Here is some pretty exciting news for enthusiasts interested in the "Golden Age of Cocktails." CocktailKingdom.com launched a couple weeks ago and have the rights to republish many of the first bartending guides put into print. At this point the selection is limited but all of the books available now (or in the near future) include some exciting titles, many of which have been out of print for years, are hard to find and cost a small fortune.

Mud Puddle Books is the publisher behind the project to create authentic reproductions of bartending guides from the 1800's and early 1900's at an affordable price (around $30). Each title has an introduction from one of the masters of modern mixology (Robert Hess, Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Audrey Saunders, etc.) to give a little insight into the books and draw parallels between yesterday and today.

Which books am I most excited about seeing? Really, all of them but these are at the top of the list...

• The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A. Embury - first published in 1948
• The Mixicologist by C.F. Lawlor - first published in 1895
• How to Mix Drinks; A Bon Vivant's Companion by Jerry Thomas - 1862 edition
• Barflies and Cocktail by Harry McElhone - 1927 edition
• Bartender's Manual by Harry Johnson - 1900 edition