The new decade has seen the rise of the "cocktail nerd "resulting in a newfound appreciation of the history and elements of the cocktail. Writers such as David Wondrich have helped enlighten drink afficianados about the history, lore, and mythology oc cocktail culture in works such as
Punch, and
Imbibe. Most recently, author
Brad Thomas Parsons has helped provide cocktail fans with some history, recipes and lore relating to the traditions associated with one of the key (but often overlooked) elements of a bespoke cocktail; the bitters.
Bitters is a charming, fast paced work which breathes life into a fairly obscure subject. Mr. Parsons explores some of the mystique of brands like the omnipresent, venerable Angostura brand as well as some of the more esoteric makes of bitter like
Urban Moonshine and Snake Oil Bitters. Again, this stuff is like gold to the cocktail geek and we have found that this is a great manual to have at hand to try different drink recipes and to find new ways to give our cocktails a twist...
