Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes: Lebovitz, David: 9781607749295: Amazon.com: Books

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The cocktail book that tops all the others. 10/10 recommend!Real reviews with J&D 💯

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Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes Hardcover – March 3, 2020

by David Lebovitz (Author)

4.9 986 ratings

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TALES OF THE COCKTAIL SPIRITED AWARD® WINNER • IACP AWARD FINALIST • The New York Times bestselling author of My Paris Kitchen serves up more than 160 recipes for trendy cocktails, quintessential apéritifs, café favorites, complementary snacks, and more.

Bestselling cookbook author, memoirist, and popular blogger David Lebovitz delves into the drinking culture of France in Drinking French. This beautifully photographed collection features 160 recipes for everything from coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to Kir and regional apéritifs, classic and modern cocktails from the hottest Paris bars, and creative infusions using fresh fruit and French liqueurs. And because the French can't imagine drinking without having something to eat alongside, David includes crispy, salty snacks to serve with your concoctions. Each recipe is accompanied by David's witty and informative stories about the ins and outs of life in France, as well as photographs taken on location in Paris and beyond.

Whether you have a trip to France booked and want to know what and where to drink, or just want to infuse your next get-together with a little French flair, this rich and revealing guide will make you the toast of the town.

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Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Ten Speed Press
Publication date

March 3, 2020
Dimensions

7.3 x 1.13 x 9.28 inches
ISBN-10

1607749297
ISBN-13

978-1607749295
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Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes

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From the Publisher

drinks;travel gifts;david lebovitz;aperitif;cocktail recipe book;paris;france;french;hot chocolate

drinks;travel gifts;david lebovitz;aperitif;cocktail recipe book;paris;france;french;hot chocolate

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In the canon of drinking, there has been a conspicuous absence of information about how the French, undisputed masters of all things gastronomique, imbibe at home and in that hallowed social space, the café. David Lebovitz is certainly the most qualified person I can think of to write this book, and he does so with deft precision. I knew this book was written with someone like me in mind—equal parts Francophile, food, and beverage enthusiast—when I opened to the very first recipe in the book, my beloved morning ritual: the café au lait.”—Jeffrey Morgenthaler, author of Drinking Distilled

“I can think of no one I'd rather meet for a drink than David Lebovitz. In his authoritative yet always approachable style, Lebovitz expertly guides us through the often-unspoken rituals, customs, and traditions of properly drinking French—whether it's a morning café au lait, a mid-afternoon Picon bière, or a late-night Boulevardier. Lebovitz uses his years of experience as a baker and pastry chef to apply his keen understanding of ratios, formulas, and balancing flavor to seamlessly shift from the sweet life to the spirited life, with inventive recipes for café drinks, liqueurs, aperitifs, cocktails, and irresistible apéro snacks to accompany them.”—Brad Thomas Parsons, author of Bitters, Amaro, and Last Call

“Anyone who has had the privilege of visiting Paris would certainly concur with David Lebovitz’s observation that ‘There is no shortage of rules in France; they even extend to beverages’. Thankfully, we Francophiles have this seasoned expat to conduct us through the idiosyncrasies of café culture. This handy recipe and resource guide doubles as the modern French handbook for cocktail party hosts.”—Jim Meehan, author of Meehan’s Bartender Manual and The PDT Cocktail Book

“In France, drinking is more than a national sport . . . it’s an art! From our petit noir (coffee) and teas to classic apéritifs and cocktails, no cup or glass is spared from the curious and amused gaze of David Lebovitz. As an acute connoisseur of French gastronomy, his tasty collection of recipes and social observations can be imbibed in one shot—Santé!”—Francois-Regis Gaudry, author of Let’s Eat France!

“Do you dream about moving to Paris and spending long, leisurely afternoons in cafés (hopefully with company as lively as David Lebovitz) sipping un café noisette and, later, an apéritif? Me too. This is the exact dreamy book we need to hold us over until that day arrives.”—Deb Perelman, author of Smitten Kitchen Every Day

About the Author

David Lebovitz has been a professional cook and baker for most of his life; he spent nearly thirteen years at Chez Panisse until he left the restaurant business in 1999 to write books. He moved to Paris in 2004 and turned his website into a phenomenally popular blog. He is the author of numerous cookbooks, including My Paris Kitchen, The Perfect Scoop, Ready for Dessert, and The Great Book of Chocolate, and two memoirs, The Sweet Life in Paris and L'Appart. He was named one of the top five pastry chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle. David has also been featured in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Cook's Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, Better Homes and Gardens, People, and more.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

On the darkened streets and sidewalks of France, the flicker of lights in corner cafés signals the start of the day. Whether you’re in a city like Paris, Lyon, or Marseille, or a village in the countryside, once the lights are on, the next order of business is to flip the switch on the coffee machine. With that simple action, the day begins.

