To go along with last week’s post on Book Deals of Interest, here are some books that you’ll be able to read a lot sooner. Get those pre-orders in — they’re coming soon to a store near you. (If I missed something good, drop me a note and I’ll add it to the next list.)

Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
 Written by renowned bartender and cocktail blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book is the only technique-driven cocktail handbook out there. This indispensable guide breaks down bartending into essential techniques, and then applies them to building the best drinks. More than 60 recipes illustrate the concepts explored in the text, ranging from juicing, garnishing, carbonating, stirring, and shaking to choosing the correct ice for proper chilling and dilution of a drink. With how-to photography to provide inspiration and guidance, this book breaks new ground for the home cocktail enthusiast.
The Old-Fashioned: The Story of the World’s First Classic Cocktail, with Recipes and Lore by Robert Simonson
 A complete history of one of the world’s most iconic cocktails–now the poster child of the modern cocktail revival–with fifty recipes for classic variations as well as contemporary updates.
Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times by Michael Dietsch
 Raise your glass to a surprising new taste sensation for cocktails and sophisticated sodas: Shrubs. Not the kind that grow in the ground, but a vintage drink mixer that will knock your socks off. “Mixologists across the country are reaching back through the centuries to reclaim vinegar’s more palatable past . . . embracing it as ‘the other acid,’ an alternative to the same-old-same-old lemons and limes,” said the New York Times. The history of shrubs, as revealed here, is as fascinating as the drinks are refreshing. These sharp and tangy infusions are simple to make and use, as you’ll discover with these recipes.
Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with More than 500 Recipes by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald and Alex DayThe definitive guide to the contemporary craft cocktail movement, from one of the highest-profile, most critically lauded, and influential bars in the world.
Alchemy in a Glass: The Essential Guide to Handcrafted Cocktails by Greg Seider
Full of original, ingredient-driven recipes for cocktails, mixers, garnishes, and bitters, this book by a cocktail expert for master chefs shows readers how to transform spirits and flavors into inspiring, mouthwatering drinks. In bars and restaurants across America, drinkers are being exposed to the artistry of the modern cocktail. Alchemy in a Glass takes readers on a journey of the palette and teaches them the art of balancing flavors, mixers, and spirits with the expert guidance of cocktail craftsman Greg Seider.
Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit by Dane Huckelbridge
 Popular history with a whiskey-soaked edge: Bourbon is Dane Huckelbridge’s artful and imaginative biography of our most well-liked, and at times controversial, spirit, that is also a witty and entertaining chronicle of the United States itself.
Whiskey Cocktails: Rediscovered Classics and Contemporary Craft Drinks Using the World’s Most Popular Spirit by Warren Bobrow
 Grab your bow tie and a rocks glass, because we’re talking all about one of the most classic – and classy – spirits. Whether you like bourbon, scotch or rye, whiskey’s diverse and complex taste will be your new go-to drink for parties, gatherings, or evenings in your study with a roaring fire. Whiskey can be an intimidating drink to the uninitiated. Most folks may not be able to drink it straight. We’ve got you covered. The Cocktail Whisperer, Warren Bobrow, author of Apothecary Cocktails (Fair Winds Press) incorporates some of the best whiskeys into hand-crafted cocktails that bring out the subtle notes and flavors of any good bourbon or scotch.
The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails. by David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
 We’re living in the midst of a cocktail renaissance—artisanal cocktails, celebrity mixologists, drinks menus as important as the wine list—and here is a renaissance guide for the home bartender. An ingenious new approach to making cocktails, The 12 Bottle Bar begins with one irresistible idea—you need only these twelve bottles—and shows how, with this versatile but select liquor pantry, anyone can make over 200 delicious, classic, budget-friendly mixed drinks, including sours, slings, toddies, and highballs, plus the perfect Martini, the perfect Manhattan, the perfect Mint Julep, and more.