Tequila: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails, and Bites by Joanne Weir

Quite conveniently, on the 5th of May, 2009 Joanne Weir's newest book will be released. The title, Tequila: A Guide to Flights, Cocktails, and Bites, explains the timely release and almost everything that you will find inside its pages. Weir is a well-known food writer with 18 cookbooks out already and a few award winners in the bunch. With that experience, you can expect her book about tequila to include more than cocktails. Beyond the informative history and description of tequila and the 38 drink recipes, there are 24 food dishes that all include tequila. Fun and delicious! This is one for the library.

The first thing you will notice about Tequila are the stunning, full-color photographs. The second thing is Weir's wit and candor in her writing. This is not simply a collection of cocktail recipes or even food for that matter, given Weir's cookbook writing history, it is an in depth exploration of tequila narrowed to 144 pages that takes you from the history to today's industry and an introduction to discerning the types of tequila. The manner in which Weir speaks of tequila in the "A Drinker's Guide" section is concise but captivating and I think this can best be represented by the following which leads off the "Types of Tequila" chapter.

You can find two different types of tequila in the market today, mixto and 100 percent agave tequila - and only a fool would drink mixto!...is a bastardized version of the real deal..." and "You're buying a headache in a bottle."

When you get past the informative prose you will be captivated by the cocktails, many of which are Weir's originals or from some of the most talented mixologists of today, with a few common drinks like the Margarita and Paloma scattered throughout. Highlights of the "culinary" drinks include Audrey Saunder's Aperol Sunset with aperol, grapefruit and demerara syrups and an edible flower garnish, or there's the Peachy Rita in which the somewhat obvious is highlighted with prosecco. Cocktail after cocktail, this is one of the best collections of tequila cocktails I've seen in awhile. The food is just a bonus.

The food, ahh yes. These recipes are nothing less than we would expect from a chef like Weir and the best part is that each one contains tequila. Tempting recipes like Smoked Trout and Tequila Quesadillas with Summer Tomato Sauce and Bay Scallop Ceviche are included, but it is the mouthwatering Tequilamisu and Coco Loco Tequila Cupcakes that I have to rave about.