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Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and her Cocktails
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, Drinking the Devil's A Love Letter From San Francisco & Her Cocktails is a smart, delightful mix of barman's memoir and literary journalism, with layers of spirited history and liquid wisdom. A tender tale of love for delicious drink, and for one's city, a book for anyone with a passion for history, cocktails, San Francisco, and the wanderlust of travel. Wayne Curtis, in the Wall Street Journal, ' My nominee for the best cocktail book of the year? Duggan McDonnell's "Drinking the Devil's Acre" . The book is named for a few famously hard-drinking blocks set within 19th-century San Francisco's famously hard-drinking Barbary Coast. Mr. McDonnell weaves short essays with recipes, and makes a case that what sets his city apart from other cocktail meccas is a "unified preference for bright, bitter, and boozy on the palate." He gently encourages us to color outside the lines with experiments using widely available ingredients. .. "A delicious cocktail is a balanced cocktail," Mr. McDonnell writes in his "rules for budding barmen." Likewise, a good cocktail book is balanced book, with a mix of history, local color, a few eccentric characters and straightforward directions for making tasty drinks at home. In all this, "Drinking the Devil's Acre" delivers .' The Devil's Acre was a single, saloon-soaked block within the notorious Barbary Coast of old San Francisco. It was the wickedest, wildest place in the whole wide world -- not where you went to whet your whistle. But, just a few short blocks away, marbled drinking palaces reigned and civilization was sung as cocktails were shaken in tin and served in copper mugs. The high art of the cocktail lived at the edge of the West's most electrifying nightlife. Several generations later, San Francisco boasts this very same culture with the farm-to-glass movement is at its height. Twenty-five iconic cocktail recipes made famous by the City by the Bay--from the legendary Pisco Punch, the Mai Tai, and Irish Coffee, the rediscovery of the Gold Rush-era Sazerac and the whimsical Lemon Drop--are accompanied by an additional 45 recipes and McDonnell's 'Bartender's Secret Formulas,' including contemporary San Francisco classics as the Revolver and La Perla. Every chapter is guaranteed to keep the pages turning, the party going and your spirits flowing.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2015
17 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 27, 2016
I don't think I could love a book more than I loved this one. I'm always thinking about my next trip to San Francisco but this book made me want to hop on the next plane! Drinking the Devil's acre is equal parts history book, guide book, and recipe book and will live on my reference shelf for years to come.
McDonnell talks with ease about the history of ingredients and of various concoctions and the bars and barkeeps that made them famous through the years but he also talks about the cocktail revolution that came hand in hand with the boom-years of the dot com bubble but that carried on despite the bust. I can attest to a very similar pattern here in Victoria, BC where our cocktail culture continues to thrive alongside a vibrant tech culture.
I learned so much from this book that I found myself reading bits out loud to anyone who would listen and tucking away facts for dinner parties of the future. While it is a fiercely regional book that champions the frontier melting pot of San Francisco, it's an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to learn more about how to make cocktails and how to make some of the ingredients -- like bar mixes, syrups, and bitters -- that can make an average cocktail into a legend.
[Note that this review is for the advance reader's copy which I was fortunate to pick up at ALA in San Francisco last summer.]
McDonnell talks with ease about the history of ingredients and of various concoctions and the bars and barkeeps that made them famous through the years but he also talks about the cocktail revolution that came hand in hand with the boom-years of the dot com bubble but that carried on despite the bust. I can attest to a very similar pattern here in Victoria, BC where our cocktail culture continues to thrive alongside a vibrant tech culture.
I learned so much from this book that I found myself reading bits out loud to anyone who would listen and tucking away facts for dinner parties of the future. While it is a fiercely regional book that champions the frontier melting pot of San Francisco, it's an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to learn more about how to make cocktails and how to make some of the ingredients -- like bar mixes, syrups, and bitters -- that can make an average cocktail into a legend.
[Note that this review is for the advance reader's copy which I was fortunate to pick up at ALA in San Francisco last summer.]
February 7, 2018
Oh, my. This book has a lot going on within its pages. Physically, this book is dreamy, from its matte cover and heavy, soft pages. Visually, it’s gorgeous.
You can tell from the onset all the way through, this book is not merely a book of recipes...it is a love letter to San Francisco and its history. I never saw alcoholic beverages as the cultural icons they are, until now.
Sadly, I doubt I will ever get to try many—if any—of these beautiful works of art. Most people don’t have the hundreds of dollars it would take to make these top-shelf libations. Too, unless one lives in a culturally-savvy, major metropolitan city, a lot of the ingredients would be hard to find.
You can tell from the onset all the way through, this book is not merely a book of recipes...it is a love letter to San Francisco and its history. I never saw alcoholic beverages as the cultural icons they are, until now.
