This fascinating read tells the story of the quintessential American invention: the cocktail, detailing its birth, rise, fall and resurrection at the same time as tracing the timeline of America's story.

Featuring 45 recipes of rediscovered classic cocktails and inspired originals, spirits and cocktail expert Derek Brown shows how events in history shaped the United States’ drinking habits. Brown also tells the stories of Americans who influenced the nation’s cocktail culture, from America's Distiller-In-Chief George Washington to modern-day “King Cocktail” bar tender Dale DeGroff, as well as lesser-known mixologists like Martha Niblo, the nineteenth-century New York proprietress known for her Sherry Cobblers, and Frederic Tudor, whose ice-shipping business gave early drinks like the Cobbler and the Mint Julep the chill they needed.

With classic and original recipes inspired by each period, this book serves up the perfect mix of geography, history, culture, and taste.