While the machine is warming up, the beige ceiling lights cast a warm glow on wicker chairs stacked one on top of the other, along with the café tables, waiting to be set up on the sidewalk outside. Baguettes picked up at the local bakery on the way to work are propped up against the bar in a paper sack, and will eventually be sliced for breakfast tartines, served with butter and jam. But first things first: coffee.

Le barman (or woman) releases a sputtering blast of steam from the milk-warming wand, an indication that the machine is ready to go, as people start to wander in. In the wintertime, the warmth is definitely part of the attraction, as are the free morning newspapers on wooden spindles. But any time of the year, locals gather at their neighborhood bar to stand and drink a short, dark café express while reading the paper or catching up on commérages (gossip) in the neighborhood. Most of the customers have just woken up. Others are heading home after a long night of work—or play. But it doesn’t matter: There are no judgments in a French café; everyone is welcome to gather there, whether you spent the night sweeping the streets (or working the streets), are on your way to a business meeting, or are a timid tourist, hoping to get your first taste of France.

I fell into the latter category. On my first visit to Paris, zonked after the long flight from California, I walked into a nearby café and ordered a coffee at the counter. After the barman strong-armed the filter holder into place, he hit the switch and the espresso machine dribbled a trickle of murky dark liquid into a cup placed underneath the spout. When the flow of coffee stopped, he slid the cup and saucer toward me. I dutifully picked up my coffee, walked over to a table, and sat down to drink it. Within seconds the barman barked something at me that I didn’t understand (with my nonexistent comprehension of French, and French café customs), but eventually I deduced that I’d made a grave error by taking my coffee from the bar to a table, where the price of a cup doubles. I slunk back to the bar, embarrassed by my gaffe, finished my coffee, and left. That was my first lesson in how to drink, and behave, in a French café.

There seems to be a code of conduct for everything in France, from the salle d’attente of the doctor’s office, where you’re expected to greet each and every person in the waiting room when you walk in, to not calling a café waiter garçon (boy), which is a mild insult. One should say monsieur, because everyone is égal in France, and service here is about serving you, not being at your service. (You can thank the French Revolution for this mind-set, or blame it, if you’ve ever had a less-than-optimal customer service experience in the country.)

Later that afternoon, refreshed from a nap, I decided to go for a walk and take in the city. I had finally made it to Paris, the place I’d always dreamed of visiting, and didn’t want to spend my first day snoozing on the so-small-my-feet-were-hanging-over-the-edge bed in my hotel room. (Were French people really that tiny?) After meandering around for a while, stopping to admire the window of each and every chocolate and pastry shop I passed (there were so many of them—it was paradise!), I decided to try my luck again at a café. Being a sunny afternoon, I chose one where people were sitting at tables outside. And this time, I knew enough not to get my coffee at the bar first, and bring it to the table.

Still reluctant with my faltering French, I wove myself between the closely packed tables to squeeze into the only available seat I had spotted on the terrace. I did my best not to bump into or jostle anyone (after all I’d heard about Parisians before my visit, I was afraid to incur any wrath). I did, however, know how to say pardon. When I grazed someone and uttered a nervous “Uh, pardon,” no one looked at me or paid any attention. They kept on chatting with friends, reading their newspapers, or staring off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular with a cigarette smoldering in the ashtray.

Once seated, my anxiety climbed when I saw there was no menu or list of drinks on the table. Nothing I could point to and say, “I’ll have that.” I had no choice but to ask for my drink in French. Café was one French word that I found easy to master, but there’s only so much coffee you can drink in a day, and I was ready for something more relaxing. Fortunately, I spotted a blackboard on the wall that listed wines available either by the verre or by the pot, at prices that seemed too good to be true (three dollars for a glass of wine?!), and it seemed only right that I order one. I didn’t think I could drink a whole pot of wine by myself—and later learned that a pot is a refillable bottle with an extra-thick bottom so it doesn’t tip over—but I wouldn’t have a problem with une verre. Or was that un verre? My worries were mounting. I finalized the order in my mind, with a little help from my guidebook, and memorized the phrase in advance: “Je voudrais un verre du vin rouge, s’il vous plaît," so I’d be ready.

