Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis

In a strange sort of way, Kingsley Amis does for drink what Anthony Bourdain does for food: with enormous humor and joy in life, both authors just say "go for it." It is probably no coincidence that they both loathe vegetarians, especially vegans.I am not particularly sure that Amis is utterly scientific on the topic of drink (who is?), but he is utterly funny. And, for my two cents, he is funniest when he returns (again and again) to "The Wine Problem." As he mutters in his curmudgeonly way, there is no actual problem with wine itself: the problem is with inviting guests for dinner, who all arrive expecting wine AS A MATTER OF COURSE. If you don't serve them wine (even "plonk," British English for "rotgut"), you instantly lose social status. And Amis offers other examples: having dinner at an Indian restaurant featuring fiery curries, or at a Thai restaurant -- is this really the time to play the Wine-Snob Card? Or would you enjoy your dinner much much more if it were accompanied by beer? (M.F.K. Fisher would be nodding her head from A Better World.)My own sainted mother once worked her own way around "The Wine Problem," when she realized that one of her guests (A Wine Snob) would drink only red wines -- and, thirty minutes before dinner -- she had only white wines. Well, she put red food-coloring into the white wine, and the great Wine Snob praised his delicious drink!Just as perceptive: Amis divides the world into those who prefer cocktails, and those who prefer wine. He places himself emphatically in the first group, although he freely admits to chugging that da**ed wine from time to time ("particularly when dinner looks to be a long way off, and there is nothing else available.")Amis himself led a highly entertaining life -- at least for outside spectators. He started off as a young Communist, but sooner or later began to come to his senses, and ended up as great friends with the likes of Robert Conquest. He wrote one of the funniest novels ever written ("Lucky Jim") and a great black comedy ("Ending Up.") By the end of his days, the former Young Communist was accused of being a "fuddy-duddy reactionary." The older Amis published such opinions gleefully, and said awful things like: "Who needs change?"His "simplified recipe" for the Singapore Sling is lamentable, however, and he might actually have enjoyed such new baubles as the caipirinha.A great little book for a quiet December evening!

A nice quick read by a boozer who denied he was a boozer. A good throwback to my grandad's generation...men who drank as a matter of course, not for a purpose.

If you want a funny and thorough handbook on drinking, this one's for you. I liked the book, but as an infrequent drinker I found myself floundering in its depths. Even when I was in over my head, though, I enjoyed the late author's wit and wry humor.There's a lot in this little book. An encyclopedic collection of three previously published essays, it covers everything from which wine goes with fondue (Neuchåtel will help you "force it down") to how to handle a hangover (drink more alcohol). There are dozens of drink recipes, and the back has a series of funny quizzes, each on a different type of alcoholic beverage.But in the end, all this attention and intelligence devoted to drinking left me a little sad. Here was a man with such a graceful way with words, yet he spent so much time drinking or recovering from drinking. Indeed, the introduction mentions that "the booze got to him in the end, and robbed him of his wit and charm as well as of his health." What a shame.On that jolly note, here's the chapter list:I. On DrinkIntroductionDrinking LiteratureActual DrinksTools of the TradeThe Store CupboardFirst Thoughts on WineFurther Thoughts on WineWine Shopper's GuideWhat to Drink with WhatAbroadMean Sod's Guide (Incorporating Mean Slag's Guide)The HangoverThe Boozing Man's DietHow Not to Get DrunkII. Every Day DrinkingIII. How's Your Glass?IntroductionList of AbbreviationsQuizzes:Wine -- ElementaryWine -- IntermediateWine -- AdvancedWine -- FranceWine -- GermanyWine -- Italy, Spain, PortugalWine -- OthersBeer in GeneralBeer in ParticularVodkaAperitifs and SuchGinLiqueursRumCognac and ArmagnacBrandy (One Step Down)DistillationMinor SpiritsScotch Whiskey IScotch Whiskey IIWhiskies and WhiskeysPortSherryMadeira, Marsala and OthersCocktails and Mixed DrinksInventors and InventionsPousse-Café IPousse-Café IIPousse-Café IIIAlcohol and Your Interior

One of my favorite non-fiction books.The section "A Mean Sods Guide" is one of the best and funniest things I've ever read.Most of the book gives sound advice in a very "dry British humor" way. The prices listed are out of date - as is some of Amis' social commentary - but if you like or are interested in drinks and great writing this is a book you will come back to over and over. It's probably the most unpretentious book about drinking you can imagine. Some of the fantastic one-liners that pour out of Amis will prove useful in everyday conversations.I did notice a few formatting problems on the Kindle version. Easily overlooked.

Kingsley Amis did a stint as a Communist as a young man and with age matured into a faux Colonel Blimp.I think he was pretty consistent.He's one of the great enemies of the prim , the good and the boring.He hated God but he still let's you meet him in THE GREEN MAN.If you haven't read LUCKY JIM and the aforementioned GREEN MAN, do yourself a favor , get on with it!A philanderer , a boozer and I assume a misanthrope, he should be a pleasure to read on drink and fortunately ,he is.This book is a collection of newspaper pieces and there is a fair amount of repetition but it's informative and funny. There is at least one wildly inaccurate assertion by Amis to the effect that martinis were the drink of John Rockefeller .I am afraid that dour Baptist would have cringed in horror at the thought.Well, you aren't reading this for social history.The introduction was written by Christopher Hitchens and there are recipes.

Love it. Typical Amis. Hilarious and decent recipes too!

Libro 100% británico, basado en la forma de beber británica: destilados, cócteles y cerveza. Conjunto de tres obras reunidas en un solo volumen. Una de ellas es una recopilación de artículos aparecidos en prensa. El tono es ligeramente irónico, con partes prácticas (fórmulas de cócteles, marcas, etc.) y partes con opiniones en ocasiones cuestionables, como la ignorancia manifiesta (yo incluso diría animadversión) sobre los vinos españoles y la forma de beber del Sur de Europa.

Everyday Drinking is a collection of three of Kingsley Amis's previously published works: On Drink (1972), Everyday Drinking (1983) and How's Your Glass? (1984). The "How's Your Glass?" section is actually a quiz which required too much expertise to be of interest to me, but the "On Drink" and "Everyday Drinking" sections form a wonderfully informative and often hilarious master-class given by one of life's all-time master-drinkers and lovable rascals (at a distance anyway), Kingsley Amis.From advice on "Actual Drinks" (what to drink, what not to drink, drink concoctions) to "Tools of the Trade" (essential drink equipment / paraphernalia), "Mean Sod's Guide" (how to avoid giving the good stuff to your guests, but not to yourself) and then moving on the "The Hangover" which is even more hilarious than the famous hangover scene from his first novel, Lucky Jim, this compilation entertains throughout beautifully.If you are a Kingsley Amis fan you should add this book to your collection. If you are not that familiar with Kingsley Amis but have any interest in the demon alcohol you should add this book to your collection. If you have never heard of Kingsley Amis and have never had a drink, or intend to, but enjoy wonderful writing, you should still add this book to your collection.A last modest word from the great man:"Well, if you want to behave better and feel better, the only absolutely certain method is to drink less. But to find out how to do that, you will have to find a more expert expert than I shall ever be."

Eloquently written with an underlying humor that is to be met!A delight for everyone who has a passion for drinks and people.A brilliant party gift also!

Very Good!