Tequila Mockingbird(Rough Cut): Cocktails with a Literary Twist

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Tim Federle is the showrunner and executive producer of "High School Musical: the Musical: the Series," which he created for Disney+. His novels include the New York Times Notable Book "Better Nate Than Ever" and its Lambda Literature Award–winning sequel—which Lin-Manuel Miranda called “a wonderful evocation of what it’s like to be a theater kid” (New York Times). A film adaptation of Nate, written and directed by Federle, premiered on Disney+ on April 1, 2022. The film stars Aria Brooks, Joshua Bassett, Lisa Kudrow, and Rueby Wood as Nate. Gulp for Guys' includes 'Crime and Punish-mint', a mint that should 'calm your nerves before you do anything too crazy' and it has vodka and just enough caffeine to give you the shakes! There is also 'The Malted Falcon', which 'goes down as gritty and unsentimental as any good private eye'. Here, the drinks are only an excuse for a bad pun homage to some famous books. There is Paradise Sauced reference to Milton’s Paradise Lost The book is organized in an exceptional way. The sections include glassware, equipment, techniques and terms. Also, not to mention the illustrations, fonts, and even the glassy paper is impressive. It is a pleasure for the senses. Gentle drinkers and readers, that's how this adorable, funny and practical little book begins. It's an enchanting tribute to the world's best stories.

Phew, please would you now pass the Vimto* and to paraphrase Mark Twain, 'Too much of anything is bad, but too much Vimto is just right.' It is definitely a great fun book, which not only adds to one's literary knowledge but presents the perfect drink to accompany the reading of the various works! This review, should it be added to, will likely be an evaluation of different recipes (for my future benefit and yours) - but for now I appreciate the knowledge that Federle pairs with his clear appreciation for both literature and puns. This book is a perfect gift for someone that likes reading. I enjoyed it a lot, although I'm not sure if the alcohol had a big saying in my appraisal. :D Although we've never met, (Mr Federle is a friend of my nephews), his writing style and easy wit immediately made me feel as though he's a friend you don't see often, but each meeting takes up where the last one left off as if no time has passed at all.It’s the prose around the recipes that make these books a must-have for any literary wet bar. When included, the non-alcoholic drinks are fun additions (and I appreciate the occasional instructions to spike them if you’re feeling so inclined) and the group friendly hors devours (like “The Curious Incident of the Hot Dog In The Nighttime”) are quite tasty. Each book starts with general knowledge about the ingredients you’ll be using (yes there is a difference between the two types of bitters), hardware you might need, and techniques you’ll use. Then Federle dives in, giving you the Drunk History Cliffs Notes for each book or movie before the recipe. Sometimes he’s trying to justify why he chose the drink to pair (not that I always believe him, sometimes a solid pun is too good to pass up), sometimes he provides an anecdote. Either way, the comedy that ensues is well worth the read. What really made me laugh about this book is that it is written in the format of a classic book with the heavy, cream colored paper and brown ink. I'll say it again, this book was just creative genius! I'm a bit surprised this is listed on Goodreads, since it's mostly a recipe book. That said, I've read the main introduction, general intros, and basically every part that's not a recipe so far (you read anything you can get your hands on on long metro rides). It's rather witty, although it skews a little bit to the "I'm pandering to a college crowd" side with its frequent mentions of red solo cups and freshman year. No reason you can't market this book to an older generation - they'd be more likely to have all the ingredients, anyway.

Accompanying all this are tips on glassware, tools for the job, techniques, terms (useful for a non-drinker) and Games for Geeks plus some lively illustrations, which all add to the enjoyment, by Lauren Mortimer.