Top summer reads for food and drink lovers

The Connaught Bar by Agostino Perrone

£29.95, Phaidon Press

Having a cocktail poured for you by Agostino Perrone must be one of the world’s finest drinking experiences. The leading light of The Connaught Bar in London is a ‘director of mixology’ and a master of hospitality, someone whose service has its own motto: ‘straight up with style, and don’t forget the smile’; and whose Martinis are prepared on an extravagant trolley rolled up to your table, with the liquid delivered in an artful, boozy stream from a mixing glass held up high in the air. Let’s be clear, it would be impossible to package this experience up for the home bartender. Nothing prepared at home could be on a par with a round of drinks at The Connaught, a bar that is just as much about the service as it is about the cocktails. Instead, in a recipe book compiled by Perrone and fellow Italian bartenders Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Milia – The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations – you get plenty of that tableside manner within the introductions to 100 original drinks that have marked over 15 years of one of the world’s best bars.

Along with a foreword from friend and fan, Italian chef Massimo Bottura (‘No one sat at the bar. It wasn’t made for sitting. It was a theatre’), the recipes are prefaced with a potted history of the venue from Perrone. It’s the way he talks of his discovery of flavour as a child, plus his mission to revive forgotten classic cocktails at the bar, that most captivates.

The recipes range from these reinterpretations of historic libations through to cocktails inspired by the team’s travels, drinks to pre-batch and non-alcoholic creations from the bar’s menu. The beginner will struggle to tackle many: most require some form of preparation from an index of ingredients (from tomato skin-infused Japanese gin to lacto-fermented melon). But more ambitious cocktail enthusiasts have such a variety of recipes to tackle, and each drink has a difficulty rating so that you can work your way up to the more advanced.

Perhaps this book is better appreciated as a showcase to the creativity of this award-winning team and a bit of cocktail history that’s still in the making. It’s a beautiful tome bound in the bar’s jade and muted marble tones and with photography from Lateef Okunnu that leaps off the page.

As for that Martini, my version following the Connaught’s methodology was less ‘straight up with style and a smile’ and more ‘splashy with an apologetic smirk’ – but using the bar’s signature pouring technique for added aeration did noticeably enhance the aromatics of the concoction. Plus, as Perrone suggests in his introduction to the iconic drink, ‘To make a great Martini cocktail, even a better Martini cocktail than the one before, can be a lifelong pursuit.’ With this book, at-home drinkers should get one step closer. Laura Richards

Steak by Tim Hayward

£30, Quadrille

The birthday treat of steak and chips as a teenager was largely responsible for instilling in me a passion for food and cooking that has developed ever since. The scorched crust, the beefy umami, the juicy innards – there is something uniquely appealing about steak. It’s incredibly fair to say that food writer and broadcaster Tim Hayward feels similarly and his new book demonstrates the depth of his love; Steak: The Whole Story covers, as the full title suggests, almost everything there is to cover, from steak’s cultural and historical significance to cattle breeds and husbandry, butchery and cuts, the science and techniques of steak cookery, plus recipes. As he states in the introduction, this book is about readers ‘becoming Steak Geeks’.

Hayward is primarily a writer not a chef, which has the effect of making Steak more entertaining and personal than most cookery books and one you can read for pleasure as well as education. It opens with a story about preparing beef tartare for a dinner party with a friend’s enthusiastic son, one that’s imbued with the same sense of excitement and diligence present throughout the book. It also serves as an example of the enjoyable storytelling that returns in its most pronounced form in interludes taken to describe trips to some of the world’s best steak restaurants.

The issue of beef’s sustainability is not, perhaps unsurprisingly, given a huge amount of space and when it is mentioned, the essential argument that everything will be fine if we ‘eat less but better’ feels flimsy when weighed against the impact of and resources used in producing a single steak. Beef-eating may ultimately constitute a form of akrasia for those who claim to care about the environment but best to set those concerns aside for 300-odd pages and enjoy this carnivorous celebration – the debate about cattle and the environment will rage on until the cows come home. Or until they don’t, in this case.