When the waiter finally came to take my order, I was suddenly on the spot and completely blanked on my plan of action. Flustered, I stammered and stuck with my usual “ . . . uh . . . um . . . un café," barely remembering to add a “monsieur” to the end of my less-carefully crafted phrase. A minute later he placed the little cup of coffee in front of me with two paper tubes of sugar resting on the saucer, as well as a separate burgundy-colored plastic dish with a built-in clip on it, holding l’addition (the check). I was no stranger to strong coffee, but after my first few cups in France, I understood why everyone added all that sugar. I ripped off the end of one of the sugar tubes and dumped it in. Then I added the second, and sat back to watch the world go by.

I often refer to cafés as the living rooms of Paris. Historically, artists and writers used their local café as a place to work, attracted by the heat they didn’t have at home in the winter. They also benefited from the alcohol being served, which most writers deem a necessity after laboring over words all day. (Hence, entire chapters devoted to apéritifs, infusions, and cocktails in this book.) Cafés are also places to meet friends, especially in cities, since many people live in apartments that are too small to host guests, or they don’t want to go through the bother of tidying up. (With clothes dryers not very common in France, there are invariably a few unmentionables hanging in your apartment to dry, that you don’t necessarily want everyone else to see.) Also, who wants to stay at home when you can sit on an open-air terrace and have whatever kind of drink you want, served by a dashing Frenchman? Not me.

I’ve come to love the café culture in France, and the drinks and customs that are part of the rhythm of daily life. The wines, beers, coffees, infusions, apéritifs, liqueurs, distillations, cocktails, and digestives also tell the story of France. If you want to understand the French, watch how they eat, and see what they drink. After being in France for almost two decades, I’m no longer wary of cafés. And, like the French, I can be found in a café at all hours of the day, to meet friends, to write, or to conduct a little business (but nothing too serious). Once you’re seated at a table, it’s yours until you’re ready to leave. I used to wonder how people could sit in one place and do nothing for hours, as the French do. But after just a few years of living in France, I learned how to just be, too.

You can re-create the feeling and flavors of a French café at home, no matter where you live. I can’t prove this, but to me, French drinks taste better in traditional coffee cups and cocktail glasses. Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a collection of tableware and glasses by scouring flea markets and thrift stores. Most of my café au lait bowls and vintage glasses had stood up to decades of use before I got them, and I plan to use them for many more years to come.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ten Speed Press (March 3, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1607749297
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1607749295
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 1.13 x 9.28 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #85,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #62 in French Cooking, Food & Wine
- #101 in Alcoholic Spirits
- #127 in Cocktails & Mixed Drinks

Customer Reviews:
4.9 986 ratings

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David Lebovitz

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Author of The Perfect Scoop, the complete guide to making the best ice cream and frozen desserts at home, Ready for Dessert, a compilation of baking favorites, from an extra-moist Fresh Ginger Cake, to crunchy Double-Chocolate Biscotti, My Paris Kitchen, stories and recipes from the glorious foods markets and shops in Paris, and Drinking French, recipes and stories inspired by the iconic café drinks, apéritifs, and cocktails of France.

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986 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book delightful, lovely, and a pleasure to read. They say it's packed with recipes and easy to try any of them. Readers also appreciate the wonderful descriptions and stories behind the cocktails. In addition, they describe the writing style as entertaining, witty, and breezey.

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Enjoyment Recipes Story quality Writing style Value for money

42 customers mention "Enjoyment"42 positive0 negative

Customers find the book delightful, lovely, and a pleasure to read. They say it's a great addition to any beverage enthusiast's collection, with approachable cocktails that taste and look amazing. Readers also mention the recipes are well-researched and tested.

"...the food section are not numerous, but they are all such perfect accompaniments to drinks that I really don't need more, especially when they are..." Read more

"...hours with book, mixing drinks that are always well-balanced and satisfying...." Read more

"...This book puts all those other books to shame and has allowed me to up my cocktail game, without spending a fortune on fancy liquors I'll only use..." Read more

"...It is beautifully photographed and well researched. The drink recipes “make sense”. Like David’s food recipes they are well balanced and interesting...." Read more

37 customers mention "Recipes"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the recipes in the book packed with unique drinks to try. They appreciate the beautiful stories, photographs, and in-depth explanation of ingredients. Readers also mention the book is a wonderful exploration of French drinks culture, from the familiar café au lait to the classic. They say the drinks are delicious and the book is filled with history and appreciation for French culture.

