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The distinctive spirit distilled from the agave plant is a protected local product, made in only five states of central Mexico where over 100 distilleries supply the world. This beginner's guide identifies the best brands to drink, neat or mixed, and provides instructions on making cocktails from the classic Margarita and Tequila Sunrise to lesser-known favourites and creative inventions.

Contributed by bartenders around the world, many of the 125 cocktail recipes collected here are made with just three ingredients: a spirit, a mixer and a garnish. A brief guide to equipment and techniques is followed by simple instructions for making drinks ranging from variations on the classic G&T to those mixed with ginger beer, fruit juice or elderflower or lemon tonic.

Proving emphatically that there’s more to rum than rum and Coke, Ian Buxton presents his personal commentaries (no rankings) on 101 rums that you wouldn’t dare defile with soft fizzy drink. The book covers every style, origin, colour and flavour and includes one rum that costs over £1,000 (Havana Club Máximo Extra Añejo) as well as the NAAFI stores’ standard issue Myers.

Industry expert Ian Buxton takes a tour of remarkable whiskies across the categories of living, luxurious and lost legends. He recounts the story of each of the alphabetically listed 101 variations: from the six figure bottles of Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee and Dalmore Trinitas down to the more affordable luxury buys, along with some expressions that were created by fascinating individuals or distilleries.

Documenting the history of Japan’s distilleries and the whiskies they produce, award-winning writer Dave Broom explores how the drinks are as much ‘a product of mindset’ as the result of commercial processes. In addition to tasting note, facts and figures, he examines the philosophy that influences the creation and appreciation of the spirit, and how it is impacted by many factors, including the seasons, craftsmanship and culture of the country.

This comprehensive guide to Scotland’s whiskies begins with an illustrated history of the spirit, an introduction to how it is made and what to look for in tasting. The different whisky regions are explored, with maps pinpointing the locations of the distilleries. Each producer is examined in more detail in the A–Z directory, which includes information on their typical flavours.

The number of independent gin distilleries has increased significantly in recent years, and there is far more than simple tonic that can be added to the spirit. This cocktail collection includes the classic Martini and Long Island Iced Tea as well as more unusual recipes, such as the ‘vibrant and zesty’ West Side Pink Flamingo, and ‘light and floral’ drinks infused with ingredients such as chamomile or cucumber. There is a list of useful equipment and a brief guide to some bartending skills. Slightly off-mint. Felt-tip mark on upper trimmed edge.

For those who like an historical mixer with their spirits, Geraldine Coates tells the story of gin from 13th-century alchemical experiments to its recent renaissance as ‘the star of a new golden age of cocktails’. She then describes how gin is made; profiles the truly great brands, from Beefeater to Zuidam; and finishes by revealing the origins of classic cocktails and how to make them.

In entertaining style, Ian Buxton records his journey around Scotland’s island distilleries, from Arran and its basking sharks to Orkney, and the whisky ‘aficionados, collectors and obsessives’ encountered along the way.