Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit Kindle Edition

This is my third book on Mezcal since I discovered the artisanal spirit just this past April, and while the other two are very informative and good reads, this beautiful book, (covers and pictures both) is by far the best! Very well written, with great structure, it is a great teacher and product guide, and explains the cultural history, production and vast differences of the amazingly complex Mezcals produced. I'm almost done reading it and anxious to check out the drink recipes at the end, although I sip it neat most times, the way it should be. If you are new to Mezcal, buy this book! I Love Mezcal!

This is an excellent intro to mezcal, mezcal culture, and mezcal cocktails. The author wisely spent most of the first half of the book in Mexico talking to the people who have been living and breathing this stuff their whole lives, rather than just interviewing American enthusiasts as too many writers have done before. In the second half, rather than giving a boring account of how mezcal became popular with American bartenders, the author cuts to the chase and gives us a wide range of mezcal cocktail recipes. The recipes are diverse and there's a nice spread of simple drinks with a few off the shelf ingredients all the way to others that require homemade ingredients and specific techniques, with clear instructions for making and using them. There's some expected well-known classics in there (like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Mezcal Negroni), but many of them are new to me and I look forward to trying them. There's also an emphasis on drinks that either highlight the mezcal being used or that highlight traditional regional Mexican flavor combinations, which i appreciate. All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this book, regardless of where you are on your mezcal journey.

I'd been following the author's work online for a while, and I had just begun to dive into the extremely deep world of mezcal since a trip to Oaxaca last year. So, I was excited to further my mezcal education by picking up this book. It is a super straightforward, enjoyable read about the history of mezcal/agave distillates, the types of agaves commonly used to make mezcal, how it is produced, etc. plus recipes and suggestions for types of mezcals to try. I've read lots of books about spirits and some are quite dense, long, and/or totally inaccessible for people newer to nerding out about spirits, and this one is none of those things and is very well-organized which is refreshing. The photography is beautiful and there is a good amount of cocktail recipes without being too overwhelming (my favorite so far is the Ready, Fire, Aim). As I grow my mezcal collection I look forward to trying more!

Got this to give as a Christmas present and it was a hit! Great information and recipes I was told by the Mezcal connoisseur. Only reason I gave it 4 stars is when I received it in the mail, the outer cover was filthy with dirt. I had to wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth and then wrap it. Glad I didn’t send it directly to them!

I am a fan of spirits and cocktail books and Emma Janzen's book on mezcal is one of the most nicely designed and thorough spirits books I have read. The photographs are beautiful, the cocktail recipes are accessible, and the history section is well researched. I know Emma's work from Imbibe magazine and I am glad she finally got around to writing this beautiful book!

Gave this as a present to a friend who is really getting into Mezcal. He's very complimenting of it; loves the writing, the stories/histories, as well as the pictures. Definitely sounds like the complete package according to him and it's fun hearing everything he has learned from it. Based on his excitement, definitely recommend it to anyone interested in spirits, and in particular, mezcal.

Emma Janzen presents an engaging, well-researched book about the Mexican spirit, taking readers from the fields to the tasting rooms to the table, revealing the complexities and the broad varieties of mezcal. Her casual writing style and captivating photos turn what could easily have been a dry scholarly tome about the product into an absorbing lesson. And the abundant recipes are accessible to everyone from a novice cocktail maker to a seasoned professional. In all, an extremely palatable presentation of the magic of mezcal.

Bought this as part of a present I put together for my dad. I made him a mezcal starter kit. The book has great information, beautiful pictures and good cocktailIdeas. Highly recommend

What a lovely stylist writer. She makes you feel as if you were with her in Mexico. The photos are wonderful and I can't wait to try the recipes. The cover has a lovely tactile finish which together with the photos makes it a book that is hard to put down. Mezcal is not so readily available in the UK, which is a pity. Hopefully that will change, and I look forward to her next book.

Great book. I recommend this book to every spirit enthusiast. Wheather you just like to play at home with spirits or run a bar. Get this book, a great eye opener into the traditional and original spirit or Mexico.

Great read into mezcal

very good journey

Really informative and well written book for anyone wanting to learn more about Mezcal