Strong, Sweet and Dry: A Guide to Vermouth, Port, Sherry, Madeira and Marsala (Becky Sue Epstein)

Today fortified wines are enjoying a renaissance, re-discovered by discerning imbibers and modern mixologists all over the world. Once a popular tipple to savor before or after dinner, fortified wines – Sherry, Port, Madeira and the like – had fallen out of favor in recent times. But now, in pubs and wine bars, high-end restaurants and homes, these wines are finding their way into innovative cocktails, and are being appreciated anew for their fine qualities and strong, complex tastes.

This is the ultimate guide to these freshly rediscovered beverages that are sweeping the globe. In lively style, Becky Sue Epstein surveys the latest innovations and trends, along with their colorful history – the merchants, warriors and kings that helped create them. Featuring fine images, along with anecdotes, facts, history and recipes, this is a superb tour of the long history of fortified wines, and their global resurgence today.