This is the premier interview for a series I’m calling Brass Tacks With Schustack. Since it’s the first, I will be making it available for free. Please consider a paid subscription to continue reading more interviews and have access to other material that will be paid subscriber-only features. You can also subscribe for free to receive posts I will make available free of charge.

A couple of weeks ago, fellow drinks writer Camper English announced a list of 50 cocktail books set for release in the spring and summer of 2024 for his Alcademics blog and posted about it on Facebook. The post inspired a lively (friendly) discussion amongst the cocktailians, many of whom are also book authors, about whether we’ve hit the oversaturation point in the boozy book world. 

Most of us agree that the good news is, with so many new titles hitting shelves, they’re moving, and people still seem genuinely interested in reading books about the methods, recipes, back stories, settings, quests for rare ingredients, single spirit deep dives, and  ideology of imbibing, not to mention the kinks (such as drinking with that “other” kind of spirit), and even the assorted pets who might crash the cocktail hour.