The best spirits and cocktail books for Christmas

The Martini by Alice Lascelles

£14.25, Quadrille

On the surface, it might seem impossible to create an almost 180-page book about the Martini. After all, it’s a drink so seemingly straightforward: gin and vermouth. Nevertheless, as Alice Lascelles points out with the palpable delight of someone who is a complete devotee, it’s a cocktail that’s delicious in its complexity and boundless in its variation. To quote her on the 60 or so Martini recipes in the book: ‘Some hinge on almost laughably tiny tweaks while others are so complex they’re almost culinary.’

As Lascelles makes clear in the introduction, the Martini is more than a drink: it’s a statement, a cultural icon, a mood. It’s a drink with a long history and multiple iterations. The perfect Martini is the one made the way you like it and Lascelles has variations to suit all moods. After running through the ingredients (gin or vodka?), equipment and method (shaken or stirred?), she groups Martini recipes into four types: classic, vintage, contemporary and honorary. They’re easy to follow and from the off, I could feel the desire for the ice cold hit of a Martini rising. All of this is enhanced by the clean layout and beautiful photography throughout the book.

‘Its minutiae have had some of the world’s greatest minds dancing on a pin,’ Lascelles writes of the Martini. But you don’t have to be a Martini geek to appreciate this book or its intention. The Martini has never been a selfish drink. ‘The one thing nicer than mixing yourself a Martini is mixing one for somebody else. Getting it just how they like it – even if you don’t really approve – is the ultimate act of kindness.’

Johanna Derry Hall

English Whisky: The Journey From Grain to Glass

£15.89, Pavillion

There are books aplenty on English wine and you can fill a mobile library with tomes on specific whisky regions, from Scotland to Japan. Yet this book, to the best of my knowledge, is the first to focus specifically on the growing English whisky scene and English whisky history.

There has been much written, particularly recently, on the history of Scotch, looking back to hone and refine the myths and legends that are out there about this historic spirit. The history of gin, too, in England has had a re-focus recently (A Most Noble Water by Jared and Anistatia Miller, released earlier this year) but very little has ever been covered on the history of whisky-making south of the Scottish border.

The opening chapters of this pioneering book by former Whisky Magazine executive editor Rupert Wheeler and his co-author Ted Bruning are a comprehensive exploration of whisky-making in England. It shows that, despite a recent renaissance, whisky has historical roots in cities such as London and Liverpool.

This easy-to-read explanation of English whisky then tackles the modern-day mavericks who have helped revive the scene in England, with profiles of key players across the country. The sense of place is discussed, as well as production styles and maturation, before a ‘gazetteer of distilleries’, covering 39 English whisky producers, their styles and tasting notes too.

All in, this book is an important release in ensuring English whisky has not just a voice in the growing ‘world whisky’ scene but also gives life to the faded, almost forgotten idea that England has, and therefore can and does, make great whisky.

Joel Harrison

In Fine Spirits by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley

£18.80, Mitchell Beazley

In Fine Spirits by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley is a succinct yet thorough one-stop shop for aspiring drinkers and seasoned spirits connoisseurs alike. With ten more years of rigorous tastings, booze-filled travel and an abundance of knowledge of the global spirits landscape under their belts since their debut title, Distilled, Harrison and Ridley’s latest work is proof of Einstein’s belief: when you deeply understand your craft, you can explain even the most intricate processes simply.

They break down popular spirits from gin to mezcal and even brush over the world’s bestselling spirit from China, baijiu, which is slowly making waves in the West as drinking culture becomes increasingly globalised. Each approachable section is filled with charming anecdotes, the duo’s favourite cocktail recipes for each spirit – Blanche Armagnac Martini? Yes please – historical tidbits, producers and bottlings worth knowing about, and technicoloured tasting notes that make readers feel like they’re hanging out with two well-informed, albeit maybe a little tipsy, friends.

The tone is authoritative without being pretentious. Harrison and Ridley make clear that, as much as they love the art and craft of production and tasting, a fine drink should be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of expertise or budget. Whether you’re interested in acquainting yourself with maverick producers, such as England’s Barney Wilczak of the award-winning Capreolus Distillery, or are purely in need of a refresh on the modern world of spirits, In Fine Spirits gives as much as the reader is willing to take.

Tyler Zielinski

Rum: A Tasting Course by Ian Burrell

£16.83, Dorling Kindersley

Every spirit – whisky, gin, Cognac – claims to have a storied past. But when it comes to sheer scale, rum can give all of them a run for their money with its chequered history involving sailors, sugarcane and slavery. The story of rum is global, circumnavigating the world many times over, making Ian Burrell, the world’s only rum ambassador and an aficionado on all things rum, the ideal person to tell the story and to steer you through all of rum’s varieties.

Burrell wears his knowledge lightly but the ‘course’ he’s set out in this book is comprehensive. Not only does it cover what can be technically classed as rum, its multi-faceted and sometimes difficult history, and a clear explanation of how rum is made and aged, he also writes tasting notes for no fewer than 100 rums, organising them by region and clearly setting out what the differences and unique qualities are for each. It’s no mean feat when you consider that in addition to the well-known rum-producing nations of Barbados, Jamaica and Cuba, there are also countries including Britain, Mexico and Australia making the spirit these days.