Part of steak’s allure is that cooking it looks simple yet achieving absolute perfection always seems like a mirage, an ideal that only exists in theory because of the small but significant variables involved. Steak will make a great mentor to a budding cook beginning their journey on the quest for steak-based nirvana and a like-minded companion to someone already on it. It’s a beautifully designed, engaging cookery book and a perfect one to consume in the garden this summer while waiting, Flinstones-esque slab of beef to hand, for the charcoal to whiten. William Morris

The Bartender’s Pantry by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso with Emma Janzen

£30, Ten Speed Press

The Bartender’s Pantry, and all of its whimsical recipe illustrations, anthropological insights, personal reflections and curation of diverse culinary ingredients, boasts a playfulness and childlike essence that subtly suggests Jim Meehan has finally reached the pinnacle of self-actualisation in his bar career. As a long-time admirer of Meehan’s pioneering work as a cocktail bartender in New York City, I’ve watched his work and philosophies evolve with the times from afar. Flipping through the chapters in his latest book is the first time readers and bartenders are experiencing a Jim Meehan who is firmly planted in the present while also actively looking at the future, primarily through the lens of ingredients and the intricate dynamics at play from sourcing to processing them into liquid form.

It’s a book that has a knack for awakening the inner creative child, causing any curious cocktail lover who gets their hands on a copy to spend just a little bit longer in the spice and fresh food aisles at the supermarket, as they keep their eyes peeled for novel and compelling flavours inspired by the recipes in the book. The writing is done with an overt mindfulness, with Meehan sharing his principles for drink development as well as sourcing suggestions, such as ‘shop local’ and ‘do your homework’, on which he elaborates in eloquent detail before diving into ‘The Pantry’, which is the heart of the book. He divides ingredients into categories such as sugars, ferments, fruit, dairy, tea, coffee and spirit infusions and explores their modern history in drinks, popular production practices, artisan processing methods and common distribution channels before artfully sharing recipes from respected bartender colleagues and chefs.

This isn’t a quick-fix cocktail book that shies away from complexity in favour of convenience (there are a few too many of those cocktail books circulating today). Instead, Meehan strongly encourages readers to reframe the way they think about mixology — to care for the recipes, like the elaborate Borodinsky rye kvass or homemade cream of coconut, as you would a low-and-slow barbecued pork. Modern classics like the Gin Basil Smash, Earl Grey MarTEAni and Penicillin also get respect and attention. Contemporary creations from renowned bartenders, including Lynette Marrero, Jessica Gonzalez, Monica Berg and Neal Bodenheimer, add even more pedigree to a book that was already dripping in it. Whether you’re a foodie interested in maximising your pantry’s potential or a bartender interested in force-carbonated sodas, there’s something here for everyone. Tyler Zielinski

Corker by Hannah Crosbie

£16.99, Ebury Press

I read Corker during the worst press trip I’ve ever had. Usually, I love everything about a press trip, even the flight. I love the theatrics of forming a company for a very short time with people I haven’t met in hotels I haven’t slept in. I love the cultural stereotypes that inevitably arise and the fellowships that form. Everything is heightened and racy as we meet, febrile with anticipation, far from home, to immerse ourselves in sensuous liquids. They have always thrilled me but when I inevitably had my first bad trip, Corker saved me.

I have always found solace in books and Hannah Crosbie’s witty, disarmingly honest prose lathered soothing balm on my troubled psyche. Hannah is the real deal, a brilliant writer who is unpretentious, open and authentic. She knows wine is ultimately just a drink, albeit one leveraged by magical company and superb terroir. Corker is a self-help book for people who are embarrassed to ask. Gentle vinous ministrations are smoothly bestowed through chapters that relate to real-life situations. Pages and pages of unctuous salve for fractious minds lie within… Everything from ‘someone else is paying’ to ‘your first ever bottle of wine’ to the absolute ‘headfuck’ of being ghosted is covered.

