The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails

"the ultimate tome for the cocktail enthusiast in your life, compiled by the most respected voices in the industry. You'll be able to endlessly revisit this reference piece that touches on every nook and cranny related to libations. Naturally, it's best perused with a cocktail in hand." -- Charles Joly, co-founder of Crafthouse Cocktails, The 44 best holiday gifts for cooks and foodies, according to experts, CNN Underscored

"deftly answers all manner of questions... the scholarship is clear. Footnotes abound and the cross-referencing is Wikipedic in scope." --, Economist, 'The five essential guides to improved mixology'

"The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails stands out as an authoritative and congenial guide to the world of hard liquor... One can consume its vast and varied knowledge in sips or long deep draughts, using its meticulously organized critical apparatus to steady oneself... the book will make an excellent companion for both the drinker and the bartender, adding savour to the beverage and the craic." -- Judith Hawley, Times Literary Supplement

"Forget Google - for everything you ever wanted to know about the origins, meanings and processes of drinks, plus the facts and stats on the people and places behind them, this bad boy is your go-to." --, The Cocktail Lovers

"Seasoned imbibers, boozers, quaffers and alcoholics please take note: here is the first major reference work to cover the subject globally. Inebriating, intoxicating, it will definitely keep your spirits up." -- Robert Tanitch, Mature Times

"The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails" is an enormous and authoritative work of scholarship, nearly a decade in the making...You enter as if through batwing saloon doors. Buy a copy for the curious drinker in your life and perhaps he or she will boomerang one back to you." --The New York Times

"This one is a biggie in all senses of the word... Trust us when we say that it's packed with absolutely everything you need to know about the fascinating world of drinks." -- The Cocktail Lovers

"[A] heck of a lot of knowledge about a vast many of the things has been packed into this beautifully illustrated beast of a book that these drinks experts have been toiling over for nearly a decade...[W]hat a pile of riches this volume contains. I wish I'd had it years ago but am glad to have it now." --The Washington Post

"A must-have compendium for any drinks lover." -- Julie Sheppard, Decanter

"I have a reasonably large collection of books on the subject, but none is as comprehensive as... Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails" -- Tom Molloy, Irish Independent

"Start on any page of this new, definitive encycolopedia of cocktail history and let it take you on a journey from entry to entry. It's a boozy Wikipedia you can hold in your hands." -- Camper English, Big Issue

"Noah and Dave are extremely knowledgeable individuals in the spirits and cocktails space who, I can only imagine, had the most spectacular time researching, tasting, and perfecting this must-have guide for any spirits buff." --Dan Aykroyd, actor, writer & creator of Crystal Head Vodka

"Get ready to know everything you wanted, and plenty you never knew you needed, about the complex world of spirits and cocktails. Brought to you by two of the greatest minds in tippling, this compendium will impress you, and more importantly your friends, with its depth, breadth, and downright substance. If you're as passionate about spirits as I am, this companion will knock you off your cocktail napkin." --Aisha Tyler, actor, director, Emmy Award-winning TV host and creator of Courage + Stone bottled cocktails

"The world of spirits and cocktails is wide and enduring, and their impact on culture has been extensive; this book acts as a much-needed insight into the true breadth of the subject -- including details beyond the well-trodden products and categories. Shining a light on the multitude of forms, facets and nuances found around the world, this is an essential guide for those new and curious to the world of drinks and for seasoned enthusiasts alike." --Ryan Chetiyawardana

"Leave it to the great minds of Wondrich and Rothbaum to create what the industry has needed for so long, the definitive book on imbibing. From the basics of things you do know like bourbon or martinis, to in depth looks at things you don't, like pisco or Blue Blazers, this book is a MUST have for whetting the whistle and knowing what you need to know the world over." --Ivy Mix

"A tour de force: The new, definitive authority on the history and craft of cocktails and spirits, curated by two of the most experienced and critically acclaimed writers in the industry."--Ted Allen, host of James Beard Award-winning show Chopped and best-selling author

"With 1,150 alphabetical entries, The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails is the ultimate guide to drinks terminology. It works as a dictionary and a recipe book, or something to dip into and emerge hours later." --, Waitrose Drinks

"Cocktail fans will quench their thirst for knowledge with this mammoth, authoritative and illuminating guide, written with great wit and astounding scholarship by James Beard Award-winner David Wondrich and co-editor Noah Rothbaum." --Shelf Awareness