Olive or twist? - Jack Ziegler

Olive or Twist? serves up a cocktail of laughter, taking in top-shelf treats (Could Chianti, Burgundy, and Rioja all come from the feet of the same Frenchman?) and low-grade liquor (Bar beer options: "Import, Domestic, Micro, or Crap?"). And Ziegler is just at home in the ritziest bar ("Meanwhile at the Cafe de la Mort: Ernest Hemingway is ridiculing Oscar Wilde's wine spritzer while Truman Capote takes notes") as he is in the dingiest dive ("Slumlords Top o' the Tenement Bar & Grill"). Here's a sample of some of his other quips: one drinking bum to another: "I was once in dire straits, much as you are, my friend, and then I discovered the '97 Napa Valley Cabernets"; Jesus at the "The Last Supper": "One more round and then we should probably order"; Boozehound to bartender: "I'm earlier than usual this evening due to an elevated level of chatter at home." This volume is the ideal pick-me-up, guaranteed not only to banish booze blues but, like the title character, leave the reader begging for more.