We wine obsessives live to share flavours; in her chapter entitled BBQ, Hannah describes watching her Chablis Grand Crus get shoved in with the Peronis with dismay: ‘it’s a lot less impressive once the label’s soaked off.’ It truly is gutting when you bring the perfect bottle, a bottle you couldn’t really afford and would never indulge in alone, only to see it vanish unnoticed into the ice tub of anonymity or some dusty backroom rack. You might just as well have gone for the ‘two-buck chuck’ and saved 40 quid for bills. Guru Hannah sees all your wine-related traumas and absolves you of your pain. No concocted privileged media dilettante she, but the bona fide genuine article. She’s been there, and she’s done that. Whoever cottoned on to Crosbie at Penguin [of which Ebury Press is a division] should buy themselves a bottle; better still, I will. Lisse Garnett

The Tequila Ambassador V.O. by Tomas Estes

£53, Wonk Press

If every person in the world had the opportunity to sit at the bar and share a Tequila with the late Tomas Estes, who is best known for helping popularise Tequila in Europe, the world would be a better place. It’s the most salient sentiment I can share after reading a handful of the compelling opening chapters from the near-400 page Tequila bible, in which readers follow Estes’ early life as a budding Tequila ambassador in the mid-1970s. This includes opening the first Mexican restaurant in Europe in 1976, Café Pacifico Amsterdam, to his ventures in Tequila production with tequilero Carlos Camarena, which resulted in the development of the award-winning Tequila Ocho. In many ways, reading his lightly edited book, which I believe is an indispensable literary gem for any Tequila enthusiast—the Tequila book of the century, truthfully—is as close to sitting at the bar with Estes as one will ever get.

And how could it not be? The Tequila Ambassador V.O., the uncut, raw edition of Estes’ 2012 book The Tequila Ambassador (per the addition of “V.O.,” also known as version originale, the French film term), is the result of five years of painstaking work, transcribing the mound of notebooks a free-spirited Tomas left with friend and editor Mitch Wilson. Wilson, with the help of Estes’ close friends and family who had the privilege of accompanying Estes on his Tequila-fuelled expeditions to Mexico, was tasked with harnessing Estes’ authentic voice on paper.

‘The Tequila Method’ is a chapter on Tequila production told through the perspective of Estes, who shares firsthand conversations and adventures from his multitude of distillery visits in Mexico over the years. As you read it, the precision in Estes’ tone and effortless communication of his lived experiences makes it abundantly clear that the late author’s lasting legacy has been well-preserved for centuries to come. Cocktail bartenders have 1860s mercurial bartender Jerry Thomas thanks to Dave Wondrich’s 2007 magnum opus Imbibe – whereas Tequila lovers have a different but equally as influential Tomas, whose contribution to the Tequila industry was intimately captured during his lifetime. TZ

A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood by Lynette Marrero and Ivy Mix, with Megan Krigbaum

£19.99, Abrams

Anyone who has been in the audience of (or indeed participated in) a Speed Rack bartending competition will have experienced the rumble of a room where women of the cocktail world are celebrated with unbridled velocity. Those who haven’t needn’t feel left out, as over 260 pages of this neon pink tome are testament to the skills put on show at the decibel-defying international high-speed bartending competition.

Started by the book’s bartender-authors Lynette Marrero and Ivy Mix in 2011, the competition is part feminist platform, part fundraiser for breast cancer charities. As evidenced in the photos that grace the pages of A Quick Drink, the competition is also a place where headscarves, tattoos and disco balls unite, all in the aid of making delicious drinks and quick.

