‘A MUST-HAVE FOR COCKTAIL LOVERS’
Bottoms Up! With Alan Carr and Lee Peart
‘A JOY TO READ’
Olly Smith, Wine Expert, BBC Saturday Kitchen
‘THE PERFECT DRINKING COMPANION IN BOOK FORM’
Jimi Famurewa, Award-Winning Food Writer (The Guardian, The Observer), Author and MasterChef Guest Judge
A Measure of Britain is a spirited, cross‑country tour through the quirks, contradictions and quiet brilliance of modern Britain – told through the cocktails we love a little too much.
From the glamourous jolt of the Espresso Martini to the sun‑chasing escapism of the Margarita, drinks expert Robertson Buckhaven uncovers what our favourite cocktails reveal about us as a nation. Each chapter pairs an iconic serve with a British city, using the country’s pubs, bars and bartenders as a lens on who we are: tired, adaptable, guilty‑pleasure‑seeking, occasionally sophisticated, frequently procrastinating and always, always up for one more round.
Drawing on conversations with the bartenders, distillers and industry legends shaping Britain’s bar culture, Buckhaven blends history, humour and cultural insight with the warmth of someone who has spent a great deal of time on the right side of the bar. Along the way, he celebrates the unsung heroes of hospitality, the rituals that bind us, and the very British ability to turn any situation – good, bad or mildly embarrassing – into an excuse for a drink.
Witty, affectionate and fizzing with personality, A Measure of Britain is part travelogue, part cultural study, part love letter to the people who keep our glasses full. And at the end of each chapter, Buckhaven shares his perfect recipe for the cocktail in question – because research should always be practical.
Bottoms Up! With Alan Carr and Lee Peart
‘A JOY TO READ’
Olly Smith, Wine Expert, BBC Saturday Kitchen
‘THE PERFECT DRINKING COMPANION IN BOOK FORM’
Jimi Famurewa, Award-Winning Food Writer (The Guardian, The Observer), Author and MasterChef Guest Judge
A Measure of Britain is a spirited, cross‑country tour through the quirks, contradictions and quiet brilliance of modern Britain – told through the cocktails we love a little too much.
From the glamourous jolt of the Espresso Martini to the sun‑chasing escapism of the Margarita, drinks expert Robertson Buckhaven uncovers what our favourite cocktails reveal about us as a nation. Each chapter pairs an iconic serve with a British city, using the country’s pubs, bars and bartenders as a lens on who we are: tired, adaptable, guilty‑pleasure‑seeking, occasionally sophisticated, frequently procrastinating and always, always up for one more round.
Drawing on conversations with the bartenders, distillers and industry legends shaping Britain’s bar culture, Buckhaven blends history, humour and cultural insight with the warmth of someone who has spent a great deal of time on the right side of the bar. Along the way, he celebrates the unsung heroes of hospitality, the rituals that bind us, and the very British ability to turn any situation – good, bad or mildly embarrassing – into an excuse for a drink.
Witty, affectionate and fizzing with personality, A Measure of Britain is part travelogue, part cultural study, part love letter to the people who keep our glasses full. And at the end of each chapter, Buckhaven shares his perfect recipe for the cocktail in question – because research should always be practical.
Reviews
A thirst-quenching romp through some of the best cocktails out there! Not only does Rob provide brilliant recipes for you to master, but you can impress your guests by garnishing with backstory and insight. A must-have for cocktail lovers.
At last, a book that tells the tales of the drinks we love best. A joy to read!
Hugely entertaining and (quite literally) full of spirit. It's a triumph!
Brimming over with knowledge and playfulness, A Measure of Britain is a celebratory, deeply researched and fittingly intoxicating joy - like the perfect drinking companion in book form.
A Measure of Britain is a droll, occasionally wry and unusually perceptive look at how British culture has come to be, told through the cheery medium of drink, from the everyman G&T to the still-sophisticated world of martins at five o'clock.
Britain's influence on the world's drinks runs deep, but the facets of Britain's drinking culture is just as storied. Taking a trip through history, flavour, and the cities and bars of the British Isles, in A Measure of Britain, Rob highlights the wonderful anecdotes and fascinating tales that make up such a key part of the nation's identity - in a way that feels both insightful, funny and wonderfully universal to learn about!
A great snapshot of the people, places and stories that make Britain's cocktail scene so rich - and very funny too. It made me laugh out loud.