"...What to drink, when, where, and with whom. Love the cocktail recipes." Read more

"...Drinking French is filled with wonderful stories and recipes to make exceptional cocktails." Read more

"A wonderful exploration of French drinks culture, from the familiar café au lait to the classic apéritifs to new takes on traditional cocktails...." Read more

"...It is beautifully photographed and well researched. The drink recipes “make sense”. Like David’s food recipes they are well balanced and interesting...." Read more

23 customers mention "Story quality"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the stories in the book wonderful, captivating, and informative. They say the pictures are well-done and add to the wonderful descriptions and stories behind the cocktails. Readers also mention the book is filled with history and appreciation for French cuisine.

"...Drinking French is filled with wonderful stories and recipes to make exceptional cocktails." Read more

"...It is beautifully photographed and well researched. The drink recipes “make sense”. Like David’s food recipes they are well balanced and interesting...." Read more

"...In addition to well researched and tested delicious recipes, he is well written and affable and writes like we’re friends...." Read more

"A well researched, insider's look at the Paris cocktail scene both of long ago and now...." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing style"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style entertaining, breezy, and interesting. They also say the names alone are fun to read.

"Entertainingly written. What to drink, when, where, and with whom. Love the cocktail recipes." Read more

"...The names alone are so much fun to read - Revised Obituary, My Tailor Is Rich, Scofflaw, Seat of Your Pants, etc - that it's hard to pick one, even..." Read more

"...like making cocktails you need this book, not to mention David is a great writer and the book is fun to read." Read more

"...In addition to well researched and tested delicious recipes, he is well written and affable and writes like we’re friends...." Read more

4 customers mention "Value for money"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth the price.

"...it was so reasonably priced that I thought it was worth the gamble...." Read more

"...liquors I would never thought about buying which are very good and inexpensive...." Read more

"...This book is well worth the price and I will go to it over and over again for the recipes...." Read more

"...What a beautiful (and hefty!) book! As with all of Leibovitz’s works, there is lovely commentary and stories throughout...." Read more

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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024

Verified Purchase

Entertainingly written. What to drink, when, where, and with whom. Love the cocktail recipes.

One person found this helpful

Curious Epicure

The most delightful cocktail book I've ever read

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

Did I really need another cocktail book? No. And perhaps you don't either, but if you like cocktails or even just the idea of cocktails, then this book is an absolute must-have, imo.

I decided to go ahead and buy it for two reasons:
- it was written by one of my favorite food writers, and
- it was so reasonably priced that I thought it was worth the gamble.
Good decision, because I ended up with one of the most delightful books I've ever purchased, not just on drink, but on any subject. The book is quite a lot heftier than I expected, the photos are wonderful, and the gold spine was not only an attractive surprise, but it makes finding this book on the shelf that much easier ;-)

The first thing I did was to try one of the food recipes. I had guests coming who really know and love food, so I chose to make:
-- Baked Camembert with Walnuts, Figs and Whiskey Gastrique. Oh my, oh my, oh my! I've used many baked brie recipes, but this one put all others to shame. My only regret was not having made two of them since they were so quickly devoured, with raves from everyone.
-- Cornichon Tapenade Deviled Eggs. If you love deviled eggs that have a bite of good pickle in them, this is the new one to try. I can't wait to make this again.
The recipes in the food section are not numerous, but they are all such perfect accompaniments to drinks that I really don't need more, especially when they are they likes of rillette, terrine, gougere, and more, none of which look too daunting to a home cook like me.

Then on to the cocktails. I never realized that many of my favorite cocktails were French in origin, although I might have guessed. Even my beloved Negroni! which Lebovitz does not hesitate to point out may actually be French in origin.

A good part of the charm of this book is all of the information that's packed into it - the customs, traditions, and history in particular. The difficult part of this book is deciding which cocktail to make! The names alone are so much fun to read - Revised Obituary, My Tailor Is Rich, Scofflaw, Seat of Your Pants, etc - that it's hard to pick one, even if you've managed to narrow things down by preferred spirit. Suffice it to say that if all of the cocktails are as delicious as the French 75 I made, and I expect they are, then I'm in trouble.

