Distilled Knowledge ─ The Science Behind Drinking's Greatest Myths, Legends, and Unanswered Questions

The world is full of questions, myths, and half-truths about drinking. Why does a garnish or a dash of bitters change a drink entirely? Does grapefruit juice increase intoxication? How can something age in a glass bottle? All these questions have answers, but more often than not the old wives’ tales, anecdotes, assumptions, and scientific wild guesses of bartenders (and goers alike) drown them out. For the first time in one volume,Distilled Knowledge compiles all the major points of discussion and disputationwith the science to either back them up or knock them down.

Cocktail historian and instructor Brian D. Hoefling presents exhaustively researched scientific answers as digestible entries, each a few paragraphs in length, alongside clear and charming illustrations. The text is divided into two primary sections. The first, What Hits the Glass,” details the production of alcoholic beverages from the harvest right up to the very first sip. Topics covered include fermentation, distillation, aging, and mixingeven solving the age-old conundrum between shaken” and stirred.” The second section, What Hits the Body,” will deal with the effects of alcohol on the human body, and will answer questions like, Beer before liquor never sicker?” and Do bubbles make you bubbly?” With wide-ranging areas of inquiry, the book will spend time demystifying the seemingly mundane and getting to the bottom of some of our most timeless received wisdom about drinks and drinking.

Each entry is written in a pithy, conversational tone, and is robust enough to stand alonethe book can be read straight through, consulted on specific questions as a reference text, or idly thumbed in search of knowledge and amusement. Where applicable, entries direct the reader to other parts of the book for answers to related questions, while back matter features scientific citations for further reference.

A compulsively readable book, Distilled Knowledge is as funny as it is factual. It is a perfect gift for cocktail enthusiasts, beer aficionados, bartenders of all skill levels, and those who just love a good bit of trivia.

Brian D. Hoefling is a Boston-based mixological historian, liquor blogger, event planner, and cocktail demonstrator. After graduating from Yale University he opened the Herzog Cocktail School, a company specializing in private events and custom cocktail courses, with a focus on heritage recipes. His writing on cocktails has appeared inBoston Business Insider.