The Bowsing Ken

The Educated Drinker

Before you buy another book - You have to get this book - Now!

      To begin with, and somewhat out of order, I would like to recommend Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits. If you have no other book in your drinking library it must be this book. If you were to take a university course called Booze 101, this would be the book assigned to that class. Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits, by Harold J. Grossman is essential reading for the dedicated enthusiast and the trained professional, alike. Indeed, if you were to take graduate level courses on the topic, you would still be using this book.
       It may sound a bit cliche, but this is the bible of alcoholic beverages. First published in 1940, Grossman's Guide has been updated several times over the years, although I believe that 1983 was the last year it was subject to such revision. Even so, the information presented in this book is timeless and always applicable. 
       I have always considered Grossman's Guide to be the foundation that other books on the topic build upon. Like most forms of art, one must start with the basics, and build from there. Grossman's Guide starts with these basics - in Chapter One he asks the simple question: What is alcohol? - then Mr. Grossman develops each aspect to its fullest.  One thing this book is not is a review of modern trends in drinking. Things like boutique gins or cinnamon infused bourbon are not covered.
       Although some consider this more of a text book, one reviewer going so far as to say it was "boring," Grossman's Guide is actually quite readable and very entertaining. Not only does it contain the technical aspects of the topic, it also chronicles the history and development of alcoholic beverages, as well as interesting lore and esoteric wisdom.

        Quick question: How many liters of Champagne are there in a bottle called a salmanazar? If you had a copy of Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits you could easily find the answer to this question. The answer: A salmanazar holds 9.0 liters. That's a lot of Shampoo - Cheers! 

Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits
by
Harold J Grossman
Revised by Harriet Lembeck
1983

  So, who was this Mr. Harold J. Grossman, and why was he the expert on adult beverages? Well, he was born in 1903, in Cuba, grew to adulthood in Champaign, Illinois, and then returned to Cuba to help run the family-owned Hotel Plaza in Camaguey. He took a particular interest and pride in the hotel's extensive wine cellar, which he administered. As a result of this attention to wine, which also entailed regular buying trips to Europe, Grossman by what could be termed on-the-job training, graduated from being an enthusiastic aficionado to being a subject matter expert.
  In the early 1930s, at the behest of Richard L. Blum, Grossman left the management of the hotel to others and travelled north to New York to work for Julius Wile Sons & Company, a wine and spirits imports firm founded back in 1877. Like Grossman, Julius Wile, Jr. had learned the business using the hands on approach when he was sent abroad to learn the wine business. Grossman's main focus at the company was on education. As recalled by Julius Wile: "His job was to teach what had been forgotten for a generation [of prohibition]." Grossman was a lecturer, advisor and consultant. He wrote articles, gave seminars, appeared on radio programs, and just about anything else to impart his knowledge. With the encouragement of his wife Florence, Grossman penned his book "Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits," first published in 1940.
  Grossman's life during World War Two is rather mysterious. To be honest, I have yet to find much more than a few vague references. Apparently, he was sent to Argentina, ostensibly to continue in the import/export of wine, but at the same time doing "other things." What the "other things" were I have never been able to ascertain. Could these things perhaps be something clandestine? Was he sent south to keep an eye on the large German population then living in Argentina? I really don't know, but it makes for a good story. Anyway, after the war he returned to New York, and continued in his profession.
  Since publishing his book in 1940, Grossman used it as the basis for many of his lectures on the subject. In 1959, Grossman began to teach a fifteen-week wine and spirits course, which was offered twice a year. Providentially, one of his later students was Harriet Lembeck. When Grossman passed away in 1967, the course was continued under the direction of former students and friends, including one of his protégés, namely Harriet Lembeck. Then known as the Grossman Memorial Lectures, the course is still offered today under the title Wine & Spirits Program. Since 1975, it has been run by Harriet Lembeck, who, of course, also revised and updated the sixth and seventh editions of Grossman's book.

Now that you have your copy of Grossman's Guide, and have read it cover to cover, here is a list of other good books to read, all covering our favorite topics - pubs, pub food, pub life, beer, ale, stout, porter, and the list goes on. Enjoy.

(The) Drunken Botanist
by
Amy Stewart
2013

Subtitled: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks
  This is fun book, looking at drink from the eye of a botanist. An essential guide to what plants go in to what alcoholic beverages - from beer to wine, from whisky to gin, and from rum to tequila. Impress your friends - know what goes in your drinks.
  Sure, we all know the basics of how beer is made, as well as all the standards - whiskey, whisky, gin, rum, etc... But what about some of the lesser known, more obscure  beverages out there. Take, for example, sloe gin. Now, back when I was a young person - I refuse to say just how old I was - we used to try to get older people to buy us pint or half-pint bottles of sloe gin. Made by a number of nameless producers in the United States, for us sloe gin was cheap, reasonably tasty - sort of cherry-berry, easy to drink, and the small bottles were easy to hide.
  Well, after reading Ms Stewart's book, I found out that sloe gin actually has a bit more of an interesting story. Basically, sloe gin is gin infused with sugar and spices, and the ground up fruit of the blackthorn bush. Back in the olden days, especially in rural England where the bushes grew abundantly, the making of sloe gin was quite common, and somewhat of a homespun art form, the beverage being widely enjoyed by everyday folks. The sloe gin that I "enjoyed" was certainly not in this category, being nothing but cheap gin mixed with artificially flavored, red syrup stuff. According to Ms Stewart there is at least on gin producer in the UK that is attempting to recreate the old school sloe gin, using real ingredients mixed to authentic recipes. And, being a botanist, Ms Stewart includes a few paragraphs on how to grow your own sloe bushes. Neat.

