Cognac: A Liquid History by Calabrese, Salvatore
Cognac: A Liquid History By Salvatore Calabrese (Collectible First Edition Copy)
An Elegant, Definitive Chronicle of the Noble Spirit, its Seductive History, and the Preeminent Houses of France
An Elegant, Definitive Chronicle of the Noble Spirit, its Seductive History, and the Preeminent Houses of France
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Cognac: A Liquid History
- Author: Salvatore Calabrese
- Publisher: Cassell & Co / Orion Publishing Group, London
- Publication Date: 2001
- ISBN-10: 0304358744
- ISBN-13: 9780304358748
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing (Collectible Spirits Reference Release)
- Binding: Original publisher's premium hardcover cloth boards, complete with the original illustrated dust jacket, now beautifully preserved and stabilized inside a clear Cellophane archival sleeve.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 176 pages. Lavishly enhanced with handsome full-color location photography, historic archival portraits of Charentais distilling cellars, vintage brand layouts, and comprehensive tasting matrices.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
-
The Book: Near Fine (NF)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's heavy cloth casing remains in spectacular, mint presentation format, showing pristine, sharp corners and flat edges. The spine remains completely straight, robust, and perfect.
- Interior: The inner hinges and binding are immaculate, secure, and entirely perfect. Internal pages, color layouts, and high-gloss photographic plates are clean, crisp, stark white, and intact. Free from standard consumer ink inscriptions, ownership stamps, damp-warping, or dealer pencil annotations.
- Preservation: This copy has clearly been exceptionally well maintained and looked after thus far. It is now protected with a clear Cellophane cover to keep the cloth boards and spine pristine.
-
The Dust Jacket: Near Fine (NF)
- Condition: Present, complete, and unclipped. Displays only some very limited, microscopic signs of storage shelf friction along the corners and upper margins. Beautifully consolidated, bright, and seamlessly displayed beneath the archival Cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Distilling Value
Published in 2001 by Cassell, Cognac: A Liquid History is a passionate, witty, and elegantly illustrated tribute to the "noble spirit" and "king of brandies." Written by the world-renowned bartender and preeminent spirits expert Salvatore Calabrese, this royal drink is explored as a deep obsession. The book masterfully unfolds the fascinating, sinful, and seductive history of Cognac, tracking its evolution decade by decade from its early medieval origins to its modern luxury status.
Calabrese goes beyond dry technical data to share the intimate, personal stories of the artisan families and legendary merchant houses rooted in this small, strictly defined area of southwest France. The narrative provides an expert summary of the distillation process—guiding the reader from grape harvest to copper pot stills, oak cask maturation, and eventual bottling. Complete with specialized tips of the trade, hands-on guidance for selecting glassware, and authoritative tasting notes for a premium selection of the finest vintages, this scarce masterwork stands as an essential reference guide and a cornerstone collectible for spirits connoisseurs, home bars, and fine culinary libraries.
Author Profile: Salvatore Calabrese
Salvatore Calabrese is one of the world’s most distinguished, celebrated, and influential figures in modern cocktail and spirits history, widely known within the international hospitality industry as "The Maestro." Born on Italy's Amalfi Coast, Calabrese built a legendary career in London over forty years, directing prestigious bars at Dukes Hotel, the Lanesborough, and his own signature venues. A world expert on rare, vintage spirits and historical liquid archaeology, he has developed a reputation for executing cocktails using liquid components dating back to the French Revolution. A past president of the UK Bartenders Guild and recipient of numerous global lifetime achievement awards, his writing is celebrated for bridging the gap between historical scholarship and high-end bar craft.
used collectible book, collectible copy, cognac a liquid history, salvatore calabrese, cassell publishers 2001, vintage distilling books, rare spirits books, brandy connoisseur reference, charente distillation history, luxury lifestyle collectibles
