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(But in a GOOD way).Cheers & Bottoms Up. And it drives me NUTS. Exhaustively researched but far from exhausting to read, Sippin' Safari is simply pure pleasure from cover to cover.Written by the world's foremost expert on exotic mixology and its extremely colorful history, it's just that history which Jeff "Beachbum" Berry so enjoyably chronicles in this small but gorgeously produced volume.Most chapters concentrate on the vivid personal history of someone who had a vital role in the Polynesian Pop restaurant and exotic "tropical" cocktail craze of the late 40's through early 70's (and its current resurgence of popularity). And, as a result, this book is an addictive series of rollicking incredible-but-true adventures punctuated by remarkable drink recipes resurrected from the alcoholic ether by Berry, thanks to his own diligent detective work and the generosity of some of those characters whose lives he covers in such colorful detail.And his chapter of the history of the Zombie is a classic in itself.Reading this tome for the fourth time now, I find that I keep coming back to it the way one keeps returning to a favorite restaurant or watering hole -- once is simply not enough.The only real problem with Jeff's book is that between his mouth-watering descriptions of the full-rainbow-spectrum of delightful drinks on display and the almost pornographically alluring photos of those drinks by the talented Jonpaul Balak, I find myself DYING to sample every luscious libation I encounter.
I was born in the wrong era. People back then knew how to live. Great book, pretty much the definitive source on the history of tropical drinks, the people that made and created them as well as famoust tiki venues. Drink recipes contained within are extraordinary.
I laughed, I cried, I made a Mai Tai.Phil GreeneMuseum of the American Cocktail
Jeff shares his treasure chest of research and passes on some of the finest drink recipes ever made. Jeff Berry is my hero. The drinks are on me if I ever meet Jeff Berry in person. Some of these gems (stories and drinks) were almost lost forever. He has save the history of the post war tiki/tropical drink way of life. This book introduces the "Rum Pack", the folks behind the drinks we love, back when a drinks with a tropical twist ruled the bar.
He did this by finding the original bartenders (not many of them are still with us, and most, including the inventors such as Don the Beachcomber, took them to the grave). Awesome full color photos, graphics and illustrations. When tiki bars started popping up, only a few people held the real drink recipes that translated to job security.
That original recipe and many others are revealed here, with the stories behind the men that made them at the peak of the Tiki Bar craze.Not much was known about the book's central study: Don The Beachcomber, the originator of the Polynesian bar, restaurant concept. It's a must have reference. (New recommended book: "Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber: Host to Diplomat, Beachcomber, Prince and Pirate" (Paperback) by Arnold Bitner) Here you get an in depth look into his life, his competitors who tried to steal his ideas (with success in some cases), and the rise and fall of the Polynesian craze.You'll understand exactly how the tiki craze took off, and be able to concoct some of the greatest drinks of its era, with the help of this book.
Jeff "Beachbum" Berry has heavily researched and gone to great lengths to find the true recipes that were guarded with total secrecy to prevent competition from copying the concept. Sorry to say, that it was probably a poorly watered down version of the original.
Written in code, the books have finally been cracked by Jeff, and are being shared with the public for the first time ever. So, you think you've tasted a Zombie.
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