Reading under the influence - Currents

Cheers, Oct, 2003

Where once a good cocktail book was hard to find, those who prefer to peruse while they sip now have a stack of contemporary books to choose from. Gary Regan, who writes The Cocktailian column for Cheers and runs his own periodic cocktail school called "Cocktails in the Country," has produced numerous books on whiskey and bartending; now he's pulled together his stories and experiences to outline the history of the cocktail, the habits of American drinking, the lore of classic bartenders and the allure of well-made cocktails as "The Joy of Mixology," (Clarkson Potter Publishers, $30 hardcover).

Gary's theories are designed to make it easier for beginner and even experienced bartenders to understand the basic building blocks of cocktail creativity. Sure, there are recipes--400 of them, annotated with credit to the creators--but recipe books are plentiful; what Rcgan does is provide a flavor framework for understanding why balance is important in a drink and why recipes should be subtly altered depending on the taste profile of the spirit. Regan also creates new groups of cocktail categories: Duos and Trios, for instance, includes drinks with either two ingredients or two plus cream or a cream-based liqueur; New England Highballs are tall drinks which include cranberry juice; Cobblers consist of a liquor, a sweetener, lots of ice and some fruit.

Regan's opinions about proper drink making are always welcome, and he offers a new way for the home-spun bartender to become a real cocktailian, as well as a delightful read that serves as both primer and master's degree in the field.

Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal newsletter is one of the most influential publications in the liquor business, read by consumers looking for his highly-sought booze imprimatur and by distillers, blenders and brand managers hoping for good marks. In fact, Pacult's opinions on vodkas, bourbons, cognacs and other spirits are valued at a par with Robert Parker's Bordeaux pronouncements, and sonic savvy suppliers seek his advice before they put their wares in the bottle. (We should also note Pacult once was a regular contributor to Cheers and our sister publication, Beverage Dynamics.)

So there are few writers as well situated as Pacult to limn the history of the Beam family and its most significant contribution to American whiskey-making, Jim Beam Bourbon. From Jacob Beam, who made his way from Pennsylvania to wild Kentucke (sic) in the 18th century, down to Booker Noe, distiller emeritus and his son, Fred, brand ambassador for Knob Creek, it's a story of American whiskey told through a family and a corporation. It's also a history of the various branches of the family, ensconced all over the bourbon business, as well as of Jim Beam Brands Worldwide's corporate history, including its recent international partnerships. While not as romantic as Sally Van Winkle Campbell's story of the Van Winkle family, and Old Fitzgerald Bourbon, "But Always Fine Bourbon," Pacult's "American Still Life: The Jim Beam Story and the Making of the World's #1 Bourbon," (Wiley, $24.95, hardcover), fills an important gap in the history of America's most important spirit. Any bourbon fan or American liquor business student will love it. --JR