The United States of Cocktails isan exploration of the beloved cocktails, spirits, and bars that define each state in America.
Foreword by Brad Thomas Parsons
After traveling around this great nation and sampling many of the drinks on offer, cocktail authority Brian Bartels serves up a book that is equal parts recipe collection, travelogue, historical miscellany, bartender’s manual, and guide to bar culture today—with bar and drink recommendations that are sure to come in handy whether you are crossing state lines or not.
Delving into the colorful stories behind the creation of drinks we love, this book includes more than 100 recipes alongside spirited analysis of each state’s unique contributions to cocktail culture. Filled with colorful illustrations, The United States of Cocktails is an opinionated and distinctively designed love letter to the spirits, bars, and people who have created and consumed the iconic drinks that inspire us and satisfy our thirst.
“Brian Bartels is a spirits traveler extraordinaire and this informative, highly-entertaining book is my new go-to guide for the most social of vices—drinkin’.” —Greg Mottola, director of Superbad
Praise
“Interested in drinking your way across these United States, and doing it right? You could hardly ask for a more personable guide than Brian Bartels. He knows the oldest bars, the coolest bars, the can’t-miss bars and the oddest local quaffs in all 50 states, so you’ll never make the mistake of ordering a Whiskey Ditch in Louisiana or search for Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy on an Arizona back bar.”Robert Simonson, author of The Old-Fashioned, A Proper Drink, 3-Ingredient Cocktails, and The Martini Cocktail
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“Brian Bartels is a spirits traveler extraordinaire and this informative, highly-entertaining book is my new go-to guide for the most social of vices—drinkin’.”Greg Mottola, director of Superbad, Adventureland, and The Newsroom
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“I have always been somewhat obsessed with regional American drinking styles and traditions. Brian Bartels has organized them here in such an entertaining and comprehensive way, that I can't help but long to jump in a Winnebago and go try them all.”Jeffrey Morgenthaler, award-winning bartender and author of The Bar Book and Drinking Distilled
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“Brian Bartels’s words jump off the page and into your heart with equal parts comedy, history, and inspiration to explore. The United States of Cocktails is a captivating and fantastic page-turner that fills you with information you didn’t know you needed, but don’t ever want to be without again. Brian’s affable narration makes you want to take a road trip and experience the endless bars, cocktails, and unforgettable people of America through his unique lens.”Gabriel Stulman, founder of Happy Cooking Hospitality
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“The best way forward has always been achieved by looking at the past. What better way to do that than exploring our country through the rich history and tradition of its cocktails and bars. Brian Bartels gets this right in every recipe, fun state fact and conversation along the way.”Walton Goggins, actor and cofounder Mulholland Distilling
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“Brian is a master storyteller, and in The United States of Cocktails, he takes us on a fascinating bar crawl across the country, explaining the history of America’s cocktail and drinking culture along the way. I’ve planned my next five road trips around this boozy spin on American history.”Wylie Dufresne, chef and huge fan of coffee milk (a Rhode Island staple)
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