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Gin: A Global History (Reaktion Books - Edible) [Hardcover]

Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 15, 2012 Reaktion Books - Edible

Mother’s Milk, Mother’s Ruin, and Ladies’ Delight. Dutch Courage and Cuckold’s Comfort. These evocative nicknames for gin hint that it has a far livelier history than the simple and classic martini would lead you to believe. In this book, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson journeys into gin’s past, revealing that this spirit has played the role of both hero and villain throughout history.

Taking us back to gin’s origins as a medicine derived from the aromatic juniper berry, Solmonson describes how the Dutch recognized the berry’s alcoholic possibilities and distilled it into the whiskey-like genever. She then follows the drink to Britain, where cheap imitations laced with turpentine and other caustic fillers made it the drink of choice for poor eighteenth-century Londoners. Eventually replaced by the sweetened Old Tom style and later by London Dry gin, its popularity spread along with the British Empire. As people today once again embrace classic cocktails like the gimlet and the negroni, gin has reclaimed its place in the world of mixology. Featuring many enticing recipes, Gin is the perfect gift for cocktail aficionados and anyone who wants to know whether it should be shaken or stirred.

Frequently Bought Together

Gin: A Global History (Reaktion Books - Edible) + Vodka: A Global History (Reaktion Books - Edible) + Rum: A Global History (Reaktion Books - Edible)
Price for all three: $36.60

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is a fascinating little book crammed with intriguing facts and topped off with cocktail recipes with names like ‘corpse reviver.’ It makes a person very thirsty . . . for knowledge, of course.”
(Daily Telegraph )

Gin: A Global History and Vodka: A Global History are two delicious, well-mixed cocktails of history and booze. The first thing I learned from these books is alcohol’s long-lasting dual effect on society. . . . I also learned that every kind of liquor has its own story. In these handsomely bound little volumes, part of the Edible series from Reaktion Books, the authors retell the centuries-long and always fascinating stories of vodka and gin.”
(The Inquisitive Eater )

About the Author

Lesley Jacobs Solmonson is a freelance writer and cofounder of the cocktail blog 12bottlebar.com. Her writings on food, wine, and spirits have been featured in Wine Enthusiast, Gourmet, Dining Out, and C magazine.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 167 pages
  • Publisher: Reaktion Books (May 15, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1861899246
  • ISBN-13: 978-1861899248
  • Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
(4)
4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Gin - a fascinating history! October 6, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
To think that something so seemingly innocuous and ordinary today should have such a fascinating history and have contributed so much to life and the language of today. I have bought several of this "Edible" series and hope they are all as well written and interesting as this one! Excellent!!!
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4.0 out of 5 stars Gin February 18, 2013
By Egor
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good beginning to modern day history of the Juniper dominant spirit. A good glossary of Gin's available today, traditional and new world.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A really good and easy to follow book January 14, 2013
Format:Hardcover
It seems books about spirits are outdated the moment they hit the shelves, but that being said, history doesn't change, so the vast majority of this book was really helpful in understanding gin's history and production. It is an easy and interesting read with a low geek factor, so I guess it will appeal to anyone looking to learn about the spirit that refuses to die.
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