Zane Lamprey - Three Sheets: Drinking Made Easy! 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean Hangover!

T here are two types of tourists: the kind that plan their vacation out and the kind that fly by the seat of their pants. If youre the former, your last overseas vacation probably consisted of zipping about, hitting as many monuments, museums, and scenic overlooks as you could fit into your typed-out itinerary. You probably picked up a guidebook with a foldout map and had a preplanned schedule to make sure you made the most of each day. If youre the latter, you probably spent a few minutes on the Internet, looking at pretty pictures of where you were going. You probably thought whatever happens, happens. Then you realized that all of the hotels were booked, so you fell asleep in the train station, and when you woke up someone handed you a euro because they thought you were homelesswhich you essentially were.

This book is exactly what both kinds of travelers need. But instead of focusing on the typical tourist traps, it will tell you how to have a unique experience in whatever country you visit. Instead of statues of dictators, go in search of the elusive Zubrwka, illegal in America but very popular in Poland. Instead of a tour bus to the middle of the spring break area of Mexico, take a Tequila Train to the heart of tequila-making country. In my search for the best places to drink, and the best things in the world to drink, Ive tasted the finest champagnes and cognacs in their respective regions in France and learned from master vintners about how they are made. Ive knocked back 100-proof kaoliang infused with snake blood in Taipei and Ive sipped Scotch that will set you back a cool ten thousand dollars a bottle in Scotland. Ive tried a dozen varieties of vodka in Poland, visited a bar in Belgium that serves more than two thousand beers, and traced the path of the Malbec grape from France to Argentina. I met some really incredible people along the way. I learned some fascinating things about the worldand the way the world drinks. And now you can share in the reward of all of my hard work.

Spend a hundred dollars on a bus tour and youll see the land and learn about its history. Spend a hundred in a pub buying a few rounds and youll learn about the people who made the land and who live the history.

Sure, statues and monuments that pay homage to a countrys wars, plagues, and famines say a lot about the people who live there. And you can often find a fine adventure if you just aimlessly bumble about and hope for the best. But the best way to learn about the people who live in a particular place is not by observing their history, or learning about the people who died off years ago, but by talking with the people who live there now. And in my experience, nothing works better as a social lubricant and as a way to get people to open up than buying a round. Youll get some great advice about where the locals eat and drink, will probably get invited to hang out with them again, and will most likely make some friends for life. Not bad for the price of a drink.

This isnt a traditional guidebook. This book will paint a picture of what drinking in a country or region is like and hopefully inspire you to journey to some of the amazing places that Ive had the privilege to visit. Ill speak of specific locations and customs, but dont expect to see any detailed maps, hotel recommendations, or tips on how to get around town. There are other books out there for that. What I can promise is to give you some really good reasons to go to some really cool places and to have a few libations while youre there.

Ill even buy you one myself: On a trip to Scotland, I was made a member of the Craigellachi Whisky Club at the Quaich Bar in the Craigellachi Hotel of Speyside. I keep a bottle of Glenfiddich 18 in the case. If you stop by the bar, mention that youre a friend of mine and help yourself to a nip from my bottle.

Why do I get to spend so much time wearing down my passport and get paid for something that everyone else would pay to do? For the past few years, I have hosted a television show, Three Sheets, which has sent me to locations across the globe to engage in foreign drinking customs and befriend the people who partake in them. My job has taken me to more than fifty countries, where I have visited countless watering holes, drunk innumerable libations, and had my share of debilitating hangovers. Ive traveled around the world, drinking so you dont have to. The most common question Im asked is Whats your favorite drink? My response is Usually, the drink that Im drinking. When youre enjoying someones drink of choice, in the place where it was developed, with the people who revere it, its difficult to desire anything else at that moment. When someone is so passionate about a beverage, its difficult to not be affected.

I have one of the best jobs in the world, not only because I am gainfully employed doing something that most people consider a leisure-time activity, but also because when I do it, I get a truly authentic experience from the countries that I visit.

Throughout this book and while shooting Three Sheets, I often make references to my buddy Steve McKenna. Hes one of my closest friends and one of the nicest guys youd ever meet. However, when Steve drinks, he gets a little nutty. When he hits his threshold of drinks, he becomes a gremlin. Its not unlike Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, although Steve doesnt hold any postgraduate degrees, so hes more like Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His Mr. Jekyll is a guy who would wake up at 5 A.M. to drive you to the airport, would help you move, and would return your car washed and full of gas if he were to borrow it. His Mr. Hyde would drink until 5 A.M. , move you to tears, and throw up in your car after having very bad gas in it. His name, completely my doing, has become synonymous with high levels of intoxication. Youre buzzed if you get the courage to talk to someone that you wouldnt talk to when youre sober. Youre drunk if you try to kiss someone that you wouldnt talk to when youre sober. And youre Steve McKennad if you lick the face of someone you wouldnt talk to sober. There are several Steve McKenna references in this book. Now youll know who and what Im referring to