Have I Got the Purr-fect Book for You…
Many of the world’s greatest spirits have a secret ingredient, and it’s one you’d never guess: the tireless protection and loyal support of distillery cats. In this charmingly illustrated book, James Beard Award-winning author Brad Thomas Parsons chronicles the historical role of these spirited mousers and their evolution from organic pest control to modern-day brand ambassadors. With profiles and illustrations of thirty adorable distillery and brewery cats, plus fifteen cocktail recipes to enjoy while you page through, this book is an essential addition to any cat or spirit lover’s bookshelf.
“Cats + Booze! Brad Thomas Parsons has channeled his inner cat lady to discover the ultimate formula for happiness.” —Kerry Diamond Editorial Director of Cherry Bombe
“Parsons, the sharp author of Bitters and Amaro, clearly understands that the conceit is what it is, but he’s slyly found meta-stories behind the various cat profiles: brewers and distillers, mensches that they are, are not only willing to adopt strays and shelter cats but could also teach Andrew Lloyd Webber a thing about naming of cats (Daryl Hall, Old Horatio). And you’ll likely discover a lot more distilleries around the country (Port Chester, N.Y., Nashville, Tenn.) than most of us know. Beyond that? Look, it’s a book about cats. But Parsons throws some not-obvious cocktail recipes to sweeten the pot, rendering this a new classic of a very particular genre.” —PUNCH
Today marks the 7th anniversary of the publication of my third book, Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World’s Most Spirited Mousers, published by Ten Speed Press. It’s the shortest, and smallest, book I’ve written, and the only book of mine usually shelved in the “Pets” section, but it’s proven to be a favorite among readers and is currently in its 4th printing. But this scrappy little passion project was the easiest, and easily the most joyful, book I’ve ever written. I got to interview more than 30 cats (technically their human handlers) and share their origin stories as well as baseball card-like statistics (Favorite Toy: A Weird Stuffed Seahorse, Notable Feature: Extra Toes, Hobby: Recreational Catnip, Favorite Snack: Tuna in the Evening, Favorite Place to Sleep: Pool Table), with charming illustrations by Julia Kuo.
One of the earliest pieces I wrote for the online drinks magazine PUNCH when they launched in 2013 was “The Secret Lives of Distillery Cats,” which looked at the legacy of historic mousers from Scotland and Ireland compared to the new-look distillery cats stateside, who were less concerned about their role as organic pest control (where you find barley, wheat, and rye, you’ll find mice, rats, and birds eager to dip in) than being social media-savvy mascots eager for scritches, snacks, and selfies. While not exactly viral, the story was widely shared.
In the summer of 2014 I received an email from NPR’s Ari Shaprio who was heading to Scotland with his producer Rich Preston (now a journalist, broadcaster, and presenter for the BBC) for a reporting trip on the history of distillery cats and asked if could call in from the NPR studio in Manhattan as a resident “cat expert.” (I’ve been fortunate that Shapiro has featured me on NPR two time since—for my books Amaro and Last Call—but talking about cats on National Public Radio remains a career highlight.
The story, “Behind Every Good Whisky Is A Trusty Distillery Cat,” aired on September 9, 2014, and featured Peat, a new kitten training to be a feline ambassador at Glenturret, the oldest distillery in Scotland. “He is tiny, fuzzy, affectionate, and as adorable as any kitten has ever been,” reported Shapiro. “We approach with our big fluffy microphone, hoping to pick up a faint, "Meow." Instead, he pounces, taking a tentative nibble of our equipment as he holds it in his paws.”
The joy of listening to this story was cut short when we heard the news that little Peat had been killed in an accident the day before the story aired on NPR. But despite the tragedy, inspired by Shapiro, I would soon take my passion for distillery cats to new heights.
I was in the midst of working on Amaro, but with the initial buzz of the PUNCH story and the reach of the NPR feature, I though that perhaps there might be a book idea worth exploring on the topic of distillery cats. There was no official proposal, just an email pitch to my publisher, Aaron Wehner. He was admittedly skeptical but the idea won him over. While Distillery Cats was envisioned as a small, illustrated gift book that artfully balanced (like a cat) between the categories of Pets, Humor, and Food & Drink, I approached it as if I was a serious documentarian, out to capture the origin stories of these Dickensian cats, many who came up on the streets or from a feral cat colony to get a second chance at life and to be loved with abandon.
Pick up your copy of Distillery Cats at your favorite local bookstore (or at select distilleries and breweries) or purchase online at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Book Larder | Omnivore Books on Food | Books Are Magic | The Strand | Square Books | Elliott Bay Book Company
Follow @distillerycats on Instagram
I first started the now popular @distillerycats Instagram account in 2014 as a way to catalog the many blue-collar working cats punching in at distilleries and breweries, as research for the Distillery Cats book. This mood board expanded to include cats working at wineries, liquor stores, and bars, and evolved into a public-facing source of entertainment for tens of thousands of followers who check in daily for all the spirited cat action.
Every morning after brushing my teeth, I practice Italian on Duolingo, tackle that day’s Wordle, and then post on @distillerycats. (If only I was as dedicated with my morning calisthenics and time on the stationary bike.) It seems to make people happy (including me) and somewhere in my files I’ve tucked away detailed instructions on maintaining @distillerycats when its own time to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Please give it a follow if you haven’t already!
Featured Cocktails (Cat-tails?)
Caterwaul
From Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery | Nashville, Tennessee
(Makes 1 Drink)
1-1/2 ounces Belle Meade Bourbon
3/4 ounce Zucca
3/4 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
3/4 ounce Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
Garnish: lemon peel
Combine the bourbon, Zucca, vermouth, and apricot liqueur in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled and then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the lemon peel.
Ironweed Boulevardier
From Albany Distilling Co. | Albany, New York
(Makes 1 Drink)
1-1/2 ounces Albany Distilling Co. Ironweed Bourbon Whiskey
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Garnish: orange peel
Combine the bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled and then strain into a double old-fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with the orange twist.
Fernetscape Navigator
From Townshend’s Distillery | Portland, Oregon [Closed in December 2019]
(Makes 1 Drink)
2 ounces Fernet (recipe originally called for Townshend’s Pacific Northwest Fernet)
1 ounce Cynar
Garnish: orange peel
Combine the Fernet and Cynar in a mixing glass filled with Ice. Stir until chilled and then strain into a chilled schnapps glass. Express the orange peel over the surface of the drink and discard.
Read More:
Follow Brad Thomas Parsons on Instagram.
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LAST CALL logo and design by Ed Anderson.
Jasper raises a glass to Distillery Cats! (Ok, fine. He knocked it off the table.)
I love my Distillery Cats book! And I check Distillery Cats on Instagram first thing every morning to see what those clever kitties are up to.