But there's more.
I have long been wanting to do two things at home:
- make my own vermouth (if you have ever ventured into vermouth territory beyond the best-known brands, you know how amazing vermouth can be on its own, on ice with only a fat twist of orange peel), and
- make elderberry anything.
Lebovitz obliges with recipes for Vermouth Maison, Elderflower Wine, and an Elderflower Cordial. I will update after I tackle these.

Some ingredients are harder to find than others and there are a number of them that I know I will have to get online. But there are enough recipes to make with things that are easy enough to find to make this book more than worthwhile.

46 people found this helpful

Rachel in Minnesota

Drinking French

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2024

Verified Purchase

Who knew that half of the fun would be collecting the bottles?? Drinking French is filled with wonderful stories and recipes to make exceptional cocktails.

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Great drinks, great stories, great recipes

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

A wonderful exploration of French drinks culture, from the familiar café au lait to the classic apéritifs to new takes on traditional cocktails. We’ve spent hours with book, mixing drinks that are always well-balanced and satisfying. David makes a point to offer several recipes for new ingredients that he introduces, so when you finally track down that bottle of Suze, you make good use of it. And in France you really don’t drink without having a bite to eat. And David doesn’t disappoint. Gougères, pâté, and œufs oh my! This book has been a reminder that small pleasures matter. Thank you for helping us weather this insane time David!

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6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Perfect Book for Quarantine Cocktails

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book has been a bright spot of 2020. I've ordered and brought many cocktail books in the past, and they have always been too complicated, required too many expensive ingredients and not accessible. This book puts all those other books to shame and has allowed me to up my cocktail game, without spending a fortune on fancy liquors I'll only use once. Yes there are some liquors in the book that aren't very available to Americans, and a few liquors that are expensive, but I've still been able to make a majority of the cocktails in the book regardless Sometimes I was skeptical about how the ingredients would taste, and was pleasantly surprised. I've also enjoyed being introduced to liquors I would never thought about buying which are very good and inexpensive. If you like making cocktails you need this book, not to mention David is a great writer and the book is fun to read.

5 people found this helpful

A Pleasure To Read & Deserving Of Space In Your Home

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2020

Verified Purchase

I’ve begun to downsize the number of books I buy & keep and this one made the cut. I love cookbooks and Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen is among my favorites. So even though I’m a rare drinker I was interested in giving this a look. It is beautifully photographed and well researched. The drink recipes “make sense”. Like David’s food recipes they are well balanced and interesting. This is both a good reference book and a delight to just pick up and look through time and again. I am happy to own it. It would be a great gift!

2 people found this helpful

A great resource for reduced alcohol cocktail recipes

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

A well written book which gives insights into French culture as it relates to drinking and society.

2 people found this helpful

David does it again. Buy it!

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Preordered this book well before the pandemic because we’ve been a fan of David Leibovitz for years. In addition to well researched and tested delicious recipes, he is well written and affable and writes like we’re friends. He is also highly responsive and personable on his social media. The book arrived just in time for us to be in quarantine, and the interesting, new to us recipes and anecdotes were certainly appreciated at a time when we’re not even leaving the house. We’ve explored new spirits and are enjoying learning to use them with the addition of David’s daily Instagram happy hours. Fully recommend and have bought as a gift.

3 people found this helpful

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Ditsy

Comprehensive and entertaining

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2023

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Loving everything French I am enamoured by this book . I adore the illustrations, the informative little stories for each drink and the range of recipes on offer . A true insight into french culture and cafe life. Fabulous

KS

David does it again!

Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

I bought this because it's David. I'm not a fan of cocktails in general (prefer wine) but this book introduced me to a number of wonderful taste experiences. I've even given the book as a gift a few times and people overall love it.

If you love My Paris Kitchen, you'll love this newest addition from Mr. Lebovitz!

epicurean.mike

Hommage an die frz. Genusskultur

Reviewed in Germany on May 8, 2021

Verified Purchase

Ein wundervolles Buch, wunderschön bebildert auch. Umfangreicher als gedacht; top. Viel praktisches Wissen, toll recherchiert, mit vielen Rezepten auch. David liebt sein Frankreich; echt ansteckend. Ich kannte mich bereits mit der Materie gut aus, war oft in Paris und im Süden — habe trotzdem einiges gelernt. Ein Muss, dieses Buch.

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Sparky

A good read on classic cocktails

Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

Charming and gently humorous read on French drinking culture, plus all the recipes you can try for yourself.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Francesca B

very enjoyable read about french drinks & lots of great cocktail recipes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2022

Verified Purchase

very enjoyable read about french drinks & lots of great cocktail recipes

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