The Drunken Botanist

Amy Stewart

Mar 2013 · Sold by Algonquin Books

About this ebook

The Essential, New York Times–Bestselling Guide to Botany and Booze

“A book that makes familiar drinks seem new again . . . Through this horticultural lens, a mixed drink becomes a cornucopia of plants.”—NPR's Morning Edition

“Amy Stewart has a way of making gardening seem exciting, even a little dangerous.” —The New York Times

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet?  In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries.

Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs—but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history.

This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and a new section on how to grow your very own cocktail garden—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party. 

Ratings and reviews

Really good information

Great book... One of the books I actually own

Such a lovely, fun read! Whether you're in it for the booze, the historical facts, or the gardening, you'll be interested in all of them by the end of it. Not only that, but by reading this book I feel a thousand times more comfortable reading a bar menu and even in my own kitchen. Enjoy, and make sure you make at least one of the recipes in the book!

About the author

Amy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of the The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Plants, and several other popular nonfiction titles about the natural world. She has also written several novels in her beloved Kopp Sisters series, which are based on the true story of one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs and her two rambunctious sisters. Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide and have been translated into 18 languages. She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer who can usually be found at his shop, Downtown Brown Books.