Books! Plants! Booze! What more could you want? I recently just finished The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart, and I loved it.

The summary of this book is

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.

I bought the book as a gift for a friend who loves gin, then somehow received a second copy for myself! I read it quite quickly, and think it will be both a great coffee table book and reference book. The book is organized by an overview of different alcohols, then an overview of the plants that make them and how to grow them! Inside each section was plenty of science and botany, history, fun facts, and even cocktail recipes (from green walnut liquor to a simple mojito)!

The book was well written, well researched, and really appealed to my anthropologist’s heart! I’d highly recommend giving it a read!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.