The 101 featured cocktail recipes from a host of some of the world’s best bartenders have been inspired by the Dealer’s Choice round in the competition, in which contenders are tasked with creating a serve that fulfils a specific brief or mood ad hoc. It could be a cold-weather fizz to warm you up; a savoury drink that goes well with your eggs at brunch; a low-abv nightcap to round off an evening; or a salty Martini that isn’t dirty. They’ve then been arranged in a way that’s easy to navigate, from no-and low ABV, to dessert-style cocktails via Highballs, Martinis and more.

This book is smattered with invaluable tips for home bartenders and pros alike. There are explanations of how to master the split base, work with bubbles and balance spice. I particularly enjoy the cleverly illustrated graphics that visualise tricks like swapping spirits, a chili pepper cheat sheet and how to stock your bar based on your favourite cocktail.

Ultimately, this is a celebration of women in an industry that doesn’t always give them the airtime they deserve. And most importantly, it’s done in a way that doesn’t just merely highlight their existence but showcases their career-honed star talent too. A refreshing, educational and all-round-riotous addition to the bookshelf. Millie Milliken

The Australian Ark by Andrew Caillard MW

£200

The Australian Ark is a project to marvel at even before you’ve opened one of its three substantial volumes, which together constitute a history of the Australian wine industry from 1788 to the present day. Its author, Andrew Caillard MW, has been an auctioneer, critic, writer and commentator in the Australian wine industry since the 1970s and this, his magnum opus, runs to almost 1,800 pages. At the book’s UK launch in spring, Caillard admitted that ‘The Ark’ was originally expected to run to 300,000 words in length but grew to 500,000 as research unravelled stories, strands and details to add. It may not be the most portable of summer reads but it’s arguably the most impressive.

The book’s three parts are entitled Australian Colonial Wine, Federation to the Modern Era and Contemporary Times and together add up to a compelling social and political history of Australia seen through the prism of wine. The more scholastic sections are complemented by Caillard’s personal perspectives and, where possible, experiences. The best histories are concerned primarily with people and The Australian Ark has a clear focus on the figures and producers that have helped shape the industry. Caillard is also careful not to swerve the colonial aspect of Australian wine and to acknowledge the role indigenous Australians played in its formative years.

As well as the depth and breadth of the written content, another striking element of the book is the variety and richness of the photos, documents, artwork and other artefacts reproduced throughout. Caillard emphasised that the book was never conceived solely as an academic resource and the money spent (more than $80,000) on adding this media has ensured the book is even more engaging and accessible, as well as beautiful.

Fans of Australian wine will appreciate the profiles of individual producers, vineyards and wines throughout, in addition to learning and understanding how favourites have come to exist in their current form. The Australian Ark is a colossal, impressive work that represents 18 years of the author’s dedication, as well as a significant financial commitment to ensure the book made it to publication. A true labour of love, it deserves a spot on the shelf of anyone that has a passion for Australia, wine or, most likely, both. WM

The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home by Nicola Nice

£16.97, Countryman Press

‘Despite the fact that the large majority of our cocktails are consumed at home, the history of the cocktail is rarely told from the perspective of the home cocktail parlor, or from the point of view of the hostess.’ So says writer and sociologist Dr Nicola Nice, who addresses the uncovered and domestic role of women in the history of cocktails in her rousing and entertaining new book The Cocktail Parlor.

Having moved from London to New York, Nice became enthralled with her new city’s cocktail history and set about collecting cookbooks, household management guides, entertaining handbooks, etiquette manuals and lifestyle guides from the 1800s up till now, all written by and aimed at women.

Her resulting research has led to this thorough and revelatory book, which lifts the curtain on the role of hostesses, wives and daughters in the history of cocktail creation. Organised by type of hostess (from domestic, lady and tea party, to suburban, city and craft), chapters are filled with historical resources, recountings and references to the many ways in which women have held the keys to some of our most memorable cocktails and the ingredients required.

