THE DRUNKEN BOTANIST The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks

From the apples of hard cider to the lime garnish of a cocktail, plants are vital to the imbibing experience. Author Amy Stewart looks into every aspect of that connection, even providing plenty of recipes. Coleen Marco narrates the short pieces with gusto while respecting the informative nature of the material. She is delightfully entertaining as she tells listeners about the use of gunpowder to test rum and about the insects in figs and cherries, among many other topics. However, some things, like drink recipes and the variant spellings of "whiskey," may leave listeners wishing they'd bought the book in print to savor and use as a reference. Either way, this title is bound to entertain imbibers as it informs. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2013]