More to the point, I was really taken with this Daily Beast piece with the 10 Best Writings on Booze.  With excerpts from heavyweights (and heavy drinkers) like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, it’s worth it just as a reminder of how good these ten writers are. Two of the pieces stood out.  Kingsley Amis’s description of a hangover from Lucky Jim is beyond brilliant. Who knew a hangover could be so poetic (and downright funny) in its pain?  And to sum it up with “He felt bad,”  is nothing less than perfection.  The other excerpt that stood out to me was from Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, in part because it’s so good, but also because I still clearly remember reading the book sophomore year of high school, sprawled out on my tomato-soup-red carpet (it was there before we moved in!), totally absorbed. It’s one of those magical reading moments that’s forever etched in my brain. Maybe all that foreign drinking inspired my love of travel and cocktails? Considering the content of the book, I doubt it!

Anyone got any great booze-related books or book-related cocktail recipes to share?

An article an author of mine is working on cites a couple of books on his subject, including Linda Himelstein’s THE KING OF VODKA, which is about Pyotr Smirnov and his vodka empire. There have been so many ways alcohol and its long drunken history have been explored in books–from recipe cocktail books, which have been popular the last few years as the DIY movement has shifted to drinking and people are experimenting in their own kitchens, to practical books on wine, beer, and pairing foods with drinks.

What is interests me most, however, are the many excellent narrative nonfiction books about not only the drinks themselves, but the players behind them, like my own client Tilar Mazzeo’s bestselling THE WIDOW CLICQUOT, which describes the fascinating life of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the woman who Veuve Clicquot brand. THE BILLIONAIRE’S VINEGAR was a bestseller that delved deeper into the story behind the world’s most expensive bottle of wine. Absinthe is another spirit that we talked about a great deal when thinking about ideas for Tilar. There’s a lot of interesting history there. I personally love these historical narrative nonfiction accounts that paint a broader cultural picture of a seemingly narrow subject. In the hands of a skilled writer, there is much to explore.

In doing some research, I came upon this Wall Street Journal article that lists a few titles that are worth looking at if you’re interested in this vast subject.

What are your favorite books about drinking? Are there any books on the subject you’d like to see that don’t already exist? It’s a little too early for me to start drinking, but the mood is definitely set for an evening cocktail!

I found this piece from Sunday’s NYT book review enlightening and entertaining. The combination of booze and the written word goes way back and for good reason. Both offer pleasure, escapism, and the ability to keep one up late into the night. I’m especially fond of Keith Waterhouse’s advice that you should never drink while you’re writing, but it’s ok to write while you’re drinking. The similarities Nicholson hits on between drinking and writing are clever, and funny.

For anyone who likes to drink, read, write, or any combination of the three, you’ll enjoy this essay. Feel free to share your own stories of boozing and writing, or your favorites from history.