THE FIELD GUIDE VOLUMES I TO XII

Twelve Categories, Decoded & Explored

Select any category below to explore origin narratives, historical fermentation techniques, global production maps, and 100-entry field catalogs.

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Old Fashioned

ROCKS GLASS • STIRRED

2 oz Bourbon or Rye, 1 tsp Sugar Syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters

GARNISH: Expressed Orange Peel

VOL. I • ACTIVE

Rum

From fresh sugarcane juice in Martinique to high-ester pot stills in Jamaica and wooden Demerara stills. Includes world map & 150 decoded rums.

EXPLORE RUM FIELD GUIDE → 150 ENTRIES

VOL. II • ACTIVE

Vodka

Glacial purities, single-estate winter wheat, rye sharpness, and multi-rectified column distillation across Poland, Sweden, and Finland. Includes world map & 106 decoded vodkas.

EXPLORE VODKA GUIDE → 106 ENTRIES

VOL. III • ACTIVE

Whisky

Peated Islay malts, charred Kentucky bourbon barrels, Highland copper stills, and Japanese precision wood finishing. Includes world map & 158 decoded whiskies.

EXPLORE WHISKY GUIDE → 158 ENTRIES

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Negroni

ROCKS GLASS • STIRRED

1 oz London Dry Gin, 1 oz Campari aperitivo, 1 oz Sweet Red Vermouth

GARNISH: Orange Slice

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Dry Martini

COUPE GLASS • STIRRED

2.5 oz London Dry Gin, 0.5 oz French Dry Vermouth, Orange bitters

GARNISH: Green Olive or Lemon Twist

VOL. IV • ACTIVE

Wine

Old World appellations vs New World terroir. Bordeaux blends, Tuscan Sangiovese, and natural ferments. Includes world map & 110 decoded wines.

EXPLORE WINE GUIDE → 110 ENTRIES

VOL. V • ACTIVE

Gin

Botanical steepings, wild juniper berries, citrus peel infusions, London Dry precision, and modern apothecary alchemy. Includes world map & 143 decoded gins.

EXPLORE GIN GUIDE → 143 ENTRIES

VOL. VI • ACTIVE

Cognac

Charente Ugni Blanc grape distillation, Charentais alembic copper stills, XO aging, and Limousin oak barrels. Includes world map & 115 decoded cognacs.

EXPLORE COGNAC GUIDE → 115 ENTRIES

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Sidecar

COUPE GLASS • SHAKEN

2 oz Cognac, 0.75 oz Cointreau, 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

GARNISH: Sugared Glass Rim

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Classic Daiquiri

COUPE GLASS • SHAKEN

2 oz White Rum, 0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice, 0.75 oz Simple Syrup

GARNISH: Lime Wheel

VOL. VII • ACTIVE

Brandy

Historic fruit eau-de-vie, Armagnac continuous stills, Jerez Spanish Solera brandies, and cellar master traditions. Includes world map & 104 decoded brandies.

EXPLORE BRANDY GUIDE → 104 ENTRIES

VOL. VIII • ACTIVE

Tequila

Blue Weber agave harvesting, masonry brick ovens, Tahona stone pressing, Blanco purity, and Añejo oak aging in Jalisco. Includes world map & 105 decoded tequilas.

EXPLORE TEQUILA GUIDE → 105 ENTRIES

VOL. IX • ACTIVE

Champagne

Méthode Champenoise, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Pinot Meunier blends, secondary bottle fermentation, and chalk cellars of Reims. Includes world map & 101 decoded champagnes.

EXPLORE CHAMPAGNE GUIDE → 101 ENTRIES

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Tommy's Margarita

ROCKS GLASS • ON ICE

2 oz Reposado Tequila, 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice, 0.5 oz Agave Nectar

GARNISH: Salted Rim & Lime Wheel

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Absinthe Drip

RESERVOIR GLASS • LOUCHED

1.5 oz Absinthe, 1 sugar cube on a slotted spoon, 4-5 oz iced water dripped slowly

GARNISH: None — watch the louche bloom

More cocktails

VOL. X • ACTIVE

Beer

Bohemian pale lager, Bavarian decoction, Trappist abbey ales, roasted Irish stout, and the American hop revolution. Includes world map & 100 decoded beers.

EXPLORE BEER GUIDE → 100 ENTRIES

VOL. XI • ACTIVE

Absinthe

La Fée Verte: grande wormwood, green anise and fennel, the Val-de-Travers birthplace, the louche ritual, and the century-long ban. Includes world map & 100 decoded absinthes.

EXPLORE ABSINTHE GUIDE → 100 ENTRIES

VOL. XII • ACTIVE

Liqueurs

Monastic herbal elixirs, Amalfi limoncello, Dijon crème de cassis, Italian amaro bitters, and coffee, cream & orange cordials. Includes world map & 100 decoded liqueurs.

EXPLORE LIQUEUR GUIDE → 100 ENTRIES

COCKTAIL CLASSIC

Amaretto Sour

ROCKS GLASS • DRY SHAKEN

1.5 oz Amaretto, 0.75 oz Cask-Strength Bourbon, 1 oz Lemon Juice, 1 tsp Syrup, egg white

GARNISH: Lemon Twist & Brandied Cherry

FOUNDATIONS

The Master Principles of Fermentation & Distillation

01. Fermentation

Yeast & Sugars

Whether starting from sugarcane juice, agave hearts, malted barley, winter wheat, or pressed grapes, yeast turns natural sugars into ethanol and signature congeners. Beer and wine stop here.

02. Distillation

Pot vs. Column

Copper alembic pot stills preserve rich essential oils and complex body, while continuous multi-column stills yield crisp, highly rectified pure spirits.

03. Maceration

Botanicals & Sugar

Gin, absinthe and liqueurs steep herbs, roots, peels and fruit in neutral spirit. A liqueur is then sweetened above 100 g/L of sugar; a dry botanical spirit is not.

04. Maturation

Wood & Climate

Oak barrels breathe with seasonal temperature changes. Tropical and desert maturation accelerate flavor extraction compared to cool chalk cellars or mist-shrouded lochs.