Amy Stewart explores the plants that create the world’s great drinks

Who knew that horticulture was such an intoxicating subject? In her follow-up to the New York Times bestsellers Wicked Bugs and Wicked Plants, Amy Stewart explores the odd, unusual and surprisingly common plants that have produced the world’s greatest spirits.

Gardeners and cocktail lovers are invited to join the award-winning author at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Camana Bay on Saturday, April 13, from 6-7:30pm for a special happy hour event celebrating the release of her new book, The Drunken Botanist. Sample Amy’s signature concoctions while she shares tips on growing your own cocktail garden that will have you backyard bartending in no time. The Camana Bay landscaping team will also be on hand to share their expansive local knowledge. Then browse a selection of Amy’s books and have your purchases signed by the author herself.

This free event is part of the Books & Books International Visiting Author Series, generously sponsored by Camana Bay.

About the Book

Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet?  In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol.

Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre and one is as ancient as dinosaurs—but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history.

This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.

Select titles by Amy Stewart are now available at Books & Books.

About the Author

Amy Stewart is the award-winning author of six books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including three New York Times bestsellers: Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential. She is the cofounder of the popular blog Garden Rant and a contributing editor at Fine Gardening magazine. She and her husband, Scott Brown, live in Eureka, California, where they own an antiquarian bookstore called Eureka Books.

For up to date information on all Books & Books events in Grand Cayman, visit www.booksandbooks.com, like Books & Books (Cayman) on Facebook and follow @BooksandBooksKY on Twitter.

•          Founded in 1982 by Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books is exceptionally well-respected in the literary community as one of America’s most successful independent bookstores with three locations in South Florida – plus stores in Grand Cayman, Westhampton Beach, Miami International Airport and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

•          Books & Books Grand Cayman is located in the Town Centre of Camana Bay, at 45 Market Street, where it is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 9:00pm. The store number is 345.640.2665.

•          Books & Books was one of the first shops to open in the Town Centre of Camana Bay; Grand Cayman’s most vibrant shopping and entertainment destination. The store is designed to encourage customers to explore and creates a sense of discovery with a large section dedicated to Caymanian authors, as well as a vast number of titles of Caribbean interest. A light and airy room dedicated to children has a particularly impressive selection of picture books in addition to toys, educational games and books for kids of all ages. The new and notable fiction section includes New York Times bestsellers, while the art room has a comprehensive collection of architecture, design, photography and gardening books.

•          The Books & Books International Visiting Author Series brings renowned authors from around the world to Grand Cayman. The store has hosted more than 100 writers including Salman Rushdie, Michael Ondaatje, Robert Goolrick, Alexander McCall Smith and Dylan Lauren and children’s authors and illustrators such as Mo Willems, Loren Long and Anna Dewdney.

•          Sign up to receive Books & Books Grand Cayman’s free, weekly electronic newsletter of special events by visiting www.booksandbooks.com. Scroll down to the Event Newsletters section, type in your email address and select Grand Cayman Events.

•          For more information on Books & Books Grand Cayman, like Books & Books (Cayman) on Facebook and follow @BooksandBooksKY on Twitter.