It's summer, meaning my intake of fruity, seasonal cocktails is now on par with the number of frozen desserts I'm consuming. When I'm not sipping on cold and refreshing drinks, though, I like reading about them. This batch of newly released cocktail books is inspiring, in that they make the reader not just want to drink each umbrella-topped libations, but actually make them. Whether you want to impress your friends with a couple of homemade, fancy shmancy cocktails or take your homebrew game to the next level, here are six riveting reads to check out this summer (Bonus: There's a smoothie book here, too!).
The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore, by Gary Regan ($18.99, hardcover): If you thought there was one, maybe two, correct ways to make a Negroni, this book will convince you otherwise. For author Gary Regan, the Negroni was "love at first sip," and he's divided this book into four parts—The Classic Negronis, The New Negronis, The Large-format Negronis and The Edible Negronis—to convey his love. Pick it up if you've been wondering how to make a white Negroni, or perhaps a Negroni popsicle.
The Blender Girl Smoothies, by Tess Masters ($16, paperback): Tess Masters is following up The Blender Girl cookbook with a collection of 100 gluten-free, vegan and paleo-friendly recipes. Simple, healthy smoothie variations are laid out, each with its own photo and icons signifying whether the smoothie is unsweetened, energizing, helps with inflammation or weight loss, and other delineating features. It's a great book to have on hand if you use your blender religiously—or if you've promised yourself to use it more.
Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails, by Eric Prum and Josh Williams ($18, paperback): These two Brooklyn buds and cocktail connoisseurs invented The Mason Shaker, but Shake isn't just about pimping their product. Each recipe—which is usually no more than four steps—highlights high-quality ingredients and how to make the most of them, accompanied by four stunning photos. The book is also divided by season, so you can narrow in on what you want to be sipping now and what you can look forward to trying in the fall.
Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar, by Nicole Weston and Robert Sharp ($15, hardcover): The dedication page of this book reads, "Dedicated to everyone who knows where the rum has gone," already making this quite possibly my favorite new cocktail book before I've reached the introduction. An encyclopedia of rum educates the reader on how many variations of the spirit there are, along with tools to use and ingredients to garnish with, before we get into the recipes. Beautiful photos of drinks with names like Cobra's Fang and Happy Buddha will have you running for your nearest pineapple—or, you know, a great tiki bar.
Brew Better Beer, by Emma Christensen ($23, hardcover): For those of you who revel in the process of making beer—and I salute you for your patience—Christensen's new book nerds out with not just recipes, but also the detailed mechanics of brewing everything from British ales to sessions to stouts.
The Art of American Whiskey, by Noah Rothbaum ($19.99, hardcover): Flipping through this ode to America's favorite dark spirit is like looking at a picture book for grown-ups. Photos of whiskey bottles and labels fill most of the pages, telling the visual history of whiskey from the late 1800s to today. You'll find a couple recipes for the "cocktails of the time," but this is mostly a book about whiskey's storied past, present and future.
Ready for a drink? Check out these beautiful summer cocktails.