Even though my wife has subscribed to The Wall Street Journal for years, and I have a general interest in cocktails and "the art of drinking well," it wasn't until I spread out a section of the paper for the equally manly art of polishing a pair of shoes that I encountered the work of Eric Felten -- and even then, it was his excellent review of Men to Boys: The Making of Modern Immaturity, not his regular column. I noticed this book in his bio blurb and got hold of a copy as soon as I could. From now on, I'm going to make a point of borrowing the Journal weekend section so I don't miss any more of his writing (I'm also, on his recommendation, going to read "Men to Boys").

"How's Your Drink" is an entertaining summary history of mixed drinks in America, a look at cocktail culture, and an entertainingly opinionated review of drinks and drink recipes. While not a "bar book" in the traditional sense, it would certainly be handy to keep around for that purpose too, both for the classics and for variants and new drinks invented by Felten himself. Whether you're a historian of American culture or an aficionado of the "cocktail resurgence" in need of some facts to back up your swank, "How's Your Drink" should both entertain and satisfy.

Felten pens one of my favorite columns in the WSJ -- a column entitled "How's Your Drink". The book, taking its title from the column, carries through the theme of the columns which is to reintroduce the reader to the historical and culture heritage of cocktails.

Until recently a devout vodka drinker, I have, through Mr. Felten's writings, let go of my long held prejudice against gin and have instead come to favor it. At an earlier age my sisters and I were warned of the dangers of gin -- not alcohol, but gin specifically:"If you must drink anything don't drink gin... it will make you go blind!" Reading Mr. Felten's characterization of gin led me to risk going blind and give it a try.

Every chapter is filled with anecdotes and historical accounts of the origins of each drink mentioned in the book. For example, because of the Hollywood portrayal of James Bond, only those who have read Ian Fleming's novels or Mr. Feltens book would know that Bond drank anything other than a "vodka martini, shaken not stirred". In fact, Bond, like any true gentlemen, would select a drink appropriate for the occassion.

A book about cocktails wouldn't be complete without a few recipes. Each recipe is intend to best represent the cocktails presented. Felten does this, but also discusses some of the known variations, their origins and the relative merits or "challenges" of each. Two favorites I discovered in the book are the "Gin Rickey" and "The Bronx" cocktails.

Not all the recipes were to my liking, but that's to be expected. God bless the man who can make a palatable drink out of Campari -- The Americano Highball certainly doesn't fit the bill.

A cautionary note: I would encourage anyone reading this book to try making these recipes at home. Why? You may be challenged to find a bartender who can make most of the drinks mentioned in the book. It's not that the drinks are difficult to make or that the ingredients are difficult to obtain. Instead it reflects a willingness on the part of patrons to settle for the mundane and the eagerness of bars to keep those margins high. Don't believe me? Let me know when you find a bar that can make a Gin Rickey as good as the one you make without first asking you what's in it.

This is a very fast and pleasant read. The author passes his wisdom onto you through both his own experiences and also references to literary characters. The recipes themselves are part of the books' structure, but the author's back-stories are just as important.

Like the other good books about cocktails I've read (The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by Embury and American Bar by Schumann), the book is interesting, opinionated and very well designed.

I love this book. But then again, I am addicted to his WSJ column and it is for that reason alone that I still retain my subscription. For those of you who are regular readers of Mr Felten's WSJ column, rest assured there is a significant amount of new material in this book. Although it contains no new drink recipes, it appears to include everything that didn't make it past the WSJ editor. In other words, there are new stories and anecdotes for each cocktail supported by Mr Felten's extensive research. I have read the book several times and look forward to reading it several more. Well done Mr Felten.

I am some what disappointed. May be I was hoping for some thing too much. There is no unity in book. Recipe for the drinks is not written in detail. But overall an enjoyable book on Friday evening.