This holiday season, if you’re buying a friend a coveted bottle of Champagne or bourbon, a book on wine or spirits can be the perfect accompaniment — likely one that will last far longer than the bottle. Each year, bookstore shelves are filled with new releases from drinks pros sharing the best new cocktail recipes and wine tips, so we narrowed it down to our top picks from 2024.
There are options for those who developed seriously niche interests this year, whether that be collecting vintage spirits or batching loads of freezer Martinis. Books for your friends who made it their goal to hit every hot natural wine bar, and the hopeful wine lovers who spend day and night searching for a deal on a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. There’s even something for that family member who got really into Malört.
Here are 10 of the best drinks books to gift in 2024.
The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso with Emma Janzen, Penguin Random House, June 2024.
For at-home bartenders, it can be a common occurrence to stare blankly at a sparsely stocked refrigerator or kitchen cabinet and think: What on earth can I make with these ingredients? Well, next time that situation arises, this book can help. From bartending legend Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso, this handbook provides helpful guidance on how to use common culinary ingredients in cocktails. There are sections that range from sugars
