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How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well Paperback – April 28, 2009

4.5 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

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Based on the popular feature in the Saturday Wall Street Journal, How's Your Drink illuminates the culture of the cocktail. John F. Kennedy played nuclear brinksmanship with a gin and tonic in his hand. Teddy Roosevelt took the witness stand to testify that six mint juleps over the course of his presidency did not make him a drunk. Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Chandler both did their part to promote the gimlet. Eric Felten tells all of these stories and many more, and also offers exhaustively researched cocktail recipes.

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From the brand

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Felten is like those legendary barflies who always have a good story on hand: He has a casual yet authoritative voice, a relaxing lilt to his sentences, and he always knows where to put the punch line."

--David Tamarkin"TimeOut Chicago" (11/29/2007)

"It is a cultural study rather than a technical one, packed with great trivia and hilarious observations..."--Camper English"San Francisco Chronicle" (11/09/2007)

"Not only does it supply a wonderful palette of cocktail recipes, but great stories to go with them and clues for research after it - be it the book or a party, is all over."--Chris Carlsson"Spirits Review" (11/01/2007)

"The book is a fascinating profile of a few select drinks and a great read for anyone interested in the Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well (a most appropriate subtitle)."--Colleen Graham"About.com: Cocktails" (10/01/2007)

"This brand new book is fun, engaging read and a must-have for any cocktail fan."

--Jimmy Patrick"mixographer.com" (12/03/2007)

In these desperate times of apple-tinis, Red Bull and vodka, and low-carb beer, Hows Your Drink? is a welcome and bracing tonic, a triumphant manifesto on cocktailing with style packed with more yarns and lore than a battalion of bartenders. Salut!Ted Allen from Top Chef, Iron Chef America, and Uncorked: Wine Made Simple

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Agate Surrey
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2009
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Trade Paper
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 207 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 157284101X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1572841017
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #398,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

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Eric Felten
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
59 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book highly enjoyable and well-written, appreciating its historical and literary anecdotes about cocktail culture. They describe it as fun to read, with one customer noting it makes you want to try new drinks. The book includes detailed recipes and instructions, and one customer mentions it's full of stories about cities.

17 customers mention "Readability"16 positive1 negative

Customers find the book highly enjoyable and interesting to read.

"...the the Art of Drinking Well" is well-researched, well-written and a fun read...." Read more

"great read ...." Read more

"Felten's /How's Your Drink?/ is a pleasurable, although at times mildly disjointed stroll through the world of cocktails and their history...." Read more

"...Mr. Felten does not mince words or pull punches. This is a good read. Cheers!" Read more

12 customers mention "History"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's historical content, with multiple reviews noting its appeal to history buffs and providing useful facts about cocktails. One customer highlights its sharp analysis of cultural origins and context.

"Great little book! Informative and entertaining. The historical and literary anecdotes will appeal to the history buffs, that like to imbibe." Read more

"...Cocktails, Culture and the the Art of Drinking Well" is well-researched, well-written and a fun read...." Read more

"...a specific drink, providing a varied and highly interesting history of the drink recipes presented...." Read more

"...He gives you a history of the drink, maybe its inventor, or someone famous that really liked it...." Read more

8 customers mention "Fun to read"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fun to read, with one describing it as a fascinating tour of the cocktail world.

"...Not only does he make it interesting, but it makes you want to try new drinks, or at least revisit old favorites...." Read more

"...This book contains many interesting and often funny stories about the origins of mixed drinks. Mr. Felten does not mince words or pull punches...." Read more

"...If you love food or beverage lore or information. This is a fun and interesting read." Read more

"...for my husband last Christmas and it has been a very fun addition to the cocktail shelf...." Read more

6 customers mention "Recipes"5 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the recipes in the book, with one noting they include detailed instructions and another highlighting the great detail about ingredients.

"...but that doesn't diminish the effectiveness of the anecdotes, recipes, and historical context of the drinks...." Read more

"...The recipes provided are nice punctuation marks to the stories surrounding them...." Read more

"...variations that create another drink, or gives you great detail about the ingredients and why they are important...." Read more

"...drinks, and the heritage of the "cocktail" itself, including detailed recipes and instructions ... yet a book so readable that one takes it in with..." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book.

"...Culture and the the Art of Drinking Well" is well-researched, well-written and a fun read...." Read more

"...Coming in at just under 200 pages, it's a quick and (mostly) well-written read...." Read more

"Mr. Felten is an excellent writer. I have enjoyed his articles in the WSJ about drinking well, postmodern times, inter alia...." Read more

"A well written if sometimes too pround narrative about some famous cocktails and the stories about their history and creation...." Read more

4 customers mention "Drink content"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the drinks described in the book, with one mentioning they are as delicious as many cocktails, and another noting it makes them want to try new ones.

"...Not only does he make it interesting, but it makes you want to try new drinks, or at least revisit old favorites...." Read more

"...book at all, but a cover-to-cover read that is quite as delicious as many a cocktail." Read more

"...It really gives you a greater appreciation for a fine drink." Read more

"My drink is great!..." Read more

4 customers mention "Narrative quality"3 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with one mentioning it is full of stories about cities.

