The Comic Book History of the Cocktail

“Another insightful and incredibly engaging read from Brooklyn’s resident superhero. David Wondrich has always been a brilliant storyteller, but this format really lends itself to the playful aspects of cocktail culture while honoring the richness and importance of its history. This book is a must-read for people who love history, mixology, and entertaining at home.”—Julie Reiner, co-owner of Milady’s and Clover Club, and judge on Netflix’s Drink Masters “What a delight it is to follow the estimable David Wondrich as he weaves a spell of rich history, high spirits, dark truths, and beautiful flavors, all brought to life by his words and Dean Kotz’s vivid pen. It turns out that the magic wand of the cocktail spoon has passed through black hands, white hands, European hands, Asian hands, and American hands—all the hands, across the seven seas—and now into our hands. Here we discover that the past can be not only entertaining, but also a guide to a sportier future. Trust me that this is the only comic book that will have you thinking you really need a silver pocket nutmeg grater. And you know, maybe you do.”—Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and editor-in-chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer“Illustrated and illustrative, this is probably the most coherent history of the cocktail in a narrative form. And like a great Daiquiri, it never fails to bring smile and delight.”—François Monti, journalist and author of 101 Cocktails to Try Before You Die

David Wondrich was the drinks columnist for Esquire from 2000 to 2016 and the Daily Beast from 2016 to 2022. A former English professor with a PhD in comparative literature, he is the author of the James Beard Award-winning Imbibe!, a biography-with-recipes of pioneering bartender Jerry Thomas, and editor of The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Wondrich has helped to train thousands of bartenders, been a television guest of Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, and Rachel Maddow, partnered in developing several award-winning spirits (plus his own line of barware), and been voted the #3 most influential person in the bar world by a thousand of his peers. He lives in Brooklyn, New York and Trieste, Italy.

Originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania, Dean Kotz studied painting at West Chester University and has been working professionally in comics since 2009.