Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World's Most Spirited Mousers

by Brad Thomas Parsons

Overview

Distillery Cats contains the whimsical tales of working cats in distilleries around the world, with charming illustrations of the beloved mousers.

Distillery Cats cheekily tells the tale of the historical role of these spirited cats and their evolution from organic pest control to current brand ambassadors. James Beard Award-winning author (and noted cat enthusiast) Brad Thomas Parsons profiles 30 of the world's most adorable and lovable distillery cats, featuring "interviews," a hand-drawn portrait of each cat, plus trading card-style stat sheets with figures like "super-power" and "mice killed." Featuring 15 cocktail recipes to enjoy while you page through, Distillery Cats is a quirky but essential addition to any cat or spirits lover's bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607748977
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Brad Thomas Parsons is the author of Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs and Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, which was the winner of the James Beard and IACP Cookbook Awards, and a finalist for the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. Parsons received an MFA in writing from Columbia University, and his work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Lucky Peach, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Punch, and more. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit www.btparsons.com.

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Distillery Cats"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Brad Thomas Parsons.
Excerpted by permission of Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

7 Automatic

8 Black Hawk & Chinook

11 Boone
12 FERNETSCAPE NAVIGATOR

14 Brewery Cat

17 Brewster

18 Castor
20 IDLE REVOLVER

23 Char
24 CHAR’S CHERRY SMASH

26 Cho
28 GIN JULEP

31 Cooper
32 IRONWEED BOULEVARDIER

34 Copper
36 FALL FASHIONED

39 Cork
40 CELERY TONIC

42 Daryl Hall

44 The DuClaws: HellRazer, Mosaic, Bock & Simcoe

49 Fletcher Pickles
50 BATTLE OF OL’ CHARLIE

53 Gangsta Cat

54 General Patton
56 PATTON PARFAIT

59 Hancock & Hemingway
60 SHORT NORTH PAWSEE

62 Hoodie

65 Hops

66 James

69 Jeffy
70 WATERMELON PUNCH

72 Leland Murphy

75 Masher & Two-Row
76 Old Horatio

79 Pepper
80 A BARN CAT NAMED PEPPER

82 Pizza
84 GIN’S GOTTA NICE PEAR

87 Scratchy

88 Sugar Maple
90 CATERWAUL

93 Venkman

94 Verbal
96 BLOODY MANHATTAN

98 Syrups

Editorial Reviews

Brad’s reporting on distillery cats actually moved me to take a tour of Scottish distilleries, microphone in hand, to meet some of the mousers in person. (And sample some of the product.) It was a hardship assignment, and I couldn’t keep at it for long. I am relieved to know that Brad has remained committed to the mission.”
—Ari Shapiro, host of NPR’s All Things Considered

"The Best Food Book of the Year [...] Award-winning drinks writer Brad Thomas Parsons put together a collection of the country's most distinguished cats in a hilariously illustrated book that belongs on your shelf next to the Modernist Cuisine box set. [...] So do yourself a favor for once and pick up this book. It has everything! Cats, beer, whiskey, love lost and found, journeys of self discovery and redemption, heroes and villains, tabbies and gingers, hell, even a few scratches on the head. If you're looking for more than that in a book, good luck finding it."
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit

“Cats + Booze! Brad Thomas Parsons has channeled his inner cat lady to discover the ultimate formula for happiness.”
—Kerry Diamond, Cherry Bombe

“Cats! Cool illustrations! Great stories! Cocktail recipes! What’s not to love about this book? Did I mention cats?”
—Andy Ricker, chef/owner of Pok Pok

"From shipyards to book-stores, there's a storied tradition of employing cats in the workforce. In his new release, Brad Parsons sheds light on the distillery cats, charged with the safe-keeping of expensive grain at craft distilleries and breweries across the country. Nowadays, they're more than mere workers—the felines have evolved into social media darlings, at times amassing a larger following than the distillery."
—The Local Palate

“Parsons, the sharp author of Bitters and Amaro, clearly understands that the conceit is what it is, but he’s slyly found meta-stories behind the various cat profiles: brewers and distillers, mensches that they are, are not only willing to adopt strays and shelter cats but could also teach Andrew Lloyd Webber a thing about naming of cats (Daryl Hall, Old Horatio). And you’ll likely discover a lot more distilleries around the country (Port Chester, N.Y., Nashville, Tenn.) than most of us know. Beyond that? Look, it’s a book about cats. But Parsons throws some not-obvious cocktail recipes to sweeten the pot, rendering this a new classic of a very particular genre.”
—PUNCH

"At BevCon in Charleston this year, the most buzzed-about new book among spirits professionals was Distillery Cats by Brad Thomas Parsons (Amaro, Bitters), which is darn cute, yes, but there's plenty of history behind the practice as well as important reasons for having a cat live at your bar, brewery or distillery."
—Amy Cavanaugh, Plate

From the Publisher