Buzzworthy Cocktails Inspired by Female Literary Greats

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 a writer and editor whose past books include the bestselling Free the Tipple, Dressed to Swill, and Fashion That Changed the World (all published by Prestel), and the award-winning Bad Girls of Fashion. She is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist. Her past illustrated books include Making Our Way Home, Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb, and Motherlode. She has worked with clients such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Variety, Netflix, MTV, New York Magazine, Adidas, and The New Yorker. She lives in Lansing, Michigan.