By the Smoke and the Smell, Thad Vogler
By the Smoke and the Smell, Thad Vogler
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By the Smoke and the Smell
My Search for the Rare and Sublime on the Spirits Trail

Author: Thad Vogler

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Unabridged: 9 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/22/2018


Synopsis

We care so much about the food we eat: how it is made, by whom, and where. Yet we are far less careful about the spirits we drink, often allowing the biggest brands with the most marketing dollars to control the narrative. In By the Smoke and the Smell, Vogler is here to set the record straight. This remarkable memoir is the first book to ask the tough questions about the booze industry: where our spirits come from, who makes them, and at what cost.

By the Smoke and the Smell is also a celebration of the people and places behind the most singular, life-changing spirits on earth. Vogler takes us to Normandy, where we drink calvados with lovable Vikings; to Cuba, a country where Vogler lived for a time, and that has so much more to offer than cigars, classic cars, and mojitos; to the jagged cliffs and crystal-clear lochs of Scotland; to Northern Ireland, Oaxaca, Armagnac, Cognac, Kentucky, and California. Alternately hilarious and heartfelt, Vogler's memoir will open your eyes to the rich world of traditional, small-scale distilling—and in the process, it will completely change the way you think about and buy spirits.

About Thad Vogler

Thad Vogler is the owner of Trou Normand and the James Beard Award-winning Bar Agricole in San Francisco. In 2011, Vogler was named one of Forbes magazine's most interesting people. A global authority on craft spirits, he is consulted regularly by national and global press including the New York Times, Der Spiegel, the Washington Post, Sunset, Bon Appetit, and the Wall Street Journal. He has worked with numerous world-famous restaurateurs including Alice Waters, Charles Phan, and Francis Ford Coppola.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Vivian on January 05, 2019

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. There are parts of it that are extremely informative, and the author’s enthusiasm for the world of spirits, and the people involved in producing on a small scale, shines through in these sections. (And has made me reconsider my enjoyment of bourbon.......more

Goodreads review by Tom on October 13, 2023

I'll get one subject out of the way: Mr. Vogler can seem to be a curmudgeon in various spots in the book, and at times fatiguing on the subject of the dreariness of the commercial production of spirits vs local, individualized ones that reflect a region's and a distiller's individuality, but in the......more

Goodreads review by Angela on December 28, 2017

Part memoir, part survey of independent spirits, all poetry from Vogler, respected barman and proprietor of two well-regarded San Francisco restaurants. I have been fascinated by interesting and unique spirits for years, so I really enjoyed reading about his experiences traveling the world looking f......more

Goodreads review by Shikha on January 20, 2022

I'm not a spirits nerd but I definitely became one after reading this. Full of vivid descriptions that gave each spirit he discusses a palpable sense of place...except for the last chapter. The book ends on his least favorite spirit which was very anti-climactic to me, hence the 4 stars, but the wri......more

Goodreads review by UrbanInSF on November 25, 2018

Anyone who is into the current cocktail craze and the origin of (alcohol) spirits will enjoy this book. Poignant, humorous and informative; a travel tale of sorts. Now I need to check out northern Scotland.......more