Spirited Women

Alcohol and spirits have long been thought of as a male-dominated field, but the truth is that women have been serving it up for centuries. (Literallythe first distilling technology is believed to have been invented by a woman in 100 CE.) Today, many women are shaking up the industry, from distillers and blenders to bar owners and spirits educators. In this fun, feminist, vividly illustrated book, bar professional Sammi Katz and illustrator Olivia McGiff celebrate the spirit and spirits of 55 of these groundbreaking women with profiles and recipes, in three areas of the industry: Makers (women who are directly involved in the development and production of spirits); Shakers (mixologists and bar owners); and Trailblazers (women who have influenced the spirits world in other ways, such as historians, authors, and entrepreneurs). Each profile is paired with a cocktail recipe that highlights each woman's story, including the Title IX (a favorite at Portland's female-owned sports bar The Sports Bra); Casual Brilliance (a take on a Sazerac, inspired by a whisky distiller in Australia); and Le Donne (which features an amaro revived from near extinction by a family of Italian women). This colorful book of unsung heroines joyfully raises a glass to the dame and the dram!