Bookshelf: Spirited Reads

Discover some signature cocktails featured in these Southern books

Session Cocktails

Ten Speed Press, 2018

With brunch culture and day drinking on the rise (ask your nearest millennial how they feel about bottomless mimosas), low-alcohol cocktails are finding their way into the spotlight. Food and drink writer Drew Lazor and the online drinks magazine PUNCH want you to step away from the strong, spirit-forward classics and instead, mix up a low-ABV favorite from their new book, Session Cocktails. Inspired by the European tradition of aperitifs, session drinks are low-alcohol beverages made for day drinking. (You may have noticed the trend in the craft beer renaissance—perhaps your local brewery produces a session IPA with a lower ABV percentage.) The book is stocked with more than sixty recipes with a defining characteristic: They have ¾ ounce or less of a strong spirit, and are instead bolstered by liqueurs, fortified wines, and non-alcoholic additions. Session cocktails aren’t necessarily weak drinks, but are prime for enjoying several without slipping off your barstool.

Distilling the South

University of North Carolina Press, 2018

Between Tennessee whiskey, Kentucky bourbon, and Appalachian moonshine, there’s no question that Southerners know how to make spirits. Kathleen Purvis—a food journalist and editor for the Charlotte Observer —breaks the region’s storied drinking history into six “liquor trails” in her new release, Distilling the South. Traversing eleven states, Purvis explores both local hotspots and off-the-beaten-path distilleries with a focus on the micro-regional styles that make each state’s spirits unique, like the “farm to flask” distillers who partner with local growers for truly homegrown hooch. Chapter sidebars offer additional insight, like deeper histories of particular distillers and tips for proper tasting (hint: no swirling and no spitting).

Holy Spirits!

Evening Post Book, 2018

After hitting dead-ends in their law and political careers, South Carolina natives, college friends, and self-taught bartenders Johnny Caldwell and Taneka Reaves reinvented themselves as the Cocktail Bandits. The duo dedicates themselves to sharing the best of Charleston’s food and beverage culture, with attention to the relationships and community that fuel it. They transitioned from blog to book, putting together Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture through Cocktails as an homage to their home city. In a nod to Charleston’s long history of home entertaining, the Bandits include their tips for building a home bar: Bourbon is a must and always have a variety of citrus on hand. Following a compendium of bar basics and local libations are fifty recipes from the Bandits themselves and area beverage pros, all made for enjoying Charleston charm no matter where you are.

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