The Cocktail And Spirits Books We Love In 2013

Good news: Spring is less than a month away, and summer is just around the corner! But before you dig out your shorts and flip-flops, there are still many long, cold evenings to weather. We suggest you use the time wisely and read these new spirited books. They're, of course, best enjoyed with a glass of your favorite elixir.

VODKA DISTILLED ($23), BY TONY ABOU-GANIM WITH MARY ELIZABETH FAULKNER:
The latest volume from all-star bartender Tony Abou-Ganim is devoted to the country's top-selling spirit, vodka. There is a wealth of knowledge on the alcohol, plus dozens of Abou-Ganim's cocktail recipes. Liquor.com advisory board member Dale DeGroff's introduction is an added bonus.

DAVAI! THE RUSSIANS AND THEIR VODKA ($25), BY EDWIN TROMMELEN:
If you want to go even deeper into vodka's past, pick up Edwin Trommelen's tome, which was recently translated. It's a study on the role that the liquor has played in Russia for the last 600 years and is packed with quotes from a range of famous writers and poets.

DRINKING WITH MEN ($27), BY ROSIE SCHAAP:
The New York Times columnist Rosie Schaap's memoir explores her own imbibing history and complicated relationship with a number of watering holes and their patrons. It's a personal bar crawl that's hard to put down.

THE DRUNKEN BOTANIST ($20), BY AMY STEWART:
All drinkers should have The New York Times best-selling author Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist in their library. It will be released in March and provides a horticultural profile of an array of common distilling ingredients from barley and rice to juniper and angostura bark. Its fascinating tidbits make perfect happy-hour conversation fodder.

BEAM, STRAIGHT UP ($23), BY FRED NOE WITH JIM KOKORIS:
Who better to tell the tale of Jim Beam Bourbon than Fred Noe, Jim Beam's great-grandson and the brand's seventh-generation master distiller? The book is rich with family stories and memories, which any whiskey fan will like. It's the ideal accompaniment to a dram.

This story was originally published at Drinks by the Book. For more stories like this, subscribe to Liquor.com for the best in all things cocktails and spirits.