This is a book about liquor. Though it was difficult, to say the least, I’ve omitted beer and wine, with the notable exception of Dom Perignon, whose fascinating story I couldn’t ignore, and a short chapter on Martini & Rossi vermouth. A good portion of this book is about whiskey—American, Scotch, Canadian, Irish. To make matters easy, I’ve blown off the whiskey/whisky controversy, simply because no one really cares that much. And if you do, you should pour yourself a whiskey to take your mind off things. Throughout the book, the profiles of these men and their liquors are garnished with any number of cocktail recipes. Unless otherwise noted, these recipes have been distilled down from the million different available sources to suit my liking. In other words, the mixology is an informed suggestion. Try each recipe out, and tinker with them as you like.