Best Drink Books For Fall Reading

We like to spend cool autumn weekend afternoons in a comfy chair with a good book and a dram of whiskey. The only thing we enjoy more is when the book is about drinking. Fortunately, this fall there are a number of volumes you should add to your spirited library.

BARRELS AND DRAMS: THE HISTORY OF WHISK(E)Y IN JIGGERS AND SHOTS ($19), EDITED BY WILLIAM DOWD:
Whether you love Scotch, bourbon, rye, or all three, you'll find something of interest in William Dowd's collection of articles and essays from top spirits experts, including Liquor.com advisory board member David Wondrich and contributor Charles MacLean.

TO HAVE AND HAVE ANOTHER: A HEMINGWAY COCKTAIL COMPANION ($24), BY PHILIP GREENE:
There's no denying Ernest Hemingway's cocktail credentials, from his eponymous Daiquiri to the absinthe-based Death in the Afternoon. And now Philip Greene gives the famous author his due in this thorough study of the beverages served in his short stories and novels. To Have and Have Another comes out on Nov. 6.

THE OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FOOD AND DRINK IN AMERICA ($450), EDITED BY ANDREW SMITH:
We don't generally get excited about reference books, but we'll make an exception for the second edition of the award-winning Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. This latest version, which will be released in November, has 1,400 entries, 300 of them new, on everything from molecular gastronomy to milk shakes.

THE WORLD ATLAS OF BEER: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BEERS OF THE WORLD ($30), BY TIM WEBB AND STEPHEN BEAUMONT:
Beer fans will want this oversized and glossy tome (pictured above), which will be available on Oct. 2. It includes a brief history of brewing and then sudsy sections on regions around the globe, each with advice on what to order, detailed maps, and a bit of local flavor.

This story was originally published at Drinks by the Book: 2012. For more stories like this, subscribe to Liquor.com for the best of all things cocktails and spirits.