talks to a wide cross-section of individuals involved in wine-making. This allows the reader to hear the voices of those actually making the wide variety of quality wines which Spain is now producing.
In this personal account the author's acute perceptions, deep knowledge, wit and sheer passiopn of and for Spanish wines burns through. At the end of this excellent read Murdock modestly states that he is no 'expert' but '...after a helluvah lot of work, I also should know what I am talking about.' Indeed he does.
As a wine merchant based in Spain and having visited many of the same places and tasted the same wines as the author I can bear witness to its accuracy and insight. This first-class book will appeal not only to all those who wish to explore Spanish wines but also ita charming people and rich culture.

This is a great read and should not be simply thought of as another boring guide to wine. The author weaves plenty of humor and history into this aptly named "Journey Through the Spanish Wine Revolution". The reader learns how and why the vast history of the Iberian Peninsula has shaped today's Spanish wine industry. The end result is not only do I seek out Spanish wines in restaurants and stores, but I also want to travel to Spain to check out the various regions and their unique cultures and geographies. I should also note that I have given this book as a gift to a few people who have loved it as well.

As someone who's trying to learn more about the "wine culture" after years of clueless intrigue, I finally found the perfect source. While it primarily discusses wines from a lesser known country/producer(Spain), this book provides a firm backbone that's easily translatable across wine regions around the world. Not sure what to expect when I started, I was quickly taken by the extreme detail discussing individual wines and vineyards, and how they vary from region to region. As much as I learned about various "reds" and "whites", I received an equally thorough education on the history of each region. Humor and a lighter tone throughout make this a fun, interesting, and very informative read.

When I see this book, I thought "OK, a modern guide for spanish wines, I'll get it". But it's much more than this! It's a really good landscape of the spanish wine culture, with many facts surrounding the wine and spanish people.

I think Mr. Murdock has done a really good job, and it will be useful for many pepole who loves wine and wants to know more about Spain, its wine and the people who lives there.

5 stars are for all the book if we excepts the part for andalusian wines. They are worth of a full book! :-)

A perfect gift or a perfect self-gift.

This is a very handy book to have around very well organized and easy to use not to mention jammed full of wonderful drink ideas.

Fabulous little book!!! I bought it as a gift for a friend and almost kept it for myself. It's an essential book for mixing up great cocktails at home. I plan on buying more as hostess gifts.

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for my son. He's delighted with it and spent an hour perusing it's pages and finding drinks he'd never heard of before. Since his career involves a lot of entertaining, it's something he looks forward to using for many years to come. I highly recommend the book for anyone who wants to dazzle visitors with their expertise in cocktail making.

We recently had a cocktail party, and put this book on the bar so people could check it out and try something new. It was a hit with all, which included 20-somethings to 50-somethings.

I got this gift for a best friend's 21st birthday (in addition to the Little Black Book for Smoothies). Such a great book! It is hardcover spiral and has an elastic band so you can store it wherever without bending the pages. Cute cover: black book (of course) with circular green label that says the title (whereas the Smoothie book has a pink label). Very chic, cute design, something anyone would absolutely love! Had to buy another set for me!

If you love single malt whisky, you'll love this book. As a single malt lover, I use this book as a guide to explore the world of single malt whisky. Since I am stiil young and poor, it's not possible to taist too much whisky. You have to make a purchasing list for yourself. I am very happy to find out that this books can help me make the decision. I am not saying the point is everything. If you beleve your own taist, you do not have to agree with the author's comment. However, it's a way to build your own guide step by step. Until now, I have tried about 10 brands with about 30 different ages scotch. It's really an interesting world.

Jackson's book is the best of the lot. He brings a love of fine whisky to bear with no pre-established perceptions. Kyle Wallace

Although some have said that the practice of assigning a numerical rating scale to single malts is overgeneralizing and therefore inaccurate, I find it to be a useful guide and at least a valuable insight into the mind of someone who is known to be one of the world's foremost experts on single malts. True, rating single malts from 0-100 is sometimes akin to comparing diverse items such as a sunset, a Picaso, a good cup of coffee. Nonetheless, for the novice, this book offers tremendous insight. It describes the majority of house styles of all the distilleries, and provides a good brief history and explanation of the malting, brewing, distillation and aging processes necessary to create fluid works of art. A MUST for the novice single malt taster and the discriminating imbiber . My copy is worn, torn, dog-eared and used daily.

Mr. Jackson has arranged a concise and easy to use encyclopedia for scotch whisky. The inclusion of over 300 malts has made it difficult for me to find a bottle that he has not listed, tasted, and graded. However; I derive the most pleasure from his descriptions of the hamlets, towns and hollows that surround the distilleries. A brief description of the malting process, and some history of scotch whisky, make this a good starting point for a novice taster. I am dismayed to see that it is out of print as I have found it to be a fine gift that has been appreciated by friends.

