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jennette_danyelle's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
5.0
This is a great reference book if you are looking to learn about what makes our Drinks what they are today. A very dry read, but informative.
bookanonjeff's review
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Encyclopedic Look At The Botany Of Booze. This book has a few hundred pages (or just under a dozen hours, for Audible readers) to cover pretty well every plant that can either directly intoxicate a human or any plant that can be used as a mixer to help such other plants taste better. So there is going to be a lot of 2-3 sentence or so summaries of various plants - which is particularly prevalent in the back part of the book. Up front is a larger examination of the botany and history of the primary global liquors and beers and wines, though even here due to the sheer volume of the field, many important (yet more specific) details are often left out. Still, as an overall introduction to the complete field of the botany of booze... this is actually a rather great book. Mostly recommended for bartenders (professional or home) or those looking to possibly begin an actual scientific career in the field, but an interesting read for nearly anyone interested in the overall science of booze. Just be ready to read an encyclopedia volume. (Which I did many times as a kid, fwiw.) Recommended.
dharma130's review against another edition
3.0
Some parts were entertaining and others were a little too technical but it did make me want to make a really good cocktail!
cindypepper's review against another edition
4.0
It's unfortunate that I had to read this during a pandemic where I'm quarantined with only two bottles of wine and two bottles of sake. Tragic, really.
Overall, the book is a nice, enjoyable read that will (expectedly) make you want to order a cocktail or at least pay way more attention to what you're drinking next time. It can feel encyclopedic if you're like me and ended up reading this on a Kindle from the first page to the index. For a trivia junkie like myself, it does the trick. But don't expect straight-up dry facts about pure botany or very much science at all; there's truly a lot of history in here, often served in anecdotes. Sometimes the writeups have the feel of those 8 paragraphs of prose that you read in every recipe/cooking blog that come before the actual recipe, but if you're in the mood for it, The Drunken Botanist offers a lot to learn and appreciate about the rich history and science of alcohol.
Overall, the book is a nice, enjoyable read that will (expectedly) make you want to order a cocktail or at least pay way more attention to what you're drinking next time. It can feel encyclopedic if you're like me and ended up reading this on a Kindle from the first page to the index. For a trivia junkie like myself, it does the trick. But don't expect straight-up dry facts about pure botany or very much science at all; there's truly a lot of history in here, often served in anecdotes. Sometimes the writeups have the feel of those 8 paragraphs of prose that you read in every recipe/cooking blog that come before the actual recipe, but if you're in the mood for it, The Drunken Botanist offers a lot to learn and appreciate about the rich history and science of alcohol.
beautifuldissonance's review against another edition
3.0
I think it was a mistake getting this as an audiobook. There’s a lot of interesting info in it still, but there’s really no way to make the recipes interesting when they’re read out. Also the narrator’s enunciation was distracting and gave me an “uncanny valley” feel.
cqs's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
5.0
A great blend of funny, informative, and surprising. Something here for every reader - people who are interested in plants and gardening, people who are interested in spirits and cocktails, and people who are interested in history.