Sadly, I doubt I will ever get to try many—if any—of these beautiful works of art. Most people don’t have the hundreds of dollars it would take to make these top-shelf libations. Too, unless one lives in a culturally-savvy, major metropolitan city, a lot of the ingredients would be hard to find.
July 6, 2019
I have a high tolerance for mediocrity in both books about booze and books about San Francisco, and yet I couldn't make it through this. Some interesting bits, and great photos (two stars because of the photos!), and otherwise badly badly needed an editor.
November 16, 2022
The following system was developed by me to assess the breadth and depth of the drink recipes included within a cocktail specific recipe book. I'm just winging it here, but I felt like an Old Fashioned is probably one of the most baseline drinks - so much so that when I started asking this question, I realized most of the cocktail books I found didn't include it. Mezcal seems like a liquor that is either included or isn't, and it has both a big personality and a big following, so it also got a litmus test. Let me know if you have any other thoughts to improve this system.
Includes Old Fashioned?
...Surprisingly no
Includes any mezcal recipe?
3
Pictures of techniques?
No
Picture Ratio
About 1 in 5 have pictures
Accessible ingredients?
Generally, yes. Some of the "Riffs" start calling for specific brands of liquor
"Quick Riffs" (swap 1 or 2 ingredients)?
Yes, though not really "quick" riffs - they're pretty different - more like following the family tree.
History/Narrative?
LOTS of history of how these drinks came to be, how the alcohol was first introduced to the bar scene, etc.
Big or small?
Small, about 6x8x1
Other notes
This book has a special focus on cocktail history within San Francisco. Even though this book failed the Old Fashioned test, it still has a wide variety of classic cocktails. The majority of the drinks are served without ice, though many involve them along the way. The book is beautiful inside and out, with most photos in color. The cover alone makes me want to mix a drink.
Includes Old Fashioned?
...Surprisingly no
Includes any mezcal recipe?
3
Pictures of techniques?
No
Picture Ratio
About 1 in 5 have pictures
Accessible ingredients?
Generally, yes. Some of the "Riffs" start calling for specific brands of liquor
"Quick Riffs" (swap 1 or 2 ingredients)?
Yes, though not really "quick" riffs - they're pretty different - more like following the family tree.
History/Narrative?
LOTS of history of how these drinks came to be, how the alcohol was first introduced to the bar scene, etc.
Big or small?
Small, about 6x8x1
Other notes
This book has a special focus on cocktail history within San Francisco. Even though this book failed the Old Fashioned test, it still has a wide variety of classic cocktails. The majority of the drinks are served without ice, though many involve them along the way. The book is beautiful inside and out, with most photos in color. The cover alone makes me want to mix a drink.
November 11, 2018
This book allowed me to armchair travel to San Francisco in a variety of different eras, including the days of the gold rush saloons, the roaring '20s, the heyday of Trader Vics, and the dot com boom. There are recipes for a number of cocktails, but this is really not a how to book it's more of a travelogue and style guide. The recipes are pretty classic, but are somewhat involved and are best for those with an established home bar and the right tools. It all felt pretty glamourous and I enjoyed the journey.
January 6, 2019
I have been through this book several times. a month for two years. I really like the history of San Francisco as a bar town, and secondarily, the linking of certain drinks to specific points in history. The book is divided up into 12 main drinks/chapters, ( the Martinez, the Pisco Sour, the Scorpion Bowl as examples) and then branches off into variations on those drinks, so you can learn the family tree from one drink. A delightful exploration of one drink mixing tradition.
April 5, 2018
Very interesting book. I learned a whole lot about the history of some cocktails as well as a whole lot about SF history in relation to that. I highly recommend for those with a love for either/both of those things. Coolest thing about the book was using it to make a list of all the cocktails to have and where to have them around the city.
July 30, 2018
A fascinating look at the history of cocktails in San Francisco.
August 1, 2024
enjoyable stories, interesting history and wonderful recipes
June 3, 2021
Drinking the Devil’s Acre combines San Francisco cocktail history, recipes for classic drinks like French 75s and Margaritas, and modern riffs on those drinks from bartenders of the 2010s craft-cocktail renaissance. (Sadly, that era may also now have receded into history, considering how many bars have closed in the pandemic.) The author, Duggan McDonnell, founded the Union Square bar Cantina (2006-2016), which happens to be where I celebrated on Election Night 2008, three months after I moved to San Francisco and four months after I could legally drink.
McDonnell has clearly done his research into cocktail culture old and new. His main thesis is that San Francisco’s favorite cocktails are “bright, bitter, and boozy,” which does seem fitting for this city of fresh citrus and Fernet Branca.
