In 2012, New York legendary cocktail historian David Wondrich signed on to be the editor of a book on cocktails for Oxford University Press. He figured it’d take him a few years at best.

A few years later and nowhere near completion, he brought in his New York buddy, Noah Rothbaum, to help. Noah’s the editor of The Daily Beast’s award-winning Half Full section and hosts the podcast Life Behind Bars with David. 

Noah reasoned that he and David have a combined bars, booze, spirits, and cocktail knowledge of 40 years. Together, along with 150 contributors, they’d be able to finish this in less time than to shake a daiquiri. He too figured wrong.

Running nearly 900 pages and including 1,200 entries, The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is now finished and available to you. The New York Times describes it as 900 pages of drinking wisdom. There are books about spirits and distilling, there are books about cocktails and drinks, but this book combines it all together giving you some great insight. 

In today’s podcast listen to Dave and Noah, be amused, and be informed as they explain all, including the difference between a cocktail and a mixed drink and why melon balls should never return.