Overview
"A gift for anyone who loves good liquor and high-proof prose: a collection of hilarious and deeply informed writings about drink from one of the all-time authorities." Kingsley Amis was one of the great masters of comic prose, and no subject was dearer to him than the art and practice of imbibing. This new volume brings together the best of his three out-of-print works on the subject. Along with a series of well-tested recipes (including a cocktail called the Lucky Jim) the book includes Amis s musings on The Hangover, The Boozing Man s Diet, What to Drink with What, and (presumably as a matter of speculation) How Not to Get Drunk - all leavened with fun quizzes on the making and drinking of alcohol all over the world. Mixing practical know-how and hilarious opinionation, this is a delightful cocktail of wry humor and distilled knowledge, served by one of our great gimlet wits.Synopsis
A gift for anyone who loves good liquor and high-proof prose: a collection of hilarious and deeply informed writings about drink from one of the all-time authorities.
Kingsley Amis was one of the great masters of comic prose, and no subject was dearer to him than the art and practice of imbibing. This new volume brings together the best of his three out-of-print works on the subject. Along with a series of well-tested recipes (including a cocktail called the Lucky Jim) the book includes Amis’s musings on The Hangover, The Boozing Man’s Diet, What to Drink with What, and (presumably as a matter of speculation) How Not to Get Drunk—all leavened with fun quizzes on the making and drinking of alcohol all over the world. Mixing practical know-how and hilarious opinionation, this is a delightful cocktail of wry humor and distilled knowledge, served by one of our great gimlet wits.
The New York Times - Dwight Garner
Amis published three books about the judicious but enthusiastic consumption of alcohol: On Drink, Everyday Drinking in 1983 and How's Your Glass? in 1984. Long out of print, these volumes have finally been gathered together and reissued under a single cover, topped off with a fizzy introduction by Christopher Hitchens. These books are so delicious they impart a kind of contact high; they make you feel as if you've just had the first sip of the planet's coldest, driest martini.
Editorials
Dwight Garner
Amis published three books about the judicious but enthusiastic consumption of alcohol: On Drink, Everyday Drinking in 1983 and How's Your Glass? in 1984. Long out of print, these volumes have finally been gathered together and reissued under a single cover, topped off with a fizzy introduction by Christopher Hitchens. These books are so delicious they impart a kind of contact high; they make you feel as if you've just had the first sip of the planet's coldest, driest martini.—The New York Times
Library Journal
This book by Amis, the late British writer best known for the classic Lucky Jim, is a collection of three out-of-print works written between 1971 and 1984 about drink, its history, social mores, and etiquette. There are background details as well as a glossary for those unfamiliar with British terms such as bitter and off license. Some chapters are entertaining and occasionally hilarious, but taken as a whole the essays are an uneven mix of opinion, wry humor, and practical know-how; they clearly reflect the period in which they were written, particularly those having to do with wine. California and other wine-producing regions that took the international stage in more recent years receive no mention, naturally. Additionally, appreciating British humor is an acquired taste, so the volume may be perceived as having limited appeal. There are, however, insightful and funny observations, such as those having to do with the relationship among a country, its cuisine, and its alcoholic beverages. Recommended for large public libraries.
—Christine Holmes