I set out to find the literature of alcohol and discovered that although it’s easy to find books with alcoholic characters or books by or about writers with drinking problems, it is harder to uncover titles about the culture of alcohol, its production and its place in our social lives. The three titles mentioned here lean toward community and pleasure, and the making and eating of food and drink. Craft Distilling: Making Liquor Legally at Home by Victoria Redhed Miller (New Society) is a no-nonsense how-to book, and a rational plea to lift laws that prevent small-batch not-for-profit distilling. Small-batch distilling is a rather daunting process, but Redhed Miller is a thoroughly entertaining writer who keeps the tone accessible and cheery. The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook by David Ort (Whitecap) is more a cookbook than a beer book, although there are some helpful explanations of beer styles and ingredients: yeast, water and hops. If you’d rather not read a slew of books on home brewing, you can pick up the basics here. Some of the recipes really hit the nail on the head, like the porter gingerbread and the French onion soup made with bock. For me, the most exciting sections were the more unusual ones, with recipes for hop extract, IPA mustard and beer vinegar. Ort’s is a very appealing lifestyle book that is not pretentious; it would make a good gift for a beer snob friend. Finally, for pure fun, there’s A Field Guide to Canadian Cocktails by Victoria Walsh and Scott McCallum (Appetite), a book of innovative cocktails inspired by regional distilleries and local ingredients across the country. In short introductions to each region of Canada, the duo discuss the high points of their adventures, often surprised by the depth and sophistication of the local scene. Saskatoon Julep, Fiddlehead Martini: yes, please! For the casual drinker, though, these imaginative cocktails are a bit impractical. I have made my own bitters, but I do not have a lot of edible flowers or infused tequilas around the house, and I’m probably not going to whip up a rhubarb and peppercorn syrup for one drink. The book’s photography is enough to inspire even the laziest mixologist to make cocktails that are both demanding and distinctively Canadian.