The author of Free the Tipple is back with another collection of delectable cocktails—this time a literary mix inspired by the world’s most iconic women writers.

The fifty recipes in this volume are as unconventional, imaginative, and refreshing as the authors that inspired them.

Each double-page spread includes an illustration of one important woman writer along with fascinating background about her œuvre, personality, and points of literary distinction. And, of course, each profile is paired with a delicious recipe for a fitting cocktail. Pulling from every category—literary and genre fiction, poetry, graphic novels, essays and nonfiction— this book offers some surprising twists as well as old favorites.

While each subject could provide hours of cocktail chatter, the recipes themselves are also a unique conversation starter: the Virginia Woolf—a peach-and-mint creation with a modernist flair; the Octavia Butler—an uncompromising blend featuring bourbon and port; the Jia Tolentino—a purple sparkler that puts a cerebral twist on pop culture; and the Mary Shelley—an unexpected combination of the Manhattan and the Margarita.

Perfect for literary-themed parties as well as intimate gatherings, this book itself is an intoxicating, lip-loosening brew made of equal parts sophistication and fun.

Jennifer Croll is the author of Fashion That Changed the World and has written for magazines including NYLON, Adbusters, and Dazed and Confused. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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