How to Drink [Hardcover]

'A splendid book. Victoria Moore is quite right, it's not how much you drink but how you drink' - Fergus Henderson --Review

'How to Drink is a rich mine of information, and no kitchen should be without it' - Tatler

'A splendid and convincing argument not just to drink more but to drink better' - Joanna Weinberg

'Idiosyncratic and iconoclastic in the way that makes Moore's column such an enjoyable high point of the weekend' - Food & Travel

'A unique approach to drinks guides and a must for every beverage bookshelf ... extremely readable' - Bookseller, Top Title

'Stylish and celebratory ... Written with verve, it is packed with wonderful ideas about what to drink and when' -Metro

'A real keeper, one for dipping into for inspiration ... The style is chatty and the research thorough' -French Magazine

In the past few decades many of us have become foodies, but our new focus on flavour has been dominated by what we eat. In "How to Drink" Victoria Moore aims to redress the balance, by explaining how to drink well at all times of day, on all occasions, and across every season. Here are recipes for mint juleps in the spring, sloe gin in the autumn, hot buttered rum in the winter; and year round showstoppers, including the world's best G&T. Moore imparts invaluable advice on creating a drinks store cupboard, the best brands of spirits, how to make perfect ice, and how glass shape affects taste. "How to Drink" is unique among drinks books - neither a garish cocktail guide, nor an intimidating wine book. It's a hugely readable and beautiful handbook, that aims to inform, entertain, and, crucially, to ensure you are never without the perfect drink for each occasion.

'So,' said the publisher, raising an eyebrow as I trotted out of a meeting at his offices, 'You think you've been teaching my sales reps how to drink, do you?'
Well no. And yes. Most of us seem to like drinking rather a lot. We might do it to quench thirst, tease tastebuds or get tipsy. More often, it's about being convivial.
One of the first things we say when a friend comes round is, 'Can I get you a cup or glass of something?' Then when they answer there's a mini panic because the tonic was opened three weeks ago and is entirely flat, the red wine's been warming up on the radiator so long it's practically soup and the only non-alcoholic drink in the house is water from the tap, all of which comes as a sudden and tremendous surprise.
Compare this to the food situation which will most likely be organic this, farmers' market that and Jamie the other.
The right drink at the right time can give enormous pleasure.
I'm thinking of a glass of palest Provencale rose, chilled so that condensation mists the glass, and sipped at the end of a sunny afternoon; a thirst-slaking tumbler of homemade lemonade drunk outside in the garden; or the the cool, glamorous lines of a vodka martini when you feel you've really earned it.
I've arranged How to Drink so that it's easy to find the perfect drink for any moment. That might be a freshly blitzed orange and cranberry smoothie for a post-gym treat, a Bloody Mary for a kitchenful of hungover adults on Sunday brunch or something zesty and non-alcoholic to give to friends who are off the wine for whatever reason and don't want to feel left out.
They say that this is set to be a blistering summer and I like to think that How to Drink will help you make the most of it. My summer section includes drinks such as flamingo pink watermelon martinis to sip in a strappy dress (the dress is not obligatory, especially if you are male) and the best alcoholic coolers to mix up in a pitcher when you're eating alfresco. I also have quite a lot to say on the subject of ice, which I take very seriously indeed.
This isn't just a collection of recipes though. I've also shared all the insider secrets, however strange, that I've picked up during eleven years of writing about drink for the Guardian and the New Statesman. In here you'll find a discussion on how to make the best cup of coffee, hear how the shape of your glass affects your perception of the wine in it, and find out what drink once got the Queen Mother so sozzled she dropped her Christmas dinner on the floor.
Because a drink almost always makes me want to eat something too, I've included recipes for some of the food I make at home, such as mozzarella and rocket crostini (so good with Campari) and a Caribbean recipe for stew chicken, best eaten in the heat of summer with a cooling rum and soda.
I had a lovely time writing this book. I like to think you will have just as much pleasure reading and using it throughout the year. If I've done my job properly you will never drink a bottle of corked wine again and you might even be persuaded to succumb to the joys of fino sherry. A cold, salty glass of it, straight from the fridge is delicious with a handful of olives. Honest. Give it a go...

Victoria Moore has been writing about drinking since 1998 when she began a column in the New Statesman. She is now the wine writer for the Guardian, writing a weekly column in the Saturday Weekend magazine. Victoria also works as a feature writer for the Daily Mail. She lives in London