Cocktail Beach Reads
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Right up there with swimming in the ocean and grilling outside, one of our favorite summer activities is sitting in the shade enjoying a cold drink and a good book. So before you head to the beach, buy of these spirited volumes.
AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO COCKTAILS: 50 CLASSIC COCKTAIL RECIPES, TIPS, AND TALES ($20) BY ORR SHTUHL:
Visiting a friend's vacation house? An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails (pictured above) makes a great host gift. It's full of dozens of delicious tipples and charming illustrations from Elizabeth Graeber.
THE AUDACITY OF HOPS: THE HISTORY OF AMERICA'S CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION ($20) BY TOM ACITELLI:
Journalist Tom Acitelli chronicles the rise of craft beer in America by profiling the movement's entrepreneurs and pioneers, starting with Fritz Maytag and his 1965 takeover of San Francisco institution Anchor Brewing.
THE NEGRONI: A GAZ REGAN NOTION ($15) BY GARY REGAN:
If you love a chilled, bracing Negroni on a hot day, then you'll like Liquor advisory board member Gary Regan's latest work. It includes essays from a number of well-known writers as well as plenty of variations on the concoction's traditional recipe.
KENTUCKY BOURBON WHISKEY: AN AMERICAN HERITAGE ($25) BY MICHAEL VEACH:
Pair your favorite dram of American whiskey with historian Michael Veach's tome, which explores the roots of the famed liquor. He dispels a number of common myths and tries to sort fact from fiction.
TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD: COCKTAILS WITH A LITERARY TWIST ($15) BY TIM FEDERLE:
This entertaining small book uniquely combines reading and mixology. Author Tim Federle has matched pieces of literature with their own elixirs, from the Gin Eyre to the Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita. It's exactly the type of light and punny fare that's perfect for the beach.