We learn of Hannah Wooley, who was writing books for housekeepers in the 17^th century and would write of distillation in relation to medicines. Her 1670 book The Queen-Like Closet holds recipes for cordial liquors and even punch. Etiquette writers in the 19^th century documented the upsurge in women bringing juleps, ‘wine cups’ and cobblers into their home entertainment roster; while mother-daughter duo Marion Harland and Christine Terhune Herrick dedicated a whole chapter of their 1904 book Consolidated Library to mixing drinks like the Manhattan and Martinez, as well as how to choose wine and make toasts. Each chapter is also rounded off with recipes for the drinks mentioned in the previous pages, taking them back into the homes of the reader too.

The weaving of these largely untold tales with our knowledge of cocktails today is deftly done by Nice. And the tales themselves are snapshots into the domestic worlds of these women who were quietly but diligently building the foundations of the cocktail. Thanks to Nice and her rousing book, these women are quiet no more. I’ll raise a wine cup to that. MM

Natural Wine, No Drama by Honey Spencer

£25, Pavilion Books

Despite being almost ubiquitous in fashionable restaurants and wine bars these days, ‘natural wine‘ is still divisive with adherents unwilling to drink anything else and opponents anything but. Will this new book by sommelier Honey Spencer win over the naysayers? I doubt it but that’s not really the point. The target audience is new drinkers, open to everything, seeking to know and understand more about what they’re tasting.

There’s a good simple guide to the basics of conventional and natural winemaking – Spencer sidesteps a definition which will annoy some – then a series of short chapters on leading figures in the natural wine world. When I read the profiles of the figures I know best – Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyrene, winemaker Christina Rasmussen and Raw Wine founder Isabelle Legeron, I find Spencer has got them to a T – along with an enticing glimpse into the kind of wine they drink (Wregg has actually gone where Spencer hasn’t in describing natural wine as ‘the taste of being alive in liquid form’ – a maddeningly imprecise definition, some will say, but one that totally encapsulates its appeal). These human stories – accounts of their personal journeys into natural wine – help to bring the subject and the issues to life.

The final third of the book is a practical guide to choosing, tasting, serving and pairing natural wine with food, which, like the rest of the book, will probably take you into uncharted territory (drunken fried rice with Czech Saint Laurent, anyone?). There’s also a short selection of particularly tempting recipes for which, given the cover price, I feel the publisher should have included a couple of photos. The illustrations throughout the book by Max Ososki are delightful though. Fiona Beckett

An English Vineyard Cookbook by Peter, Bridget, Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin

£25, Guild of Master Craftsman Publications

You’ve probably heard of the Gladwin’s wines. Owners of Nutbourne Vineyards since 1991, the family is behind some of England’s best known bottles, including the impressive Sussex Reserve, a still blend of Bacchus, Reichensteiner and Pinot Noir. The vineyards, set in a beautiful spot in West Sussex, make for a lovely day trip. You may also know their London restaurant empire, which includes four restaurants across the capital and, soon, a pub called The Pig’s Ear, just off the King’s Road.

Now the family is releasing a wonderful cookbook and it’s well timed. Britain’s wine industry has grown rapidly of late, both in scale and quality, yet most of us know little about how a British vineyard works. An English Vineyard Cookbook provides a sense of the sheer effort it takes to produce top wine in England and a tour of a vineyard with nature at its core.

The three Gladwin sons bring their passion for wine, cooking, foraging and farming to the fore. There are wild ingredients, from foraged herbs, plants and mushrooms, to game including fallow and grouse. This makes it far from a humdrum collection of weeknight dinner recipes but rather a book to refer to for a special occasion. Most recipes come with a useful wine recommendation, helpfully not always from the Nutbourne estate, which might not always be easy to get hold of. So while the Nutbourne Pinot Gris might be the perfect match for a scallop carpaccio with beetroot purée, a Sicilian Grillo or Picpoul from southern France goes best with chargrilled cuttlefish, roasted peppers and black ink sauce.

An English Vineyard Cookbook may not be one for the everyday cook but for a peek into countryside living, a delve into a working vineyard and some mouthwatering recipes to boot, add this to your summer reads. Tomé Morrissy-Swan