VegNews Mag Names The Tipsy Vegan the “Editors’ Pick”

The Tipsy Vegan

75 Boozy Recipes to Turn Every Bite Into Happy Hour

By John Schlimm

(VegNews review, January+February 2012)

John Schlimm clearly had an

excellent time writing The Tipsy 

Vegan. Already an accomplished

book writer and booze hound (two of

his previous books center on cooking

with beer, and his family owns one

of the oldest breweries in the US),

Schlimm writes Tipsy with all the

swagger and sass of someone who’s

had a few—and we like it. Far more

than a simple collection of cocktails,

the book focuses on recipes that use

alcohol to enhance the flavors of the

actual food ingredients. Each chapter

begins with a cocktail recipe to get

things going, and then dives into the

enticing eats. With inclusions like

Tequila Seduces Guacamole and

Bad-Ass Beer Cake With Bourbon

Raisins and Amaretto Frosting,

Schlimm keeps readers schlitzed

through all possible courses—yes,

even salads. While some of the

booze seems like a natural fit for the

recipe—think white wine-sauced

artichokes—others are a bit more

daring, like the dark rum included

in The Hotta Frittata With Chopped

Jalapeños. After a night on the

town, we’d happily wake up to the

amaretto-infused Party Monster

Pancakes, and could put away a

Towering Spaghetti Inferno (chipotle

chiles and marsala tossed with

spaghetti) just about every single

evening. With quotes about drinking

from famous types (WC Fields offers,

“Reality is an illusion that occurs

due to lack of alcohol.”), a guide to a

properly stocked liquor cabinet, and

an adorable design, Tipsy’s about as

much fun as you can have—until you

actually whip up a few of the recipes,

when it gets even better. VN