Liz Williams
Barnes & Noble-West Towne 7433 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, Wisconsin 53717
press release: The Barnes & Noble at West Towne Mall will host Liz Williams, founder of the National Food and Beverage Foundation and author of the new book Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans, on 23 July from 11 AM to 1 PM. The Barnes and Noble is located at 7433 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI, 53717. Williams will be signing copies of her book, which shares history and recipes from the cocktail world of the Crescent City. She will also be available for in-person interviews the week prior to this signing.
The Sazerac, the Hurricane, and the absinthe glass of Herbsaint are among the many well-known creations native to New Orleans’s longstanding drinking culture. But more than vehicles for alcohol, the cocktails and spirits that complement the city’s culinary prowess are each a token of its history. In every bar-side toast or street-corner daiquiri you can find evidence of the people, politics, and convergence of ethnicities that drive the story of the Crescent City.
In Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans, Elizabeth M. Williams, founder and director of the National Food and Beverage Foundation, and world-renowned bartender Chris McMillian illuminate the city’s open embrace of alcohol, both in religious and secular life, while delving into the myths, traditions, and personalities that have made New Orleans a destination for imbibing tourists and a mecca for mixologists.
With over 40 cocktail recipes interspersed among nearly three hundred years of history, a sampling of premier cocktail bars in New Orleans, and a glossary of terms to aid drink making and mixing, Lift Your Spirits honors the art of a good drink in the city of good times.