Jeff Cioletti - Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us

Praise for Drink Like a Geek

Listen, I like James Bond. And I like Star Wars . But I love drinking. And when this book made it clear that I could fully combine a series of films with a series of drinks, I ascended straight to heaven. Not only is Ciolettis book informative and inventive, but wildly entertaining as well. Of course, Im drunk on an Ewok Bright Tree Swizzle, but there you go.

Matt Gourley, actor, comedian, & co-host of the James Bonding and Superego podcast

Jeff is a geek, but hes no snob. Like a friend who lends favorite comic books or tips you off to a great IPA, this book opens up new worlds and shares your passion for their minute details. Drink Like A Geek revels in nerd culture while remembering that the best parts of being in the club are the peopleand drinksthere with you.

Kate Bernot, managing editor, The Takeout (TheTakeout.com)

A geeks geek and a drinkers drinker, Jeff Cioletti authoritatively puts a whole spectrum of geek-loved media together with peppy, name-checked cocktails. Wonderfully unique! Get Boilermakers with good old Greedo, and see who shoots first. Drink Romulan Ale with Doc McCoy, Tardis-blue gin with The Doctor, and a corrected Vesper with Bond, James Bond. Then argue about them; thats what Geeks do.

Lew Bryson, Author of Tasting Whiskey and Whiskey Master Class ; senior drinks writer at The Daily Beast

You know that line about booze and knowledge? Im convinced Tyrion Lannister stole it from Jeff Cioletti. The author of this book has an unabashed love and appreciation for inventive drinks and all forms of geekery. The two have more in common than you might think, and, as both step in from the fringes, Cioletti is here to get you deeper into your favorite genre and glass.

John Holl, author of Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint and co-host of Steal This Beer , a podcast

Drink Like a Geek is a blast! To all the besotted, sci-fi loving, gaming, twenty-sided-dice throwing, spell-casting nerds out therebe sure to also pick up a copy of MY forthcoming book, Avoiding Wedgies in Bars .

Dan Dunn, host of What Were Drinking with Dan Dunn

Copyright 2019 by Jeff Cioletti

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Layout & Cover Design: Elina Diaz

Mango is an active supporter of authors rights to free speech and artistic expression in their books. The purpose of copyright is to encourage authors to produce exceptional works that enrich our culture and our open society.

Uploading or distributing photos, scans or any content from this book without prior permission is theft of the authors intellectual property. Please honor the authors work as you would your own. Thank you in advance for respecting our authors rights.

For permission requests, please contact the publisher at:

Mango Publishing Group
2850 S Douglas Road, 2nd Floor
Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA
info@mango.bz

For special orders, quantity sales, course adoptions and corporate sales, please email the publisher at sales@mango.bz. For trade and wholesale sales, please contact Ingram Publisher Services at customer.service@ingramcontent.com or +1.800.509.4887.

Drink Like a Geek: Cocktails, Brews, and Spirits for the Nerd in All of Us

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019941803
ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-011-0, (ebook) 978-1-64250-012-7
BISAC category code: CKB088000 COOKING / Beverages / Alcoholic / General

Printed in the United States of America

To my wife, Craige. Guess whatyou married a nerd!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Ive always felt equally at home in the sci-fi/fantasy realm and the drinking world, but I must admit, my first experience connecting these two domains was that of an interloper.

It was Labor Day weekend, 1998. I was in Atlanta for Dragon Con, one of the largest genre conventions in the country. Over the years, as more such events have proliferated across the US and the world, the Georgia celebration has retained its reputation as the more raucous, less corporate, party-animal cousin to Hollywood-centric gatherings like the San Diego Comic-Con. Its still showbiz, but Dragon Con, unlike many of its ilk, continues to be more show than biz.

At Dragon Cons 1998 event, Star Wars fansamong whom I enthusiastically count myselfwere giddy with anticipation for the arrival of Episode I , which was still nearly nine months away. It wasnt even The Phantom Menace then because that title had yet to be announced. The possibility that a Star Wars movie could suck seemed unlikely. The prequel trilogy represented hope and possibility. The films were far from becoming the sad punchline that they are now.

As part of the Star Wars generationI was five, eight, and eleven when the originals played in cinemasI was so excited for a brand-new era in the space opera franchise that had defined my youth that I decided to capture fans anticipation for the prequels in my first documentary film, Millenniums End: The Fandom Menace . I started shooting in the late summer of 1997nearly two years before Episode I s May 1999 release dateand a year into the project, I was preparing for what would be the most intense three days of production.

If geekdom seems fairly tribal to folks on the outside looking in, its even more so to those within it. Each genre property of any significancebe it Star Wars , Star Trek , Doctor Who , or Lord of the Rings has its own rabid fan base. The more passionate members of those bases usually stick close to their own tribes. Sure, theres some border crossing going on because people tend to have multiple interests. However, there was, at least in those days, one universal truth: You were either a Star Wars person or a Star Trek person. You had to choose a side. No exceptions.

Each major property had its own track at Dragon Con, and each track got its own conference room in which to schedule events throughout the long weekend. A local group called Matters of the Force managed the Star Wars programming at the convention. The room became my de facto base of operations for the duration of the four-day con. However, that doesnt mean I didnt venture out into other areas.

The Trek room was two or three doors down, and I was enticed by the prospect of hanging out behind enemy lines. Okay, it was really the free booze. I experienced a bit of cognitive dissonance because the Trekkies hosting the soiree turned out to be some of the most welcoming, hospitable folks Id encountered at the Con. Most of them were decked out in full Klingon prosthetics and regaliaIm not talking cheesy, store-bought Halloween costumes here. Were talking Hollywood quality, and most of their wardrobe and accoutrements were completely homemade. Some of the Trekkies had spent the better part of a year tailoring their outfits. Youve got to respect that kind of commitment.

As I entered the room that Rodenberry Built (not really, but it has a nice ring, no?), a greeter handed me a Solo cup full of a curious blue liquid.

Here, enjoy some Romulan Ale, he said.

My ambivalence kicked in for a moment. I mean, to a Star Wars fan, sipping such forbidden nectar was akin to drinking the blood of Satan. Okay, maybe thats a bit extreme. It was more like a member of the Busch family drinking a Coors Light.