Food writer and chef Fred Thompson has thus served up a definitive selection of recipes to utilize and improvise on what he refers to as “the Classic American Spirit”.

Bourbon offers readers a brief history of the Kentucky legend, giving careful attention to thes mystique that seem to surrounds the spirit.

General tips and trick on preparing bourbon drinks and dishes are included, but the real meat of the book comes in the form of 50 recipes ranging from the classic (the Perfect Manhattan) to the overzealous (Bourbon Chocolate Martini).

The volume is illustrated with gorgeous, technicolor photography that’s likely to make you thirsty just from flipping pages.