Tis’ the season where cocktails and fine spirits flow freely. Here’s a chance to knock out some quality holiday shopping for drinks enthusiasts from your own armchair.

This collection of incredible books from our Barleycorn Society of authors and journalists is packed with expert knowledge on topics ranging from hardcore bourbon history to the secrets behind the world’s finest cocktails. Just click below to find the perfect book, or buy them all to create an instant, spirited library.


Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey

By Clay Risen
$96

The bourbon lover in your life will treasure this gorgeous boxed set by American Whiskey author Clay Risen. Destined to become an essential piece of historical reference, Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey is the fascinating history of America’s spirit from its humble origins to today’s mass appeal. And you will meet the distillers and distilleries who have collectively created Kentucky’s whiskey landscape along the way.

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Clay Risen

New York Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of over 100 Recipes Inspired by the Big Apple

By Amanda Schuster
$20

Take a deep dive inside New York City’s modern mixology scene with Amanda Schuster’s New York Cocktails, the perfect companion for professional and home mixologists. Inside you will find tips and techniques by expert bartenders and of course, the secrets to creating over 100 incredible libations. But you will also discover a Big Apple travel companion that helps visitors find their way around the city’s finest watering holes.

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Amanda Schuster

Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey

By Fred Minnick
$26

Fred Minnick explores the history of American whiskey from the 18th-century European settlers who brought distilling culture to the United States to the present day. Minnick tackles all angles of bourbon-centric topics, such as the true bourbon OG and why fans line up for hours for the chance of scoring a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle.

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Fred Minnick

The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book

By Frank Caiafa
$25

In The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, author Frank Caiafa shares an incredible collection of classic and contemporary cocktails from his days as bar manager of the legendary Peacock Alley bar in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Covering each drink’s history along with recipes and techniques, this James Beard Foundation Book Award nominee is 416 pages of quintessential reading for cocktail enthusiasts and a handsome addition to any home bar.

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Frank Caiafa

The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes

By Robin Robinson
$28

In Robin Robinson’s fully updated Complete Whiskey Course, each chapter is a “class” focusing on whiskey and its makers broken down by nation. But this is more than just history. Robinson teaches a full range of whiskey knowledge on a spectrum of topics ranging from producing and marketing whiskey to nosing and tasting, building a whiskey collection, and organizing your own tastings with friends.

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Robin Robinson

And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails

By Wayne Curtis
$25

And A Bottle Of Rum tells the good, bad, and sometimes ugly history of rum, whose image has repeatedly transformed over the centuries. Complete with stories of pirates, profiteers, and Paul Revere’s famous ride, author Wayne Curtis’ wry humor, incredible research, and unflinching honesty make this a fine read for not only rum lovers but any history buff.

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Wayne Curtis

Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey

By John McCarthy
$20

In Whiskey Rebels, John McCarthy tells the recent history of how “craft” distilling is changing whiskey culture in the United States through the lens of the people who helped make it happen. Read the stories behind the OGs of the craft scene, plus bonus material ranging from aging in small barrels to launching your own distillery.

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John McCarthy

Bucket List Bars: Historic Saloons, Pubs and Dives of America

By Clint Lanier and Derek Hembree
$14

In Bucket List Bars, an indispensable reference guide to historical bars across the United States, authors Clint Lanier and Derek Hembree tell the tales of over 170 saloons, pubs, and dives. Perfect for history buffs and bar enthusiasts alike, readers will want to visit all of these amazing American watering holes and start checking off a bar bucket list of their own.

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Clint Lanier

The Bourbon Tasting Notebook

By Susan Reigler
$30

To create The Bourbon Tasting Notebook, authors Susan Reigler and Michael Veach tasted their way through hundreds of whiskeys and reported their assessments in minute detail. The work comes together as an excellent reference guide for bourbon enthusiasts of all levels, complete with checklists to help chart your own whiskey journey.

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Susan Reigler

I'm Just Here for the Drinks

by Sother Teague
$16

Renowned New York bartender Sother Teague presents a casual series of essays and conversations to reveal how the joy of drinking helps shape our culture while teaching you how to make more than 100 cocktails along the way. Spiked with bar wisdom and wit, reading I’m Just Here for the Drinks feels like having an intimate chat in a cozy bar with one of the world’s great spirits experts. So pour yourself a dram and enjoy.

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Sother Teague

Texas Whiskey: A Rich History of Distilling Whiskey in the Lone Star State

by Nico Martini
$24

Texas history runs deep, and the history of whiskey in the state is no exception. But the Texas whiskey scene, which emphasizes local corn and barrels made from trees grown in the state, has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, as this collection of over 100 varied distillers makes clear. Locals and tourists alike will discover new expressions that are sure to satisfy tastes as varied as Texas is large. Texas Whiskey, through distillery profiles, interviews with experts, and original photography, tells the story of how whiskey from the Lone Star State is unlike whiskey being made anywhere else on the planet.

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Nico Martini

Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.