Top 10 Books for Liquor Entrepreneurs
MicroLiquor.com’s Top 10 Books for Liquor Entrepreneurs (2011)
In this slim book, journalist Rothbaum explains how the liquor business has engineered a new golden age. As with so many industries, conglomerates have soaked up the small distilleries, improving global distribution, while increasing connoisseurship spurred partly by pop culture vehicles like Sex and the City has turned on consumers to super-premium vodkas and rum distilled from hand-harvested sugarcane.
What does it take to turn ideas into action? What are the elements of a perfect pitch? How do you win the war for talent? How do you establish a brand without bucks? These are some of the issues everyone faces when starting or revitalizing any undertaking, and Guy Kawasaki, former marketing maven of Apple Computer, provides the answers.
Secrets from an Inventor’s Notebook by Maurice Kanbar
The chapter on how Maurice Kanbar created Skyy vodka is timeless and important for every liquor entrepreneur to read.
Told with verve, this delightful tale of a restless, curious inventor and entrepreneur is packed with practical advice for creative endeavors. Kanbar’s 36 successful inventions (from various medical devices to Skyy vodka and the D-Fuzz-It Sweater and Fabric CombR) all started with difficulties anyone might encounter: hangovers, accidents with hypodermic needles, fuzzballs on sweaters.
Kindred Spirits 2 by F. Paul Pacult
2400 Reviews of Whiskey, Brandy, Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Gin, and Liqueurs from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal
Paul Pacult really understands the liquor business. He is honest and straightforward in his reviews. The reviews are easy to understand and should be used as the source for every liquor entrepreneur.
In ten captivating chapters, readers are treated to everything they ever wanted to know about their favorite liquors, including vodka, aquavit, tequila, and whiskey. Blue also provides step-by-step instructions on how to host spirit tastings to educate your palate and to help you and your friends discover your favorite brands and blends. For every chapter and every spirit, there is also a handy tasting-notes section, with Blue’s expert comments and his favorites, along with price points.
If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between potato and wheat vodkas, or between mescal and tequila or American and Irish whiskeys, or what makes single malt Scotch so desirable, look no further.
And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis
“And a Bottle of Rum reveals the facts behind rum’s colorful history while telling a great story of rebellion and rumbustion!” —Dale DeGroff, author of The Craft of the Cocktail
Just a great book on the history of Rum and it’s place int he new world. From the development of rum as a use for the waste molasses in the Caribbean to the Mojito craze of the 1980′s. Wayne Curtis does a fine job of taking you through the history of Rum and introduces you to many of people who shaped it’s path along the way, by dividing eras of rum history into the favorite rum cocktail of that age. I found the book to be both very interesting and informative.
Discussing the worldwide traditions and innovations associated with the production of distilled spirits, this comprehensive reference emphasizes the importance of continuing to have a supply of high-quality raw materials as modern agricultural practices change. This sourcebook is an essential reference for distillers, brewers, research institutes, and anyone with an interest in spirits.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
In this expanded and updated edition of Forgotten Cocktails and Vintage Spirits, historian, expert, and drink aficionado Dr. Cocktail adds another 20 fine recipes to his hand-picked collection of 80 rare-and-worth-rediscovered drink recipes, shares revelations about the latest cocktail trends, provides new resources for uncommon ingredients, and profiles of many of the cocktail world’s movers and shakers. Historic facts, expanded anecdotes, and full-color vintage images from extremely uncommon sources round out this must-have volume. For anyone who enjoys an icy drink and an unforgettable tale.
If you’re planning to start your own business, you’d best start with the facts. This reliable, information-packed resource shows you how to identify good business opportunities, create a business plan, do financial projections, find financing, and manage taxes. Other topics include marketing, selling, legal issues, intellectual property, franchising, starting a social enterprise, and selling your business.
Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur’s Outlaw Adventure in Moonshine by Max Watman
In Chasing the White Dog, journalist Max Watman traces the historical roots and contemporary story of hoch. He takes us to the backwoods of Appalachia and the gritty nip joints of Philadelphia, from a federal courthouse to Pocono Speedway, profiling the colorful characters who make up white whiskey’s lore.
Infiltrating every aspect of small-scale distilling in America, from backyard hobbyists to the growing popularity of microdistilleries, Chasing the White Dog provides a fascinating, centuries-long history of illicit booze from an unrepentant love of moonshine.
Max Watman is the author of Race Day, which was an editors’ choice in the New York Times Book Review. He was the horse racing correspondent for the New York Sun and has written for various publications on books, music, food, and drink. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife and son.
2 Comments
Any books on Limoncello, Mandarinetto, Arancello, Peachello and the like?
Thanks for putting together this fabulous list of books! Any mixologist would benefit from adding one or all to their collection. -@GirlWalksIn2Bar