Vermouth: The Revival of the Spirit that Created America's Cocktail Culture

This is a very educational look into the world of Vermouth. I picked this up because we are travelling to Spain soon, and Vermouth is kind of the 'in' beverage right now.Don't expect a ton of recipes - that for which I am glad. Too often these books have little educational content and are stuffed with recipes easily found on the internet. What recipes are featured are very welcome, several new and a few twists on classics. Negroni with 2 parts vermouth and half parts gin and campari? Kind of a fun way to have it if you use great Vermouth!The majority of the content discusses the production and styles of Vermouth with several producers profiled (they even had one of our local Oregon producers included!). There are also several bars featured, but only of note if you are travelling or happen to live in/near one of these cities.I also recommend "Amaro" by Parsons if you like these styles of wine / liqueurs.

An excellently researched book on vermouth that delves deep into the history and modern context of the spirit's popularity. It strikes a comfortable balance between history, modern examples and some interesting vermouth-forward cocktail recipes. Highly recommended as an overall book on vermouth. The third book on vermouth I bought this year and the only one I was happy with. The only part that made me raise an eyebrow is the page justifying American vermouth's general lack of wormwood as a botanical. Not saying I completely disagree with him - I'm more or less neutral on the topic - but it was definitely amusing to see the hoops the author jumps through to try to justify it or explain it away. Overall a brilliant book about vermouth and so far the only one that I would wholeheartedly recommend.

If you look deep enough then anything will eventually become interesting. This book, to me, is another example of how much there is to learn about spirits and how the more I read and learn, the more creative I become. I would absolutely tell any cocktail/wine enthusiast to purchase and read this book more than once.

very informative...easy and interesting reading

cocktail nerds unite! who doesnt need a whole book on vermouths. I keep this on the back bar at work so I have something to reference when a new coworker looks at me confused when I put Vermouth in everything...

We love vermouth and we love this book!!! So glad we found it!

This book has some positive things going for it, from a very interesting and thorough history of vermouth to a beautiful layout and gorgeous photography. It's very nice to see this ingredient mulled over in-depth, and there are some very intriguing facts about the decline of vermouth in the US following WWII that I have not seen discussed elsewhere.That being said, I am fairly disappointed with the blatant branding and focus on NY regional products that runs throughout the second half of the book. I get it, the author invested his time and energy into the Atsby vermouth line and loves the NY area, but this reads more like a list of sponsored recipes for his company/colleagues that you would find in promotional PR material or a paid ad than an honest look at the broad spectrum of vermouth cocktails. That's not to say that they have no place in a cocktail book, especially since the Atsby products are not necessarily interchangeable with other styles, but the sheer amount of times they are called for is overwhelming.Overall, I'd rate this purchase as 2.5 stars. It is a mixed bag that has some great highlights, but I feel is ultimately a missed opportunity when it comes to providing an impartial take on vermouth, and I probably would not purchase it again.

I initially got the book for a friend of mine who is way into vermouth and books (I’m not), but ended up keeping it for myself. Right from the start, the author did a great job of drawing me in to what I previously thought was a very un-sexy world of vermouth. First, the book is beautiful -- he obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the aesthetics – cover to cover with gorgeous photos throughout. Then he writes so passionately about his journey with vermouth, how he fell in love, and it kind of makes you want to love it too. It may be a little heavy on vermouth history for my taste, but if you’re interested in that sort of thing, he begins with vermouth in China thousands of years ago and brings you up to date. And for the drink lover/vermouth novice like myself, there are a ton of really interesting cocktail recipes that look delicious! I also found out the author created his own brand of vermouth. Now that’s serious! But if he put the same love and care into creating his vermouth as he did with his book about it, it’s probably worth more than a try.

Perfeito

Great insight into the history and evolution of vermouth. A must read on the subject

Not as good and comprehensive as I thought it would be. In any case, still a good piece of work.

That's more than I expected ;-) full of facts and experiences! However, I still can't decide if I agree with the modern american way without wormwood... but I am European. That's why, I am not objective.

Amazing