The Cocktail Companion. Cheryl Charming

       Foreword

      In her inimitable fashion, Miss Charming, the bartender who is considered by many, myself included, to be the ultimate Queen of the New Orleans Cocktail Scene, has delivered yet another fabulous book, chock-full of all manner of cocktailian splendor. And this one’s a doozy!

      The world of cocktails flows with fascinating trivia, incredible folklore, accurate historical stories, some tall tales, and lots of straight, hard facts. I believe that Cheryl Charming has detailed near-as-darn-it every single one of these pearls of liquid wisdom in this tome. Skim through it for a few minutes and see how much time passes before you can even dream of putting it down.

      Who else would describe garnishes as jewelry for cocktails? Nobody. That’s who. It’s part of Cheryl’s unique style, and it’s part of what makes her stand out in any crowd of cocktail aficionados.

      You’ll find, too, that Cheryl goes the whole nine yards when it comes to research. Fancy a Ramos Gin Fizz, for instance? You’ll find that a certain Henry Charles “Carl” Ramos invented the drink in 1888 and his bar went through an incredible 5,000 eggs every week to keep up with demand for the drink.

      But Cheryl doesn’t stop there. Read on and she’ll tell you where to get the best Ramos Gin Fizzes in New Orleans today, and I wasn’t surprised to see that Bourbon O Bar, where Miss Charming struts her stuff, is one of them. I’ve had a Ramos Gin Fizz at the Bourbon “O” Bar. It was sublime.

      This book will walk you through drinking scenes from movies, books, and television. As you start this literary bar crawl you might want to keep in mind that Cheryl has also provided a guide to historic bars around the world here, so a literal bar crawl could be in your future too. How about starting off in Dublin at the bar where Oscar Wilde once worked? You’ll find it in here.

      When was the first golden age of the cocktail? Which family has been producing fine apple brandy in New Jersey since the late 1600s? When were cocktails first served on an aircraft? (Far earlier than you’re thinking.) Where can you find a cocktail that incorporates crushed Mexican black ants? Which cocktail should be shaken to the rhythm of the Foxtrot?

      All this and more will be revealed to you in this great book.

      And buyer beware: if you loan this book to a friend, you might never see it again.

      gaz regan