10 Book and Cocktail Pairings

By Jordan Shakeshaft

A Literary Buzz

Sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than sitting back with a great book. That is, until you discover a deliciously fitting cocktail to go with it. Featuring all the vibrant colors, textures and flavors of the author's singular world, each of these mouthwatering mixed drinks has the power to transport you beyond the written word. And that's not just the alcohol talking. Check out 10 lit-enhancing cocktails that will take these reads to new heights. Photo credit: Shuttershock

Brazilian Beauty

Sweet, citrusy and refreshing, the Caipirinha (pronounced kai-peh-REEN-ya)-a cachaça-based cocktail muddled with sugar and fresh lime-is best known as Brazil's beloved national drink. Perhaps that's why it pairs so well with the lush and enchanting Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon-a tale of unlikely romance between a rich Syrian bar owner and the poverty-stricken Brazilian woman he hires as his chef, who soon blossoms into an unmatched beauty capable of spellbinding cuisine. Get the recipe here and the book for $13.68 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
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Viva la Vida

In her award-winning debut novel, Telex from Cuba, Rachel Kushner crafts a stunning portrait of American expatriate life in the last days of Cuba's golden age. Set amid the vibrant backdrop of 1950s Havana and its thriving sugarcane plantations, this rich, poignant narrative becomes most vibrant alongside an equally effervescent drink. Try the Raspberry Mojito, a lively variation of the traditional Cuban cocktail, made with white rum, sugar, seltzer, lime juice, raspberries and mint leaves. Get the recipehereand the book for $11.52 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

French Connections

Escape the banalities of everyday life with Flaubert's classic 19th-century novel,Madame Bovary, and a deliciously scintillating cocktail to match. Ms. Bovary surely would have swooned for this sparkling wine cocktail-and with a name like Tickled Pink, this zingy pomegranate spritzer would have more than complemented the heroine's countless romantic escapades.Get the recipehereand the book for $13.37 atBarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
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Pushing Daisies

A moving tale of hope and friendship, Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy, transports us to the race-torn Deep South, where an unlikely bond grows between a surly Jewish widow and her African-American chauffeur. Much like Miss Daisy herself, the seemingly subdued Gin Daisy cocktail packs a considerable punch. But with grenadine, fresh lemon juice and a splash of club soda, this Southern standard is sure to warm any heart. Get the recipe here and the book for $11.07 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

Walking on Air

Brimming with bittersweet romance, adventure and charm, Truman Capote's iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's centers around Holly Golightly-a symbolic name for a woman who makes a holiday of life and treads oh-so-lightly through it. Paired with a Pucker-Up Martini that tempers the classic vodka cocktail with sweet lemonade, the novella is the pitch-perfect story for any free-spirited woman with a love of great American literature. Get the recipe here and the book for $9.36 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
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Living Large

The Big Apple has never oozed decadence and self-delusion quite like it did in The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe's acclaimed 1980s satire centered on a Wall Street millionaire's dark but comical misadventures. And with a classic Manhattan in hand, you'll gain VIP access to all the sordid drama. While the chic, sophisticated cocktail-made with whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters-dates back to the early 1870s, its appeal among New York City's elite is everlasting. Get the recipe here and the book for $12.24 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

Stormy Weather

From the legendary author ofOne Hundred Years of Solitude,Love in the Time of Choleratraces a century-long story of unrequited love, war and sickness in a small, convention-bound town somewhere off the Caribbean coast of Colombia. For a taste of this magical world that only Gabriel García Márquez could create, pour yourself a Dark 'n Stormy-a mix of dark rum and ginger beer invented around the same time that this spellbinding narrative takes place.Get the recipehereand the book for $10.80 atBarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
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A Drinkable Feast

See Paris through the eyes of one of literature's greats inA Moveable Feast, a posthumous memoir of Hemingway's early years, when he was surrounded by an awe-inspiring roster of American writers including Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ford Madox Ford. Paired with the cognac-and-Cointreau cocktaildu jourof the time-the sidecar-Hemingway's nostalgic journey through 1920s Paris will come brilliantly to life.Get the recipehereand the book for$10.80 atBarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

Sail Away

Pull out the twin set and tennis shoes for this quintessential New England experience featuring a traditional fruity cocktail and page-turning beach read. The Cape Codder-a refreshing combination of cranberry juice, soda water and vodka-will perfectly accompany That Old Cape Magic, Richard Russo's tale of returning to the Cape and all the wistful family memories he left behind there. Get the recipe here and the book for $10.80 at BarnesandNoble.com. Photo credit: Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
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Margaritaville

Sweet, sour and a little salty, the classic margarita conjures up not only the spirit of Mexico but also its colorful cross-cultural communities scattered across America. With your salt-rimmed glass in hand, journey to Los Angeles with Brando Skyhorse's The Madonnas of Echo Park, where the lives of dishwashers, bus drivers, house cleaners and gang members all come together in one gripping look into what it means to be a Mexican in America. Get the recipe here and the book for $16.56 at BarnesandNoble.com.







Original article appeared on WomansDay.com.

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