Amy Stewart

This title uncovers the enlightening botanical history and the fascinating science and chemistry of over 150 plants, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi.

Drunken Botanist

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 growing tips for gardeners—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.

The Drunken Botanist

Cindy

It's unfortunate that I had to read this during a pandemic where I'm quarantined with only two bottles of wine and two bottles of sake. Tragic, really.

Overall, the book is a nice, enjoyable read that will (expectedly) make you want to order a cocktail or at least pay way more attention to what you're drinking next time. It can feel encyclopedic if you're like me and ended up reading this on a Kindle from the first page to the index. For a trivia junkie like myself, it does the trick. But don't expect straight-up dry facts about pure botany or very much science at all; there's truly a lot of history in here, often served in anecdotes. Sometimes the writeups have the feel of those 8 paragraphs of prose that you read in every recipe/cooking blog that come before the actual recipe, but if you're in the mood for it, The Drunken Botanist offers a lot to learn and appreciate about the rich history and science of alcohol.

Drunken Botanist

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