Alpine Elixirs: The Swiss Art of Quirky Cocktails, Cozy Coffees, Mouthwatering Milkshakes and More

Pilot (Helvetic Kitchen: Swiss Cooking) is a Canadian-born immigrant to Switzerland, trained pastry chef, and cookbook author. Her latest title is a round of recipes, mini-travelogues, and micro-histories, all based on Swiss ingredients. There is something here for just about every taste, from a variety of cozy, rich hot chocolates to flämmli, a coffee-and-liqueur drink that is literally set on fire. For readers interested in nonalcoholic drinks, Pilot delves deeply into the Swiss possibilities, presented in categories of carbonated beverages, fruit syrups, Swiss milk, coffee, and chocolate. She then moves on to beer, wine, and a remarkable variety of spirits derived from fruits, herbs, and even green walnuts. As she presents each drink ingredient, Pilot explores their backstories, traditions, and geographic associations. Additional chapters cover famous Swiss cocktails and warm, boozy drinks for cold days. The engaging text is accented with photographs and illustrations of Swiss drinks and sites. Back matter includes resources, recipe tips, and an index.