Read, drink, and be merry. There can only be one logical way to truly enjoy a book–with an adult beverage in hand. However, don’t think just any old drink can be paired with your tome of choice; sipping the wrong drink while reading is tantamount to serving Chardonnay with nachos or Budweiser with Osso Bucco–an outrage to the drink and to the book.
Determining which drinks are appropriate for which works of literature can be a touchy decision, and infinitely harder than figuring what wine to serve with Gorgonzola or pot roast; lucky for you, the Book Examiner has labored long and hard to find the perfect combinations.
More Booze to Book By
Hard cider is a delight for many British works, and goes surprisingly well with Tolkien and Wordsworth. It also is a good companion with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and other New England fare, as is flip (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_(cocktail)).
A Tale of Two Cities has many ups and downs, and to keep an equilibrium while reading, requires a good cognac or calvados (French apple brandy). Same with a few other Dickens works.
“Gone with the Wind,” of course, requires a good mint julep, while any story of Davy Crockett or Dan’l Boone requires good bourbon sippin’ whiskey.
Robert Louis Stevenson requires either rum for his sea tales, or good scotch or heather ale for his Scottish tales.
Shakespeare requires different drinks with different plays. A nice chianti or zinfidel with Julius Caesar, and good English ale with any story containing Falstaff. Good old gin (and lots of it) is needed for Romeo and Juliet, so you can have a good old crying jag at the end of the play. Retsina is needed for any of the Bard’s Greek revenge plays, simply because most were so aweful that they make the wine taste good in comparison. Also, “Retsina” doesn’t come from the word “resent”, but it tastes like it should.
Maybe some of these suggestions should be added to the blurbs of books to increase book sales. Or perhaps special books should be sold in a bundle with six packs and hard booze as an inducement for dales.
Besides, any book is wonderful after four pints.
R. Lee Hadden (These are my own opinions!)