"...Full of stories about the cities I love from Boston, to Philadelphia and beyond it's a tour of how to have a civilized drink." Read more

"...time drinking our way through it (responsibly, of course) and enjoy the stories that go along with the recipes." Read more

"A well written if sometimes too pround narrative about some famous cocktails and the stories about their history and creation...." Read more

"A fun book on cocktails with some great history and story's to go along with it. I have purchases several copies as gifts for my favorite bartenders." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2007
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Eric Felten's "How's Your Drink? Cocktails, Culture and the the Art of Drinking Well" is well-researched, well-written and a fun read. It's not a long book, and some of the material is recognizable from his excellent weekly column in the Wall Street Journal, but that doesn't diminish the effectiveness of the anecdotes, recipes, and historical context of the drinks. The cultural references don't ingnore the politics or politicians of the times; in fact, I found those moments to be among the book's best.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2014
    highly enjoyable read about the start of cocktails . along with the history and story about what is being poured and what we drink . . what do I like best . .is how different cocktails evolved . how they have changed .. and how we view drinks as to gender ..
    this is one of those books that gives you a heads up if you with to bore your friends with little know facts lol . just kidding .
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2008
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Felten's /How's Your Drink?/ is a pleasurable, although at times mildly disjointed stroll through the world of cocktails and their history. Many of the transitions are well done, but a few are along the lines of, "Speaking of horses, did I tell you that I got a haircut the other day?" Though those few abrupt changes of topic serve to startle the reader, it is very easy to get fully engaged once again in the new topic at hand. The topics slide from presidents to fashionable clubs to the history of a brand of rum to the symbolism inherent in a literary character ordering a specific drink, providing a varied and highly interesting history of the drink recipes presented. Coming in at just under 200 pages, it's a quick and (mostly) well-written read.

    The recipes provided are nice punctuation marks to the stories surrounding them. Perhaps the best recipes are the ones where Felten demonstrates that the drink should be made to the cocktailian's taste, such as with the old-fashioned when he proclaims, "Garnish with orange and cherry (or don't) and the other lemon peel." Beyond that, though, they offer nothing especially spectacular, and that's a good thing. Like the bitters cutting through a slightly sweet cocktail, the recipes provide a reasonable balance, answering the question just in time, as you read and wonder how to make the delicious concoction described.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I was really bummed when I read that Eric Felten would no longer be writing his "How's Your Drink" column in the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal. When I saw he had compiled them into a book, I bought it immediately. If you are looking for a bartender's guide style book with 2,000 recipes, don't buy this. Felten devotes about a chapter to one drink, say, The Dark and Stormy. He gives you a history of the drink, maybe its inventor, or someone famous that really liked it. He also will give you slight variations that create another drink, or gives you great detail about the ingredients and why they are important. Not only does he make it interesting, but it makes you want to try new drinks, or at least revisit old favorites. The chapter on the gin and tonic is alone worth the price, (if you would be so kind). Clearly a cocktail purist, Felten does not dignify trendy creations like chocolate martinis and he announces open war against sour mix. I respect a man with an opinion, especially when it comments about American culture. If you do too, you'll like this book, even if you don't drink (but it helps if you do).
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The author, Eric Felten, wrote a column of the same title for the Wall Street Journal. It was always more than a guide to mixing ingredients—it was a real cultural education on how libations took their place in the modern world, with many amazing and often hilarious anecdotes. I enjoyed revisiting his writing on the subject that he makes fascinating.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book does a relatively thorough job of going through the history of mixed drinks, with some sharp analysis of cultural origins and context. However, when Felten strays from the discussion of drinks themselves and their history, his writing suffers. His conclusion, for example, is both sentimental and rather empty. More significantly though, his treatment of non-liquid media that he considers relevant (which is to say, books and movies in which mixed drinks are a significant theme) is startlingly superficial. He does little more than summarize. This would be a mere annoyance, if not for the fact that one of these summaries includes a detailed spoiler of Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye. So, if you haven't read that, like I hadn't when I read this book, this book might piss you off.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Mr. Felten is an excellent writer. I have enjoyed his articles in the WSJ about drinking well, postmodern times, inter alia. This book contains many interesting and often funny stories about the origins of mixed drinks. Mr. Felten does not mince words or pull punches. This is a good read. Cheers!
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Eric Felten was a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal in it"s weekend edition. I loved taking a break from financial topics to learn more about the culture and lore of spirits. Having reached a certain age as a beer drinker he inspired me to try the occasional highball or martini.

    Not a cocktail recipe book, although many are present, it's is an introduction to the history of the mixed drink. Full of stories about the cities I love from Boston, to Philadelphia and beyond it's a tour of how to have a civilized drink.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Wolfgang Nitsch
    5.0 out of 5 stars Everything is fine
    Reviewed in Germany on June 2, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Everything is fine & nothing to complain about. Excellent book BTB - Jederzeit wieder! Have Fun Wolfgang How annoying to have to write all that!!!
  • Mauricio
    3.0 out of 5 stars No era lo que esperaba
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 22, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Sabía que iba a hablar de la historia de las diferentes bebidas pero este libro lo lleva al extremo, adicionalmente no habla mucho de bebidas internacionales fuera de estados unidos
    Report