With its luscious photographs and ornate Gilded Age-inspired design, this book would make a lovely housewarming gift. But that also means it feels too pretty to use—and possibly mess up with an accidental spill of Campari or cocktail syrup. It’s also sometimes unclear whether the book is for cocktail novices or cocktail experts: is the person who needs to look up a basic Negroni recipe the same person who wants to make their own artisanal cocktail bitters from 20+ ingredients? I also wish the drinks were arranged in a logical order in the text, though at least there’s an index where you can search for recipes by principal ingredient.
As I said, this book is also a valuable record of the 2010s cocktail scene, but at times McDonnell seems overly enamored with his own prose. (I mean, the first sentence begins “San Francisco, born from a womb of gold…”) Though I suppose that’s what the subtitle “a love letter from San Francisco and her cocktails” suggests: come for the booze, stay for the rhapsodic buzz.
McDonnell has clearly done his research into cocktail culture old and new. His main thesis is that San Francisco’s favorite cocktails are “bright, bitter, and boozy,” which does seem fitting for this city of fresh citrus and Fernet Branca.
With its luscious photographs and ornate Gilded Age-inspired design, this book would make a lovely housewarming gift. But that also means it feels too pretty to use—and possibly mess up with an accidental spill of Campari or cocktail syrup. It’s also sometimes unclear whether the book is for cocktail novices or cocktail experts: is the person who needs to look up a basic Negroni recipe the same person who wants to make their own artisanal cocktail bitters from 20+ ingredients? I also wish the drinks were arranged in a logical order in the text, though at least there’s an index where you can search for recipes by principal ingredient.
As I said, this book is also a valuable record of the 2010s cocktail scene, but at times McDonnell seems overly enamored with his own prose. (I mean, the first sentence begins “San Francisco, born from a womb of gold…”) Though I suppose that’s what the subtitle “a love letter from San Francisco and her cocktails” suggests: come for the booze, stay for the rhapsodic buzz.
July 24, 2015
Picked up an Advanced Reader Copy while at conference in San Francisco. One of my favorite places, Tadich Grill, is on the cocktail trail. The hotel where I stayed this time, The St. Francis, has a picture from 1933; alas the saloon is no longer there.
Great history of the cocktail in San Francisco. Who doesn't love a good cocktail? And these are traditionally made recipes that are great. The recipe for cocktail syrup if worth getting the book. Blended spirits that you let set for one or two weeks before serving and drinks that are shaken and strained...or stirred exactly forty times. The pictures of bars and taverns are great.
Great history of the cocktail in San Francisco. Who doesn't love a good cocktail? And these are traditionally made recipes that are great. The recipe for cocktail syrup if worth getting the book. Blended spirits that you let set for one or two weeks before serving and drinks that are shaken and strained...or stirred exactly forty times. The pictures of bars and taverns are great.
November 9, 2015
Great insight into a city and it's culture
Great insight into a city and it's culture. I was unaware of all the contributions the City had on the cocktail world. Anyone looking to get a history lesson with a buzz should take the time to read this book. You'll feel as though you're walking through S.F. even if you've never visited. I for one, have only had the pleasure of visiting the City for a brief few hours.
Great insight into a city and it's culture. I was unaware of all the contributions the City had on the cocktail world. Anyone looking to get a history lesson with a buzz should take the time to read this book. You'll feel as though you're walking through S.F. even if you've never visited. I for one, have only had the pleasure of visiting the City for a brief few hours.
April 4, 2016
Having been a bartender in the Bay area I probably can be accused of a sentimental bias regarding this "Love Letter from SF and Her Cocktails." Until a distant murmuring biological clock started tickling in my heart, my dream was to open a bar with a window to the Bay and write a book about it. That was many many years ago but reading McDonnell's book sparked the daydream anew. Just like a great barkeep, this one has engaging stories and terrific takes on traditional cocktails.
October 30, 2015
These loving ramblings of life and history in SF roll right off the tongue and beg to be read aloud.
A warm host, a natural raconteur and skilled writer Duggan McDonnell shares a love of San Francisco, its checkered history and its deliciously liquid past with lots of stories and cocktail recipes for drinks to share on a friendly evening.
A warm host, a natural raconteur and skilled writer Duggan McDonnell shares a love of San Francisco, its checkered history and its deliciously liquid past with lots of stories and cocktail recipes for drinks to share on a friendly evening.
October 1, 2015
Part cocktail recipe book, part history-of-San-Francisco-drinking, with some great photos of old SF saloons. Ahhh, those were the days. Except, they're still the days, if the plethora of fancy mustaches within the city limits is any indication.
March 28, 2016
Yup, this is a love letter to SF. Idk if I'd go as high as 4 stars if I hadn't lived there, but probably. I think the stories would be interesting to anyone, and the recipes certainly belong in the "artisanal cocktail" genre.
July 5, 2017
Beautiful book, made me fall in love with San Francisco (and her cocktails) even more!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews