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On The Table Read, “the best creativity magazine in the UK“, poet and mixologist, Hugh Stewart, created Cocktails And Kicktails: Intoxicating Combo of Practical Meets Poetry Makes Mixologists of Us All.
Hugh Stewart’s wonderfully named Cocktails and Kicktails shares delicious cocktail recipes, most of which he’s developed himself, and a big dose of humour, wit, anecdotes and verse that brings together two of life’s finest pleasures – alcohol and wordsmithing
A book that is destined to charm, the author’s intriguing title, Cocktails and Kicktails, pays homage to an alleged quote by Mae West, “This kicktail’s got a cock like a mule.”
With cocktails more popular than ever (according to Scottish drinks company, AG Barr a staggering 7.4 million people drink cocktails when they go to a bar, club or restaurant*) the author shares a captivating mix of cocktail recipes (some well-known, others less so and many which he has developed) to be made at home;and immerses the reader in cocktail parlance as he shares his knowledge of ingredients, equipment and hangover cures.
Hugh Stewart’s stunning recipes and easy to follow instructions deliver a perfect cocktail every time, whilst his book’s accompanying verse and fantastic illustrations by Gareth Southwell provide an intoxicating allure that ensures Cocktails &Kicktails isn’t relegated to gathering dust on the bookshelf.
“Cocktails and Kicktails – Life-saving Recipes and Rhymes to Lift Body and Soul”, inspired by a wonderfully witty poem by Ogden Nash called “A Drink With Something In It”, contains twenty three cocktail recipes, each accompanied by amusing anecdotes, beautiful photographs, entertaining cartoons and a poem in the same style.
Publication of the book coincided with the launch of “Shaker”, a downloadable interactive App with recipes for over 400 cocktails and mocktails and lots of useful features to make your cocktail party go with a bang.
“I went to Corgarff Primary School in the Grampians. A lad who sat at the front called MacGregor was always first to put his hand up for the tattie pan so he could have the scrapings of mashed potato. This was excellent training for when the Minister came to talk about the dangers we might face. “What would you do if a stranger offered you strong drink?” the Minister asked. Quick as a flash, MacGregor’s arm shot up. “Ask him to add water!” came the reply.
“The cocktail market has taken off in recent years, as evidenced by the fact that Cuprinol’s “Shed of the Year” at the 2021 Ideal Home exhibition was inspired by Crème de Menthe. The Cocktails & Kicktails “Shaker” App has eight recipes that use Crème de Menthe including the gin-based Fallen Angel, a classic from The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930, perhaps a legacy from ‘Darling, be an angel and fix me a cocktail’.”
Hugh Stewart grew up in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland, in a remote cottage without electricity. It lies just 50 feet below the house that until recently was the highest in the country. Just twenty miles away as the grouse flies, lies Dufftown which has almost as many distilleries as houses. Here, the sought-after Balvenie whisky is made from water that flows over the bones of Stewart ancestors. As a boy Hugh loved the stories of people building illicit whisky stills in the glens; making his own whisky remains an ambition.
A bringing together of his enthusiasm for experimentation led Hugh to the joys of mixing cocktails. He started the book pre-COVID but the project accelerated during lockdown, fuelled by a few of the concoctions described in the book. His friends have been subjected to his experiments over the years and the fact that they’re all still friends suggests the recipes really do lift body and soul.
Published by Rowan Books, Cocktails and Kicktails (ISBN-13: 978-1-7399877-0-1) is available in hardcover (£13.99) on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3R7qXR0
It is also available on the publishers website at https://bit.ly/3Ifdhzj and other book retailers and wine merchants.
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