The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks

The Essential, New York Times-Bestselling Guide to Botany and Booze

"A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again . . . Through this horticultural lens, a mixed drink becomes a cornucopia of plants."--NPR's Morning Edition

"Amy Stewart has a way of making gardening seem exciting, even a little dangerous." --The New York Times

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries.

Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs--but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history.

This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology--with more than fifty drink recipes and a new section on how to grow your very own cocktail garden--will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.

Author: Amy Stewart
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 03/19/2013
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 8.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781616200466


Award: IACP Crystal Whisk Award - Finalist
Award: James Beard Foundation Book Awards - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/15/2013 pg. 116
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2013
Entertainment Weekly 03/29/2013 pg. 79
New York Times Book Review 06/02/2013 pg. 19

About the Author
Amy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of the The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Plants, and several other popular nonfiction titles about the natural world. She's also written several novels in her beloved Kopp Sisters series, which are based on the true story of one of America's first female deputy sheriffs and her two rambunctious sisters. Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide and have been translated into 18 languages. She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer who can usually be found at his shop, Downtown Brown Books.