Echoing the other reviews posted here, I'd just like to add that this book is one of the best of its kind. Unlike a lot of books about scotch whisky which tell you loads about the distilliries yet nothing about the relative worth of the drams, this book calls 'em--the good, the mediocore, and the not so good. Mr. Jackson is an outstanding writer, by turns witty and intelligent, and his passion for scotch is evident and infectious. The beautiful layout work complements the writing.

If you have even a passing interest in single malts, you need this book. Buy it now. And don't let your friends swipe your copy, even though they'll want to.

Hilarious. This book will teach you all the rules you'll have to follow, and all the affectations you'll have to take on, to pass as a wine snob. At the same time, though, you'll really learn about wine. This book was first published in 1981 and it also offers a glimpse into gourmet snobbery before good food was democratized and celebrity chefs took over. The illustrations are just as funny as the prose and they will both remind you of real wine snobs you know. Every aspiring wine connoisseur should read this book.

The Official Guide To Wine Snobbery by Leonard S. Bernstein is an amiably and expertly written guide to everything from how to properly hold a wine glass, to matching foods and wines, to popular controversies surrounding wines and their tasting, and a great deal more. Informed and informative, The Official Guide To Wine Snobbery is an enjoyable, accessible, 160-page instructional guide which is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the pastime and culture of wine tasting.

This book is out of print and I managed to get a used copy as a gift to a friend. I first read it a few months ago, also a few months after I first got interested in wine. This is great reading for anyone into wine tasting, even only remotely. It not only gives you quite some information about French wines (occasionally American ones), but also teaches you how to be snobbishly cool with the whole thing with scathing humor. You'll laugh as you read through and recognize as well as make fun of your own snobbery in the future.

I neither know nor care about wine, but I found this book enormously entertaining.

The book is written as an autobiographical story about Bernstein's quest to reach the upper ranks of wine snobbery. He covers what to order and when (and how to go from impressive to daringly impressive w/out spending too much) paring wine with food, what to do with the cork, how to taste wine without looking dumb, best names for wine ever, etc.

This book is great for beginners because it's a great way to learn, or for someone who already "knows it all" when it comes to wine because it's so funny. I've bought this book as a gift for several people and they always comment on it months later. While I suppose you could learn to become quite a wine snob, it's easier to laugh at them. I also noticed that my confidence around wine improved when I realized that the main thing a "real wine snob" did was ignore all "rules" about wine with confidence.

A masterpiece ! Presentation, depth of information, clarity.... all are uniquely outstanding. Very well organized. I read it twice and learned quite a few things. Excellent book for the beginner and all wine lovers.

Anita LaRaia's book "Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time" is a fun read. I found myself reading it every night before I went to sleep because it was so entertaining, informational, and enjoyable.

I would highly recommend this book for yourself and your friends. For Christmas, I bought 4 books for gifts including one for myself. After reading "Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time", I ordered 3 more for gifts for my friends. It may be the first wine book I've read that deserves to be a best seller.

I received this book and a bottle of Banfi Rosa Regale as a gift, and loved both the book and this wonderful wine sooooo much, that I have just ordered a full case and books to match, to bundle together for gifts of my own. Where else can you get such a perfect taste adventure as Rosa Regale (such a WOW of a wine, that I can't wait to try ALL of the suggestions in this book ) paired with such a fun read?

I loaned the book to my sister, who is raising four kids and not exactly at a place in her life to be cruising wine tastings, and she said, "This book makes me want to start drinking wine." Well, when I handed her a taste of the Rosa Regale that came with it, she let out the biggest WOW since the day she got word that her daughter got MVP on the High School Soccer team. No kidding. She called me a few days later to say that she just saw the Rosa Regale wine bottle in a photograph in a Bride's magazine.

I just thought I should come on here and write my own review, because I can't think of another $30 gift that is so memorable and experiential as Pick a Perfect Wine + one of her recommended wines. This book made me feel like I'm in the know & ready to roll as a hostess. There is nothing like having the inside tips to enjoy the good life, whether you are doing it on a budget or with the sky as your limit. This book is a winner.

This is the book that should be available for purchase in every wine store in the land. As a wine professional, I had to log on here and comment that this author has it all: A fun delightful writing style, rich content, fun stories, and everything it takes to give us a rich and deep understanding. Anita LaRaia lays it all out like no one else ever has: Bright, entertaining, and a real education all rolled into one. Just perfect ! This would be a great gift, as the toasts will keep on giving with every click of your wine glass. Cheers to all who appreciate good food, great conversation, and the flavors that come only in a good bottle of wine.

Peter Forbes

This book is a real gem. I'm just getting into my copy, and I can tell you that this is a very special wine book. Think of the best teacher you ever had, give her a wealth of experience in the world's vineyards, and you've got a picture of Anita and her book. Pick a Perfect Wine gets a big WOW, and a big recommendation. You'll be talking like someone who knows their stuff, and you'll have great little bits of intriguing information to go with every sip you take. What a book! Great for skipping around the internet ~ Anita tells you all the wineyard sites, the stories on the owners, and the best internet sources for wine. Pull some corks and enjoy the ride.