Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and her Cocktails

by Duggan McDonnell, Luke Abiol (Photographer)

Overview

During the 1870s and '80s, a single bar-filled block in San Francisco called the Devil's Acre threw what may have been the most enduring party the world has ever seen. Duggan McDonnell is in love with the city of his forefathers and its ever-flowing cocktails, and it shows in this history-packed drinking tour through one of the most beloved cities in the world. Twenty-five iconic cocktail recipes made famous by the City by the Bay—from the legendary Pisco Punch, Mai Tai, and Irish Coffee to the Gold Rush–era Sazerac and more modern-day Lemon Drop—are accompanied by an additional 45 recipes that show the evolution of these classic elixirs, resulting in such contemporary favorites as the Revolver and the Last Word, guaranteeing to keep the party going and the liquor flowing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452140629
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	928,669
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Duggan McDonnell is a writer, cocktail educator and historian, and the owner of Cantina, a popular San Francisco watering hole.
Luke Abiol is a San Francisco–based photographer.

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2015
The title of bartender and educator McDonnell's book is misleading in that it would seem to confine interest in the work to a Bay Area audience. This is not the case, however. The recipes alone are enticing enough to anyone, building from a focus on core drinks (not all of which, the author acknowledges, originate in the city) and then spinning into variations and relations. Encouraging the use of better ingredients, McDonnell shares his professional blends for syrups as well as liquors such as vermouth and brandy. Each chapter incorporates anecdotes from his experience and from the history of an especially bar-laden part of San Francisco. These insights are fascinating, and, as a whole, the writing is respectful of the past and of the audience. Readers will find themselves yearning to have a drink with, take a guided tour from, or be taught cocktail making by McDonnell. VERDICT Not just another cocktail recipe book but a great read peppered with drinks to be made. Highly recommended where books on cocktails are popular.—Peter Hepburn, Coll. of the Canyons Lib., Santa Clarita, CA

Library Journal