By the smoke & the smell :; my search for the rare and sublime on the spirits trail by Vogler, Thaddeus - 2017

California: Ten Speed Press, 2017. First edition, first printing (full number line). Hardcover. Two small scuffs to spine foot edges, one scuff to spine head edge, extremely gentle rubbing to corners, else Near fine(+) in fine DJ.. Black octavo in blue DJ, 291 pages ; 22 cm. Liquors, Distillation. || Incribed and signed by author. || In By the Smoke & the Smell, spirits expert Thad Vogler takes readers around the world, celebrating the vivid characters who produce hand-made spirits like rum, scotch, cognac, and mezcal. From the mountains of Mexico and the forbidden distilleries of Havana, to the wilds of Scotland and the pastoral corners of France and beyond, this adventure will change how you think about your drink. Thad Vogler, owner of San Francisco's acclaimed Bar Agricole and Trou Normand, is one of the most important people in the beverage industry today. He's a man on a mission to bring "grower spirits"--Spirits with provenance, made in the traditional way by individuals rather than by mass conglomerates-to the public eye, before they disappear completely. We care so much about the food we eat: how it is made, by whom, and where. Yet we are far less careful about the spirits we drink, often allowing the biggest brands with the most marketing dollars to control the narrative. In By the Smoke and the Smell, Vogler is here to set the record straight. This remarkable memoir is the first book to ask the tough questions about the booze industry: where our spirits come from, who makes them, and at what cost. By the Smoke and the Smell is also a celebration of the people and places behind the most singular, life-changing spirits on earth. Vogler takes us to Normandy, where we drink calvados with lovable Vikings; to Cuba, a country where Vogler lived for a time, and that has so much more to offer than cigars, classic cars, and mojitos; to the jagged cliffs and crystal-clear lochs of Scotland; to Northern Ireland, Oaxaca, Armagnac, Cognac, Kentucky, and California. Alternately hilarious and heartfelt, Vogler's memoir will open your eyes to the rich world of traditional, small-scale distilling-and in the process, it will completely change the way you think about and buy spirits. || Contents: pt. 1. A category of human experience is becoming extinct and it is cause for tears. Calvados : the right way to be French ; Cognac : they'll hire the guy who fucked your wife ; Armagnac : all thosde moments are lost in time, like tears in rain -- pt. 2. Ammunition?! this is no time for ammunition! Cuba, part I : the reality of cultural capital ; Cuba, part II : unbutton your trousers ... this is how we do it, man -- pt. 3. Gin a body meet a body / comin thro' the grain. Scotland, part I : haloo, Grigalach! ; Northern Ireland : but I was young and foolish ; Scotland, part II : gin a body kiss a body / need a body cry? -- pt. 4. A category of human experience is becoming extinct and it is cause for celebration. Oaxaca, part I : a stop on the Hippie Highway ; Oaxaca, part II : Pinche teachers ; Kentucky : the rare old mountain dew.