Aloha,

Whether your summer plans include a trip to the beach or just hanging out in your backyard oasis, it is a great time to crack open a book and relax. For the Moai that means putting down the cocktail recipe books and reading something more entertaining... like a history of cocktail recipes!

If you think history is boring, think again. History can be very lively when it is liberally soaked in booze. Here are two books that will give you new appreciation for some of classic cocktails.

First up, And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis.

Curtis follows the highs and lows of rum over four centuries from the arrival of cheap Caribbean kill-devil in the 17th century to the present resurgence of super premium rums. Along the way empires also rise and fall as rum fuels the engine of colonial expansion and the birth of the United States.

The book is well researched but Curtis keeps the narrative moving along at a brisk pace so you won't even notice that there might be some learning going on.

But be warned, you may end up reading the book from cover to cover in one sitting. We recommend taking a few cocktail breaks along the way, it adds to the experience.

Be sure to grab some fresh limes on the way home from the bookstore!

Next up, Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich.

In addition to a passion for cocktails (and long book titles!) Wondrich has something else in common with Wayne Curtis, they both do their research and take on many popular myths to set the record straight.

As Wondrich recounts the evolution of the cocktail, Imbibe! features many cocktails from Jerry Thomas' 1862 guide and a few modern cocktails inspired by it. Particularly valuable is the clear explanation of older bar tools, measures and techniques which will aid the modern mixologist as they try to recreate the magic in their home bar.

This is also an entertaining book but if you like field trips more than reading Wondrich is also a Contributing Scholar at the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

Be sure to pick up some of the recent reprints of Jerry Thomas' bartenders guides for the shelf in your home bar also.

Enjoy!

—Tagata Maori Rogorogo