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The Comic Book History of the Cocktail

Five Centuries of Mixing Drinks and Carrying On

Illustrated by Dean Kotz
Hardcover (Graphic Novel - HC)
8-1/2"W x 10-1/2"H | 20 oz | 16 per carton
On sale Sep 23, 2025 | 176 Pages | 9781984860330

A graphic novel history of the cocktail—from prehistoric wassail to our current boozy renaissance—featuring 20 recipes by drinks historian, Daily Beast columnist, and award-winning author David Wondrich.

There's no better writer to tell the colorful history of cocktails than David Wondrich, widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on cocktails and a driving force behind the early-twenty-first-century revival in the classic American art of mixing drinks.

In The Comic Book Story of the Cocktail, Wondrich teams up with comics artist Dean Kotz to trace the evolution of the cocktail. Beginning with the ancient days of wassail and hypocras (mixed drinks based on wine and beer), they narrate a tumultuous and vibrant history that stretches through the Age of Exploration, the boozier parts of the Enlightenment and America’s hurly-burly nineteenth century, to the Disco years, the Cosmo years, and the modern Cocktail Revolution. 

Kotz’s intricate, masterful drawings illustrate stories that have never been properly told and introduce key characters who haven’t yet received their due. Nearly thirty recipes round out this spirited account, featuring accurate versions of old classics and a generous selection of secret weapons from the mixologist’s vest pocket. So, settle in with your libation of choice and prepare to meet the good, the bad, and the boozy in this lively and jam-packed tale.
David Wondrich is one of the world’s foremost authorities on cocktails and their history. A contributing editor at Esquire and at Wine and Spirits, he has also written for numerous other publications on the subject, including the New York Times, Saveur, Real Simple, and Drinks. Dr. Wondrich holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature, and is a founding member of The Museum of the American Cocktail and a partner in Beverage Alcohol Resource, the world’s first advanced education program in spirits and cocktails. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wifeand daughter. View titles by David Wondrich
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About

A graphic novel history of the cocktail—from prehistoric wassail to our current boozy renaissance—featuring 20 recipes by drinks historian, Daily Beast columnist, and award-winning author David Wondrich.

There's no better writer to tell the colorful history of cocktails than David Wondrich, widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on cocktails and a driving force behind the early-twenty-first-century revival in the classic American art of mixing drinks.

In The Comic Book Story of the Cocktail, Wondrich teams up with comics artist Dean Kotz to trace the evolution of the cocktail. Beginning with the ancient days of wassail and hypocras (mixed drinks based on wine and beer), they narrate a tumultuous and vibrant history that stretches through the Age of Exploration, the boozier parts of the Enlightenment and America’s hurly-burly nineteenth century, to the Disco years, the Cosmo years, and the modern Cocktail Revolution. 

Kotz’s intricate, masterful drawings illustrate stories that have never been properly told and introduce key characters who haven’t yet received their due. Nearly thirty recipes round out this spirited account, featuring accurate versions of old classics and a generous selection of secret weapons from the mixologist’s vest pocket. So, settle in with your libation of choice and prepare to meet the good, the bad, and the boozy in this lively and jam-packed tale.

Creators

David Wondrich is one of the world’s foremost authorities on cocktails and their history. A contributing editor at Esquire and at Wine and Spirits, he has also written for numerous other publications on the subject, including the New York Times, Saveur, Real Simple, and Drinks. Dr. Wondrich holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature, and is a founding member of The Museum of the American Cocktail and a partner in Beverage Alcohol Resource, the world’s first advanced education program in spirits and cocktails. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wifeand daughter. View titles by David Wondrich
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