Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist [Hardcover]

A. J. Rathbun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2007

Recipes, revelations, refreshments, and romance, shaken and served with a twist by spirits expert, AJ Rathbun.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A. J. Rathbun is a freelance food and entertaining writer and the author of Champagne Cocktails, Wine Cocktails, Dark Spirits, Luscious Liqueurs, Party Drinks!, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award-winning Good Spirits. Rathbun earned his MFA in creative writing from Western Michigan University, and has worked variously as a buyer for Amazon.com, an usher at the Art Institute of Chicago, a rock band roadie, an envelope stuffer, a marketing assistant, the director of the Poetry After Hours program at the Seattle Art Museum, an online editor, a waiter, and of course, a bartender. In addition to his cookbooks, Rathbun is the editor of In Their Cups and the author of Want, two poetry collections. Rathbun has been a guest, talking about drinks, food, entertaining, and kitchen products, on numerous radio shows, including Martha Stewart's Everyday Food satellite radio program and USA Radio, has done interviews with a variety of publications, including the Seattle Times, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Arizona Republic, and has contributed to the magazines Every Day with Rachael Ray and Wine Enthusiast, among others. He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Museum of the American Cocktail. He teaches cocktail classes at the cooking school Dish It Up, one of which was recently profiled in the magazine Traditional Homes. Rathbun lives in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about him and his books, and to read his blog, Spiked Punch, and check out a few of his drink-making videos, visit his website at www.ajrathbun.com. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press (September 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558323368
• ISBN-13: 978-1558323360
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A.J. Rathbun is a food and entertaining writer and poet and the author of Champagne Cocktails, Dark Spirits, Wine Cocktails, Luscious Liqueurs, Party Snacks!, Party Drinks!, the IACP Award-winning Good Spirits, Double Take (in collaboration with chef Jeremy Holt), and editor and contributor for In Their Cups. In addition to his cocktail books and cookbooks, Rathbun is the author of Want, a collection of poems. He lives in Seattle, Washington. To learn more, visit Rathbun's website at www.ajrathbun.com and drink up his blog Spiked Punch (it's lonely, and needs attention).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipes, revelations, refreshments, and romance, INDEED, October 8, 2007

By 

Rebecca A. Staffel (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist (Hardcover)

This enormous box just arrived from Amazon! It only had ONE book in it! This one! Wow! It's so beautiful, it's so heavy, it's so full of gorgeous pictures and even MORE gorgeous writing and recipes.

I love all the lists ("Five drinks to serve to the in-laws" "Six obscure facts to bring up at the bar"). I love that all the French I've seen so far is correct. Of course, I love that the Rebecca gets another shot at greatness. I love the index by primary alcohol. I love the list of specific gravities of different liqueurs so I can make fancy layered drinks. And ohmigoodness, I just love that there is an obscene number of recipes in this book--some for crowds, some for a twosome, some for summer, some for winter. It goes on and on and on.

I was going to have wine tonight, but that's out the window now. There's pineapple juice in the fridge--sounds like it's time for a French Martini!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensable Guide For Dandy Dispensables, October 5, 2007

By 

Mark Butler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist (Hardcover)

As a big fan of A.J. Rathbun's previous cocktail book, Party Drinks, I have to admit that I had high expectations for his comprehensive guide, Good Spirits. But as I cracked open the new book, I immediately knew that he had knocked this one out of the park. The recipes are easy to follow, and the descriptions make me want to shake, stir, and sip almost every drink in the book. (The mouthwatering photos in Good Spirits add to the attraction too!) But, most importantly, since this is a book about good times and good fun, A.J. has taken great care to make sure that the book itself is part of the joy of entertaining. Like the cocktails in the book, Good Spirits is perfectly mixed!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guaranteed to raise your spirits, August 20, 2008

By 

AndreaLeigh (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist (Hardcover)

Three cheers for the Bacontini! This is just one of the many interesting drinks profiled in this enchanting book. Chock full of recipes and fun anecdotes, Good Spirits is indispensable when it comes to looking for the perfect drink to serve for just about any occasion. The only issue I had with it was getting distracted by the hilarious commentary when trying to quickly reference a recipe--it's just too good to put down! I have my cookbooks and cocktail books displayed in my kitchen and this one always gets commented on by guests because of its good looks. Beauty and brains--a great find! I bought several copies--for myself and as gifts since it makes a great coffee-table book too!