Everyday Drinking
by
Sir Kingsley Amis

Introduction by Christopher Hitchens
2008

   Kinglsey Amis, or should I more correctly say, Sir Kinglsey Amis, was born on 16 April 1922, in Clapham, South London, the son of a clerk who worked at a mustard manufacturer. In 1941, he enrolled at St John's College, Oxford, but the war would soon intervene, with Amis joining the Royal Army, and serving in the Royal Corps of Signals for the duration. In 1945, he resumed his education at Oxford, later earning a degree in English. It was while teaching at the University of Wales, Swansea, that he wrote his first novel -"Lucky Jim" - published in 1954. From that point, Amis would write a catalog of work that ran from fiction to nonfiction, novels, essays and poetry, screenplays, scripts and short stories. His subject matter included everything from science, religion, politics, and social commentary to mysteries and horror stories. Knighted in 1990, Amis was also quite well known as an aficionado, and thus a writer, of food and drink. One reviewer called him: "The Muse of Booze." He passed away on 22 October 1995.
   Presented here, Everyday Drinking is actually a compendium of three books: "Kingsley Amis On Drink," "Every Day Drinking" and "How's Your Glass," which were all compiled between 1971 and 1984. These works have been described as: "A full shelf of the master's riotous and erudite thoughts on the drinking arts." It is a highly entertaining and informative book written by a highly trained, old school, semi-professional drinker. Sorta like me. Booze, food, entertaining, hangovers, travel, etc..., Amis was known to be highly opinionated, and not shy when it came to disagreeing with people - and writing about it. To agree or disagree with him is your call, but you will be laughing either way. Not sure if this is still available new - I picked a copy in a used bookstore, but if you can find it - it's well worth it. A darn funny read and you will learn something, too.

  By the way, if you ever get the chance, pick up a copy of the movie "The Green Man," based on a book of the same name by Kingsley Amis. (Actually, it's a great book, so try to find a copy of that, too.) Not exactly one of Amis' better known works, the story is set in the late 1960s, and it's about the goings on at an old coaching house turned hotel called The Green Man, run by a dapper, but usually tipsy, guy named Maurice Allington. Perhaps it is because of Allington's love of drink - he keeps bottles stashed all over the hotel - that when he sees a ghost simply no one will believe him. Allington also has a marked propensity for the ladies, which leads to some sexual intrigues. I don't want to spoil it so I will say no more, except that Albert Finney's portrayal of Allington is priceless. One reviewer - Ryan Britt - summed it up by noting: Kingsley Amis' "The Green Man" is like "Fawlty Towers" plus sex and a ghost.
   I picked up a copy of The Green Man years ago - on VHS, that's how long ago. And, since it is a good ghost story, we watch it once at year - on Halloween. 

Grogan's Companion to Drink
The A to Z of Alcohol
by
Peter Grogan
2010

 Another essential reference book about booze. Grogan's Companion to Drink - The A to Z of Alcohol is a go-to guide when one is presented with a quandary about our avocation. Many long-term aficionados will know much of what is in this book, but there is enough esoteric knowledge within these pages, usually presented with a heathy portion of humor, to make it an interesting read.
    For example: Did you know that in France a hangover is called gueule de bois (wood mouth), in Holland and Germany kater (tomcat) and in Spain resaca (taking back). As author Peter Grogan notes, the Italians are much more sensible in their drinking habits, as they have no word for "hangover."
  UK-based Peter Grogan also writes about the topic for such publications as the Daily Telegraph and the Spectator, and thus as a subject matter expert, he does tend to have his own opinions about many of the entries in his book. In one instance he states quite assuredly that when considering the contributions of Iceland to the world of drink - "nothing good here," including the "vile" locally produced akvavit called Brennivin, which the locals call the "Black Death." Perhaps an Icelander may not agree. 
  Personally, although I don't agree with all that Grogan has to say - like I said he has his opinions - I still find this to be a great book, and one that I refer to on a regular basis.

(The) Little Book of Whisky
by
Thierry Benitah
2001

  An alphabetical guide to the world of whisky. Got a question about whisky? This is the book where you will find the answers. The author is the director of the Maison du Whisky, in Paris, so he probably has a pretty good idea of which he speaks.
  This book may be called "Little," but it is full of information - from the history of whisky - or whiskey or however you wish to spell the word - to production, blending, aging, sales, and more. He covers all the primary regional varieties, including Canadian, bourbon, Irish, Tennessee, and all the wonderful whiskies that come out of Scotland, as well as differences between straight, single malt, sour mash, rye, blended and other whiskies.  The reader also profits from Mr Benitah experience with advice on selections, tasting and enjoyment of whisky. 
  The Little Book of Whisky is lavishly illustrated with modern and historical photos. Also, there are very nice maps on the inside covers depicting the location of the distilleries on Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the United States and even Japan.
  So, if you simply have a quick question, or have the time to pour yourself a glass and sit down for a good read, this is a fine book on the topic of uisge beatha - The Water of Life. Enjoy!