Review of the North American Whiskey Guide
01/05/2015
Disclosure: I was given this book to review free of charge. No other compensation was given to me. All opinions are my own.
I have never been a whiskey drinker, because I had a bad experience with it when I was younger. Let's just say whiskey and I went from being best friends to being lifelong enemies one night at a high school party and leave it at that, ok? Ever since then, the smell of it made me shudder.
But...
Lately I've found that a lot of things I used to loathe when I was younger are now suddenly appealing to me. For example, I used to think coconut was disgusting. Now? Now I can't get enough of the stuff. Peanut butter went from yuck to yum. And I used to always remove the bread from my sandwiches and just eat the innards. Now, if I could figure out a way to mainline bread, I would be an addict for sure.
However, you will never get me to like cilantro.
Back to whiskey...
I was given a book to review called the North American Whiskey Guide from Behind the Bar which is a collection of reviews from bartenders on over 250 whiskeys. The book is set up like an encyclopedia which is perfect for me in my old age. The whiskeys are separated into eight categories: bourbon, Tennessee, rye, Canadian, blended/other, wheat, corn/white, and malt. Each entry has a small summary of the whiskey including its variety/style, origin, bottle type, proof, price, and a fun fact. There are comments from all four bartenders who reviewed each whiskey and a fun fact about each as well.
The best part about the book, in my opinion, is the section on whiskey cocktails because that is how I would probably partake in my next whiskey adventure. I have an awesome bartender friend named Sparkles at Doyle's Pour House in Tuckerton, NJ who told me she would gladly make me one of the cocktails next time I come in. I think I'll go with this one:
Aero Whiskey Sour
- 2 slices lemon
- 2 oz (60 ml) Fighting Cock Bourbon
- ¼ oz (7 g) simple syrup
- ¼ oz (7 g) egg white
- Ice
- Dash of Angostura Bitters
- Cherry, for garnish
- Cinnamon, for garnish
Muddle the lemon in a shaker, then add the bourbon, simple syrup and egg white. Dry shake vigorously, then add the ice and shake vigorously again. Strain over ice in a rocks glass, and garnish with a dash of Angostura Bitters, a cherry and a pinch of cinnamon.
Doesn't that sound awesome?
You can check out the rest of the book and purchase it here through my affiliate link, if you'd like. (By clicking on the link, it will bring you to Amazon and I could possibly get a small commission if you decide to purchase it.)
Recipe and pictures courtesy of The North American Whiskey Guide from Behind the Bar: Real Bartenders' Reviews of More Than 250 Whiskeys by Chad Berkey and Jeremy LeBlanc. Printed with permission of Page St. Publishing