How's Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well

Felten pens one of my favorite columns in the WSJ -- a column entitled "How's Your Drink". The book, taking its title from the column, carries through the theme of the columns which is to reintroduce the reader to the historical and culture heritage of cocktails. Until recently a devout vodka drinker, I have, through Mr. Felten's writings, let go of my long held prejudice against gin and have instead come to favor it. At an earlier age my sisters and I were warned of the dangers of gin -- not alcohol, but gin specifically:"If you must drink anything don't drink gin... it will make you go blind!" Reading Mr. Felten's characterization of gin led me to risk going blind and give it a try. Every chapter is filled with anecdotes and historical accounts of the origins of each drink mentioned in the book. For example, because of the Hollywood portrayal of James Bond, only those who have read Ian Fleming's novels or Mr. Feltens book would know that Bond drank anything other than a "vodka martini, shaken not stirred". In fact, Bond, like any true gentlemen, would select a drink appropriate for the occassion. A book about cocktails wouldn't be complete without a few recipes. Each recipe is intend to best represent the cocktails presented. Felten does this, but also discusses some of the known variations, their origins and the relative merits or "challenges" of each. Two favorites I discovered in the book are the "Gin Rickey" and "The Bronx" cocktails. Not all the recipes were to my liking, but that's to be expected. God bless the man who can make a palatable drink out of Campari -- The Americano Highball certainly doesn't fit the bill. A cautionary note: I would encourage anyone reading this book to try making these recipes at home. Why? You may be challenged to find a bartender who can make most of the drinks mentioned in the book. It's not that the drinks are difficult to make or that the ingredients are difficult to obtain. Instead it reflects a willingness on the part of patrons to settle for the mundane and the eagerness of bars to keep those margins high. Don't believe me? Let me know when you find a bar that can make a Gin Rickey as good as the one you make without first asking you what's in it.

I love this book. But then again, I am addicted to his WSJ column and it is for that reason alone that I still retain my subscription. For those of you who are regular readers of Mr Felten's WSJ column, rest assured there is a significant amount of new material in this book. Although it contains no new drink recipes, it appears to include everything that didn't make it past the WSJ editor. In other words, there are new stories and anecdotes for each cocktail supported by Mr Felten's extensive research. I have read the book several times and look forward to reading it several more. Well done Mr Felten.

As the cocktail enjoys a well deserved resurgence, this new generation is quite fortunate indeed to have a guide in Eric Felten, and a guide book that is as fascinating as it is informative. Make no mistakes -- this is no dry reference manual. Felten has an easy writing style and a marked ability to elevate the mixed drink to the level of literature while at the same time making his smart insight approachable to all. Even teetotalers will enjoy reading this rich look at our cultural history that provides insight into the culture of prohibition as well as the modern aesthetic that gave birth to the Appletini. How's Your Drink is a literary work that will surely impact the way in which the cocktail is appreciated. In a world polluted with Martini's that are nothing of the kind, and sugary concoctions designed more for shock value than taste, Felton's book offers a smart, witty, and incisive insight into the culture of the cocktail.

I've been reading and enjoying Felten's WSJ column since it began, so I was primed to enjoy this book. But I have to say that the book exceeded my already high expectations. Felten has done a brilliant job of weaving together stories about cocktail culture into a wonderfully absorbing whole. This is an even richer book--funnier, more thoughtful, more erudite--than you might think just from reading the WSJ columns. This is not only a great book about cocktails, but also a great book of American miscellanea seen, as the cool little half-dustjacket has it, through the prism of a glass.

I have read hundreds of books on Drink (and much to my wife's dismay, have most of them in my library). Every so often, you find a good book on mixing drinks, but most are soulless compendiums of recipes from other books and endlessly repetitive with little insight or inspiration. Other times, you find a good book on the history of one type of libation or another, other times again one finds a social history. Almost never does one find all these elements in one book in equal measure. This is that almost never book. Eric Felten combines all these elements with style, prose, twists and a wry sense of humor and insight into almost every element (or should I say cocktail) and makes each one a delight in the immediate sense and food for thought and experimentation for later. Not only does it supply a wonderful palette of cocktail recipes, but great stories to go with them and clues for research after it - be it the book or a party, is all over. A must read for any serious Cocktailian or student of drink.