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The Drunken Botanist
The Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks
400 pages
A witty, intoxicating stroll through the garden of earthly delights that proves every great cocktail is a triumph of agriculture.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like attending a fabulous garden party hosted by a brilliantly nerdy botanist who also happens to be a master mixologist. It is a convivial, leisurely read that invites you to sip and savor rather than rush through, structured as a delightful compendium of flora and fermentation. The prose is crisp, conversational, and spiked with dry wit, transforming dense biological facts into intoxicating historical anecdotes. You will find yourself immersed in an earthy, sophisticated atmosphere where the boundaries between the greenhouse and the speakeasy completely dissolve. It is an absolute joy for curious tinkerers, home bartenders, and green-thumbed history buffs who want to understand the deep, rooted alchemy behind their favorite evening glass.
- Mood
- convivial
- earthy
- sophisticated
- Tone
- witty
- informative
- enthusiastic
- conversational
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- human ingenuity · nature and culture · culinary alchemy · historical serendipity
- The writing
- Crisp, conversational, and spiked with dry wit, the writing transforms dense biological facts into intoxicating historical anecdotes.
- The arc
- The reader's journey shifts from casual thirst to a profound, delighted reverence for the botanical alchemy in their glass.
- Who it's for
- Perfect for curious home bartenders, gardening enthusiasts, and lovers of quirky micro-histories who enjoy a good cocktail.
Content notes
- alcohol consumption
About the book
Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? 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.
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.
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.
Description from Open Library.
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