A Proper Drink ─ The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World

A narrative history of the craft cocktail renaissance, written by a New York Times cocktail writer and one of the foremost experts on the subject.

A Proper Drink is the first-ever book to tell the full, unflinching story of the contemporary craft cocktail revival. Award-winning writer Robert Simonson interviewed more than 200 key players from around the world, and the result is a rollicking (if slightly tipsy) story of the characters--bars, bartenders, patrons, and visionaries--who in the last 25 years have changed the course of modern drink-making. The book also features a curated list of about 40 cocktails--25 modern classics, plus an additional 15 to 20 rediscovered classics and classic contenders--to emerge from the movement.

ROBERT SIMONSON is a cocktail and drinks writer for the New York Times. He is the winner of a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for journalism, and the author of The Old-Fashioned. He also writes for Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Edible Manhattan, Edible Brooklyn, Saveur, Eater, PUNCH, and more.