Perhaps you’re looking for a gift for someone who just invited you to their beach house (lucky!), or maybe you want reading materials for a long plane, train, or bus ride. Whatever the reason, there’s an array of excellent wine, beer, and cocktail books this season. Here are five of our favorites.

Cocktails with a Twist

Kara Newman, Chronicle Books, August 2019

Cocktail enthusiasts looking to graduate to 201-level proficiency will appreciate this accessible book by prolific writer and author Kara Newman (“Nightcap,” “Shake. Stir. Sip.”). Newman devotes chapters to 21 classic cocktails, such as the Manhattan or Daiquiri, and then shows readers how to riff on these rubrics by swapping in different spirits or modifiers to make, say, a Black Manhattan or El Presidente.

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Tiki

Shannon Mustipher, Rizzoli, March 2019

More of an objet d’art than beach read, “Tiki” is a transportive guide to the genre. Rum expert Shannon Mustipher explores tiki culture and history, with sections dedicated to “Foundational Cocktails” (Caipirinha, Ti’ Punch) as well as custom creations, including show-stopping, large-format punches. Her thoughtfully written recipes demystify multi-ingredient cocktails and provide helpful bottle recommendations and substitutions.

This Ain’t the Beer That You’re Used To

Dom “Doochie” Cook, Broken World Publication, March 2019

Beer education, memoir, and calls to action come together in this thoughtful volume you’ll likely devour in one sitting. Author Dom “Doochie” Cook is the co- founder of Beer Kulture, a company bridging beer and black cultures, and he writes of  experiences in the majority-white craft beer industry with intelligence and nuance. He also shares insights about beer styles useful to those new to beer, and explores the impact of mega-brand Guinness. In June 2019, profits from book sales will benefit children in need of back-to-school supplies.

Bursting Bubbles

Robert Walters, Quiller Publishing, April 2019

“For too long, we, the wine community, have gone easy on Champagne,” writes Australian importer Robert Walters in this lively, unapologetically provocative book. He tackles the ways wine professionals and enthusiasts hold large Champagne houses to different standards than those in other regions, and debunks mythologies about vinification, flutes, and Dom Perignon in ambitious historical detail; while taking readers on a virtual tour of the “great growers” in the region. It’s an incredibly engaging read, whether you’re a Champagne diehard or skeptic.

Batch Cocktails

Maggie Hoffman, Ten Speed Press, March 2019

Reclaim happy hours and encourage home entertainers to do the same with this collection of make-ahead drinks from Maggie Hoffman, author of “The One-Bottle Cocktail” and founder of Serious Eats: Drinks. Creative, thoughtfully written recipes span an array of flavor profiles and spirits — or, in the case of the Kumquat Shandy and several others, no alcohol at all. Recipes were contributed by bartenders across the country, including Chaim Dauermann (The Up and Up) and Julia Momose (Kumiko).