***** 5 Stars - "Many laugh out loud moments... I absolutely loved the recipes...It's such an interesting book that I am sure I will pick it up again for many years to come. It has certainly made drinking whisky and gin much more interesting... just the right amount of history and humour'"- The Book Magnet; "Full of great stories about the sordid and often lethal business of illegal alcohol" - Henry Jeffreys, The Guardian Best Drink Books of 2015; "For boozy, literary-minded dreamers... a lively and engaging read" - Countrywives.co.uk; "Evok[ es], with its tales of gin being piped in alleyways, a mood of nostalgic Blitz-era gentility" - Stephen Bayley, Spectator; "I'm forever fascinated by the underground, and the sub-cultural drinking habits of bad old Blighty are a rip-roaring read" - King Adz, author of The Urban Cookbook and Street Knowledge; "I've finally found a book about the history of spirits I can be wholeheartedly enthusiastic about. ... I loved everything about this book; the enthusiasm it brings to its subject, the try this at home approach, it's humour, and the stories it brings to life. It really has a lot to recommend it. The alchemist sounds intriguing too - apparently one of her commissioned cocktails was for the British library - it had to evoke the flavour of old books, now that's something I'd like to try." - desperatereader.blogspot.uk; "Ruth Ball has written an interesting and fun book on Britain's favourite subject - the demon drink, and I love it." - AtticusFinch; "A damn fun read... I love the mix of historical facts with recipes and personal stories from the characters involved. And the characters we meet on the way are fascinating - as are the ingenious lengths they go to in order to conceal their illicit booze making from the authorities. To avoid giving away any spoilers, the best I can say is that you must read this book and learn that there are people out there who quite literally died so that you could enjoy a dram of whisky when you fancy one." -- Madame J-Mo; "An engaging, witty and informative read for anyone interested in the colourful and exciting history of booze" - Ginfestival.com; "Alchemist and drinks genius Ruth Ball has written a thrilling history of people and events surrounding the intoxicating world of spirits" -- Lemonaste blog
