In his new book, Around the World in 80 Cocktails (Jaico Books), Chad Parkhill has distilled the great cocktails of the world to create an inclusive, exhaustive drinks guide.

What was the prep involved in the research of this book?
The first stage of writing Around the World in 80 Cocktails was to figure exactly which cocktails I would be writing about. I started by coming up with a list of cocktails that I knew had fascinating stories behind them, and then placing their points of origin on a world map. After that, I looked at the gaps in that map and tried to figure out what cocktails could fill in those gaps (either classic cocktails or an original cocktail from a leading bar in that area). The second stage was an intensive one of research and recipe testing. I'd spend my days reading old cocktail manuals and other primary sources, as well as secondary sources from other people who have written about the history of different cocktails. In the evenings, I'd be testing the recipes from the book to ensure they were shipshape. It was hard work, but fun.