Burrell has an ease in the way he writes and all of this variety is easy to grasp thanks to his warm, clear style. Of course, there are cocktail recipes – classic rum serves like the Cuba Libre, Pina Colada and Daiquiri – cleverly illustrated to show how the measures play out in the glass. There’s breadth and detail, yet this book recommends itself most for its clarity and accessibility. Maybe you didn’t know you wanted to know more about rum. Pick this up and you’ll quickly find yourself fascinated.

Johanna Derry Hall

The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom

£31.73, Mitchell Beazley

The World Atlas of Whisky is now in its third edition and to produce such a mighty piece of work must be a test for even the most experienced of whisky writers. Fear not, as author Dave Broom must surely make the podium in this regard.

As the André Simon award-winner points out in his opening salvo, ‘in the time I’ve taken to write this sentence, a few more whisky distilleries will probably have opened up,’ and never a truer word has been written. This book is the literary equivalent of herding cats, such has been the explosion of worldwide whisky production since the previous edition was released a decade ago.

Broom’s first edition of this book, released in 2010, was a revelation at the time, bringing whisky shoulder-to-shoulder with wine, which had its first edition of a world atlas much earlier, in 1971. Interest in whisky has grown significantly since the ’70s and to see a third edition of this book boasting distilleries from Canada to Cape Town, Taiwan to Tasmania, is only fitting for a drink that is in rude health around the world.

This third edition is a complete rewrite, with revised maps in each section, significantly expanded sections on some of the key whisky-making countries, such as the US, Canada, Ireland and Japan, and new, sharp focuses on Australia, France and New Zealand.

As should be expected from the ‘Atlas’ brands of drinks books, the information is rich and deep but not once did I feel close to drowning in it. The layout and photos ensure the book doesn’t seem overly dense and Broom’s writing maintains a well-paced flow that allows the reader to digest the finer details.

As expected from Broom, he sets a high mark for whisky writers the world over, all of whom will (and should) use this book as a compass in their work. It’s an essential book for the shelves of drinks-lovers too.

Joel Harrison

Larousse Cocktails

£30.80, Hamlyn

Hear the name Larousse and, if you’re like me, your mind immediately leaps to dictionaries; to the complete and the exhaustive. The publishing house’s reference works are renowned for their authority. But for knowing how to throw a good party? Turns out, Larousse is hot on that too.

The intention for Larousse Cocktails is that it sits on the shelf as ‘the ultimate expert guide to mixology’. Over 200 recipes, grouped around base alcohols, are interspersed with guidance on bar equipment, glassware, rules for a good cocktail, garnishes and more. There’s a whole section on Champagne cocktails and this is a good indicator of where the book shines.

This is a party cocktail book. No lone Negroni-sipping for Larousse (well, for completeness, the recipe – to serve one – is in there). If you want to know how to make a classic Martini, you’ll find it slightly buried in the section on cocktails in films but the first version mentioned is a spicy mango version. The vodka section opens with a recipe for a Cosmopolitan to serve ten and there are more than 50 cocktail recipes designed to serve 10 or make at least a litre.

The emphasis is on celebration – batched cocktails and punches in bowls. Even the drinks designed for one have pizzazz: cocktails that hold the different alcohols in layers; blue cocktails; cocktails you can set alight. This is not a book for people who want to use classic spirits from their drinks cabinet on a quiet Sunday. It’s for people who want to buy blue Curaçao and raspberry vodka, pour both into a large punch bowl, add elderflower syrup, lemon juice and a bottle of Champagne before serving glasses and glasses of fizzy, delicious, blue Fly Me to the Moons on a Saturday night… or at a Christmas party.

Johanna Derry Hall

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2025

£14.99, MagDig

The most-thumbed books on my shelves are those belonging to my collection of Malt Whisky Yearbooks by Ingvar Ronde. This edition for 2025 is the editor’s 20th in the series; quite a remarkable achievement and one that should be lauded and applauded.

Over two decades, the format has remained largely unchanged but topical issues are highlighted by essays (sometimes spanning more than 4,000 words), which form the early part of the book. Dipping back in to previous editions is like picking up old newspapers; since the turn of the century, you can look back on the burning stories within a flourishing industry.

This landmark edition features an opening piece by Gavin D. Smith acknowledging 20 years of change, covering the growth of malt whisky distilling, either through new producers or the expansion of established players. Smith covers premiumisation, auction prices and sustainability. It reads like a CV for whisky’s last two decades.

Other contributors, including Kristiane Sherry, author of Club O’s Scotch Whisky Report, and Charles Maclean, bring their wit and wisdom to the book’s pages too. There is then the usual format: spotlights on distilleries in Scotland, interviews with key figures in the industry and a global look at malt whisky.

Malt Whisky Yearbook has both stood still and evolved over the last 20 years; it is warming and comforting in its consistency, yet forward-thinking and more relevant than ever. These are annual releases that become useful snapshots of the business of whisky, acting as historical records as they grow old. You’ll never throw one out and this latest edition is no different.

Joel Harrison