The Cocktail Chronicles: From Blog to Book

What started as a blog turned into a career–and now,The Cocktail Chronicles is a book.

The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance with Jigger, Shaker & Glass will be published by Spring House Press in July, 2015. Head on over to Amazon to grab a copy — in the meantime, here’s a little more info….

 

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE COCKTAIL CHRONICLES

“Paul’s playful sense of humor, sharp wit, and practical approach to the subject make it impossible not to cheer his choices on. He’s critical where it’s crucial, […] and judgmental without lecturing. His writing steers clear of polemics, shirks fussy recipes and didactic perspectives, and reinforces the importance of having fun behind the bar; but at no point do you feel like he’s casual about the subject after loosening his critical tie.”
—from the Foreword, by Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book.

 

“Paul Clarke began writing about the cocktail renaissance when it was still wishful thinking, and has been covering it ever since. I challenge anybody to find somebody who knows it better or, just as important, somebody who can explain it more clearly or genially. He is the ideal guide.”
—David Wondrich, author of Imbibe! and Punch

 

“The most indispensable cocktail guide in years. Paul Clarke’s serious authority never gets in the way of his pleasure. This is the guy you want behind the bar with you.”
—Jonathan Miles, former New York Times cocktail columnist

 

“Whether celebrating the rebirth of The Last Word or comparing an aperitif to Boom Boom Mancini, The Cocktail Chronicles is a decade-in-the-making document of Paul Clarke at his finest. He nails that sweet spot of drinks writing, appealing to veteran bartenders and cocktail geeks while expertly demystifying matters for those eager to learn more.”
—Brad Thomas Parsons, author of Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All

 

“It’s not often that a new cocktail book holds my attention, but I wasn’t surprised that Paul’s did. The Cocktail Chronicles will serve as a wonderful homage to what is perhaps one of the most pivotal times in the history of cocktails.”
—Audrey Saunders, owner of Pegu Club, New York City

 

“The Cocktail Chronicles is not just an engaging inquiry to the classics, but a unique eyewitness account of the contemporary craft-cocktail revolution.  It’s a lot to drink in, but Paul mixes it perfectly and serves it with a smile.”
—Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, author of Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean

 

“The Cocktail Chronicles is an insider’s guide to the classic and modern drinks, spirits, bars, and bartenders driving the current cocktail renaissance, from a writer who has been on its front lines for the past decade.”
—Camper English, cocktail journalist and publisher of Alcademics.com

 

“The Cocktail Chronicles [blog] was such a big part of my education. This book is long overdue, and will be required reading for the next generation of bartenders.”
—Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bar manager at Clyde Common (Portland, Oregon), and author of The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique

 

“Few people have followed the cocktail revolution as closely as Paul Clarke. And to follow his journey—and look at where it all began, where it’s been, and where we’ve ended up—there’s no more entertaining way of discovering all the details than by reading this fine tome.”
—gaz regan, author of The Joy of Mixology

 

“Authoring a cocktail book is a difficult proposition if you’re a serious writer. Those who have done so well are a small fraternity. Beginning with Charles Baker, Jr., in 1939, onto David Embury in 1946 and Bernard DeVoto in 1951, leaping ahead to William Grimes in 1993, Jeff Berry in 1998, heading forward to Wayne Curtis in 2006 and David Wondrich in 2007…and now, Paul Clarke.

The problem is, nobody ever wins a Pulitzer for a cocktail book. Whatever serious writing there may be, people expect recipes and recipe descriptions—the writing may well take second seat to the raw data. For bartenders, that’s what they want. For writers…it’s a little bit of a conceptual struggle. Yet the aforementioned scribes all wrote books that are a pleasure to read as well as follow. I think the synthesis sometimes brings out something especially precious: a hybrid of humor and history, of knowledge, narrative, information, and drama, all rolled together—creating something that’s more than the sum of its parts, like an inspired cocktail itself.

Paul Clarke—journalist, and editor of Imbibe magazine—adds much to this coterie of names. I’ve never met a writer better at getting to the soul of a subject…not just the gist, the soul. His writing is not only articulate, it’s perceptive and empathic. The Cocktail Chronicles takes all that even one step further. The cocktail renaissance is ongoing. Paul has snapped a photo, here in 2015, stilling this movement at a key point, long enough to consider it. Given his talents and his acumen, he has certainly done that. This book is not only valuable, it’s necessary. And, while replete with cocktails, at Paul’s hand, the writing always wins.”
—Ted Haigh, “Dr. Cocktail,” author of Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails