Gin: The Manual

This book has lots to offer to aspiring gin students, of which I count myself one.Those around me have treated it more or less magically, as a necessity for their beloved gin&tonic or martini. I admit I've treated it in a perfunctory way when ordering an Orange Blossom - a Screwdriver with gin instead of vodka. But, of late, I've developed an interest in some more complex kinds of flavor profiles. And, given the number of flavorants now used in various gins, the genre certainly has plenty to offer.I certainly admire Broom's thoroughness in pursuing gin's history as a beverage and as a social phenomenon - actually, an ongoing and living sequence of phenomena. But, I must admit, history per se holds little interest for me. And, as much as I enjoyed reading about the hundred-plus gins that Broom evaluates, I probably won't sample (or even find) more than a relative few of them, let alone the arcana of the cocktail recipes at the end. Then, as an inveterate DIY-er, Broom's convincing case for leaving it to the pros left me a bit let down.What I take away from this, despite its problems, is an approach to thinking about my experience of a fine product, finely presented. Although florid a times, it offers a language for describing the experience - but one that demands good familiarity with many of the flavorants in isolation. It reinforces the fact that a mouth feels as much as it tastes, and that matters to the drinking experience. Then there's the flavor analogy to a fact that colorists know well, that color can be perceived very differently according to other colors nearby. Likewise, experience of a flavor depends greatly on the flavors it's paired with. And, as you might experience a musical motif differently as a tune progresses, flavors also progress. Different elements present themselves in the first chilled sip, then as it warms in your mouth, then as you breath it out through the nose's rich analytic senses.So, the direct content of this book didn't offer what I might have hoped - not that any book actually could have. Instead, its language and analytic approach gave me far more than I expected. Among other things, it caused me to reconsider a gin I found at a tasting just lately. It seemed to me inauthentic, too fruity and sweet. Well, if I taste it again, I might not like it any better. I will, however, take it more seriously, consider what goals it tries to achieve (even if not mine), and place it along a much broader spectrum than I knew gins could span.-- wiredweird

I bought this as a gift and it was very well received. it is very interesting and complete so it is perfect for gin lovers. the only but is the size, I thought it would be bigger. totally recommend it as a gift.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I got this book as a gift for my best friend who is looking to learn all he can about Gin and creating fun cocktails. He couldn't stop talking about this book so much that I bought another copy for myself. I love this book! It's so informative and super helpful! The recipes and ratios are spot on! It's my go to when I need some inspiration for my G&T's. Thank you!

May amend this in the near future but I open the cover and see the last half of book is devoted to specific gins. I appreciate the research and the heady use of a thesaurus but it just looks like product placement - it’s a smart idea if true.

Concise history, great way of breaking down the gins. I would have appreciated some kind of overall rating for the gins listed. I know there would be reasons for not doing this, but it's pretty clear from some of the reviews that the reviewer thinks the quality of the gin itself is not so great. Or, it's hard to tell if it's just a gin that doesn't mix well but stands up really well on its own, or if it actually sucks.

Great in depth guide describing brands of gin (something I don't think similar books have), process of making, taste/smell and how well they mix in most popular drinks. Predominant history. (Not as in depth as other similar books)/ Purchasing guide/ a little bit of drink recipes and pointers. You will learn a lot about history/types of gin from this.

This is a great value for the money. The printing is high quality and there are a wide variety of gins covered in the book. The reviews are insightful and this has helped my Son, who this was a gift for, expand his tasting profile.

This is a great reference for people who are interested in Gin. I especially like the standard cocktail recipes with ratings and modifications for each gin reviewed. I refer to this book quite often!

The perfect book for gin lovers!It arrived in perfect condition, a brilliant read.Thank you

This is a beautiful, vibrant book which actually possesses a lot of interesting knowledge about gins around the world, their best accompaniments and cocktail recipes. A great purchase and looks lovely in the kitchen or as a gift. Arrived in good time too.

Great book, very well written. The first book did not arrive, I contacted 'Lear early books' and they were most helpful sending out another copy A pleasant experience dealing with them, and I would not hesitate them again. Many thanks.

I like great Gin and I can't deny, you other drinkers can't deny...... Good little book, very insightful. Fits nicely on by bookshelf and is great to bring out when you have guests who also like a G&T. Goes better with Fever Tree though, don't try and mix this book with other tonics. Urgh.

Very comprehensive guide to gin - the history and different types and lots of recipes. I looked at a few books before I ordered and this was the best. I bought three in total, one for me and two for friends. Will probably buy more - gin is expanding