The table of contents had me in hysterics - drinks named The Last of the Mojitos, Gin Eyre, Howards Blend, The Sound and the Slurry. By the end of the introduction, I knew this book belonged in my permanent collection.
Gentle Drinker:
Congrats. You fought through War and Peace, burned through Fahrenheit 451, and sailed through Moby-Dick. All right, all right, you nearly drowned in Moby-Dick, but you made it to shore - and you deserve a drink! Hang tight, undergrad. A beer's not going to cut it. Not this time.
To pay proper homage to the world's greatest stories and storytellers, we've carefully crafted a library's worth of literature-inspired cocktails. Scholarly sips for word nerds, if you will - and the people who love them...This little book begins with the basics - tools, techniques, and terms - before getting down to the business of recipes. Each recipe begins with an entertaining paragraph about the specific book/drink pairing. Ingredients and directions follow, many with full-page (comical) illustrations.
Since The Picture of Dorian Grey was one of my recent Classics Club Spin reads, I decided to try The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose at a recent family gathering. It was delicious, people - dangerously so! I know you can't make out the recipe from the photo, so...
Makes about 8 drinks10 sprigs fresh mint, washed
1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
2 cups vodka (like Grey Goose)
Cucumber, sliced into wheels, for garnish
Last night (TGIF, right?) we tried Infinite Zest. Not quite as delicious, but just as potent. A little extra limoncello made it more palatable.Tear mint, then place in the pitcher. Add the lemonade concentrate and stir until thawed. Pour in the vodka and 3 cups cold water and stir. Serve over ice, garnish with the cucumber wheels, and remember: age before beauty - if anyone will fess up.
Whether you enjoy mixed drinks or not, Tequila Mockingbird is a very entertaining read!
Cook It Up: A Cookbook Challenge is hosted by Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity. Find links to other posts here.
OMG this is hysterical!! I must send this to a friend!!
ReplyDeleteJackie - I ended up buying one copy for myself and one for a gift!
DeleteI laughed at the drink names too! OMG. I agree this is a must-have book.
ReplyDeleteBeth F - We laughed so hard reading through the drink names!
DeleteLOL! This is brilliant! Just hearing the names of these drink mixes is refreshing enough. ;)
ReplyDeleteArti - I think you're right!
DeleteSounds as though the punny names alone are worth the price of admission!
ReplyDeleteKaren - Definitely... they make me wish we were bigger cocktail drinkers!
DeleteHa this sounds awesome!! I need this book! :)
ReplyDeleteQuixotic Magpie - Hope you can find it at your library, but you my want to own this one!
DeleteI love the names of the drinks in this one. Pitcher of Dorian Grey sounds amazing! I'll have to give it a try and look for this book.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - Another Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose could get me into serious trouble ;-)
DeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteMarie - Me, too!!
DeleteHow fun! I'm like you...generally stick to wine, but my husband loves making special cocktails. He's not very "bookish" (only reads sports and business books), so not sure this book is up his alley, but he would love the recipe part of it!
ReplyDeleteSarah - I'm guessing most of these drinks are called something else by non-bookish folks...
DeleteIt's almost more fun to imagine what goes into a 'Howards Blend' than it might be to read TF's recipe... Tea? (hope not).
ReplyDeleteAudrey - Howards Blend is brandy, orgeat syrup (don't even know what that is!) and Angostura bitters. Hmmm....
DeleteWhat fun! And The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose sounds like a great summer cocktail!
ReplyDeleteJoy's Book Blog
Joy - The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose would be perfect for a summer book club meeting!
DeleteWe aren't big drinkers either but this one sounds like entirely too much fun and the perfect addition to any booklover's shelf (bonus if she is a imbiber). I love The Sound and the Slurry. I bet the author had a blast coming up with those clever titles!
ReplyDeleteTrish - This book makes me wish we drank more cocktails! Maybe I'll continue making special Friday evening drinks, who knows? The Sound and the Slurry is made with gin, creme de cassis, and lemon juice.
DeleteWhat a find JoAnn - The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose, make me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteDiane - I renewed the library book twice, then decided I needed to own it. The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose was almost too good ;-)
DeleteI do love the title! We're mostly beer drinkers around here but would make the sacrifice to try some of the drinks in this book. I love your glass too, by the way!
ReplyDeleteKathy - My sister picked a couple of those glasses up for me at the Mackenzie-Child Barn Sale a few weeks ago. They make me just as happy as the drink :)
DeleteI love this idea! There's a brewery near me that gives each of its beers a literary name, like it's a dark and stormy Stout.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - That sounds like a lot of fun, too. We're lucky to have some craft breweries around here... need to check them out!
DeleteAbsolutely hysterical - I really have to get this!
ReplyDeleteVicki - I ended up buying two copies... one for me and one for a gift!
DeleteTequila Mockingbird is clever. It looks like a great book to have. (It might make a great gift for some of my cocktail aficionado friends.)
ReplyDeletePat - I think this is a wonderful gift book!
DeleteI love this! I shall have to get a copy.
ReplyDeleteDebbie - It's worth every penny!
DeletePriceless--must have copy, must buy copies as presents. I'm a wine drinker too, with the occasional marg thrown in when on vacation, but I am addicted to puns...and you know my relationship to classics :)
ReplyDeleteJaneGS - I ended up buying a gift copy, too, but may end up purchasing a couple more for the holidays. You should have heard us laughing at the drink titles... and that was before the Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose! I love this book!
DeleteI really really loved this book. I didn't ever actually try to make any of the drinks in it though which I really need to. I love that you actually did it. I am the only drinker in my house so I might have to finish a whole pitcher by myself. That will be no problem though.
ReplyDeleteAngela's Anxious Life - I liked that many of the drinks had ingredients listed for a "single serving" ;-)
DeleteI got this at Christmas and kind of forgot about it! I have a vacation week coming up with some entertaining to do, so I will get this book out and try some of the recipes!
ReplyDeleteLaurie C - Dust it off and get mixing! These drinks are perfect for summer entertaining :)
DeleteLike several others, we don't do much in the mixed drink category, but those drink titles are so funny! Would be great for an adult book club.
ReplyDeleteSara - I think this book would still be fun even if you don't actually try the recipes!
DeleteThis would make a great gift. Or, I could host a literary party!!
ReplyDeleteTi - I already bought one copy for a gift, but am sure I'll end up buying at least one more when the holidays roll around.
DeleteSounds like a fun one, even if I don't actually make mixed drinks often.
ReplyDeleteCarol - Absolutely!
DeleteI heard about this book when it came out and then I forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me. My husband and I have designated Wednesday as cocktails & reading night, so this would be perfect!
ReplyDeleteMary R. - This book would be perfect for your Wednesday routine... and it's very funny, too!
DeleteWhat a great book! I love the sound of the Dorian Grey Goose! Thanks for sharing and including the delicious recipes.
ReplyDeleteColleen - The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose was solo good! I'm considering trying another cocktail recipe tonight - TGIF, right? ;-)
DeleteThis looks like such a great gift idea!
ReplyDeleteStacy - I know I'll be buying at least one more copy this holiday season.
DeleteHonestly, skip the bottle of wine and bring this book to your next dinner party! My wife and I have already purchased 4 copies and will placing a second order soon. Supposedly, I have a B.A. in English, but I learned more about the classics from reading this book and laughed out loud the entire way. Plus, the illustrations are top-notch and it's just a beautiful edition all around.
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