Whiskey and Spirits For Dummies

Features recipes for cooking with spirits

The fun and easy way to appreciate fine distilled spirits

From whiskey, rum, and brandy to vodka, gin, and cordials, this guide traces the history of distilled spirits, explains how they are made, and shows you how to evaluate, serve, and enjoy them. You′ll become a connoisseur of fine Scotch, Bourbon, and Cognac in no time.

Discover how to:

Set up tasting events at home Shop for the best spirits Become a sophisticated taster Cook with distilled spirits Make ten classic cocktails

Introduction 1

Part I: Entering the Spirits World 7

Chapter 1: Discovering Distilled Spirits 9

Chapter 2: How Distilled Spirits Are Created 23

Chapter 3: Enjoying Spirits 43

Part II: Whiskeys from Around the World 59

Chapter 4: Sipping the Irish Whiskeys 61

Chapter 5: Saluting the Scots 79

Chapter 6: American Cousins: Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey 97

Chapter 7: More Whiskeys from America and Other Parts of the World 115

Chapter 8: Channeling the Canadians 131

Part III: Surfing the White Waters: A Guide to Clear Spirits 147

Chapter 9: Getting the Goods on Gin 149

Chapter 10: Vodka: Toasting the Russians 169

Chapter 11: Tequila: Unearthing the Aztecs 191

Chapter 12: Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum 209

Part IV: Enjoying the After Dinner Specials 231

Chapter 13: Cultivating Brandy 233

Chapter 14: Collecting Cordials, Lining Up Liqueurs 255

Part V: The Part of Tens 275

Chapter 15: Ten (or so) Classic Spirits Cocktails 277

Chapter 16: Ten Spirited Dishes 291

Chapter 17: Ten Nutrition Profiles of Alcohol Beverages 303

Chapter 18: Ten (or so) Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking 307

Index 317

Perry Luntz has been involved in one way or another with the beverage alcohol business most of his adult life. For more than 20 years he has been publisher and editor of Beverage Alcohol Market Report, an international e–letter for marketing executives in beer, wine, and spirits. He served as Director of Marketing Communications for Seagram Distillers for a decade, worked on the creative side of several advertising agencies, including a spell as a creative director of a Young & Rubicam division, and for several years headed his own marketing communications agency.
A consultant, lecturer, teacher, and news media source, Perry is frequently interviewed in newspapers, radio, and television, including the BBC. He is chairman emeritus of the Wine Media Guild, proving he knows his way around vineyards and breweries, as well as distilleries.
Like many native New Yorkers, Perry is a political junky. He served several years as president of a highly regarded NYC political club.
For the past decade, Perry has been Senior Editor of the Beverage Media Group, a network of trade magazines read by 140,000 licensed retailers. He also writes a weekly column for the group s B–to–B Internet site.