Books pair well with just about anything. A steaming hot coffee. An icy glass of lemonade, toes sunk in the sand. Depending on the setting and the season, there are plenty of drinks that pair perfectly with a good book. But when 5 o’clock comes around (or maybe sooner, I don’t judge!), books go best with something a little stronger.
The first time I read The Great Gatsby was in high school, and I was undoubtedly infused with energy drinks to get through my homework. But the second time around, many years later, was a guided tour through the liquor cabinet. Some books just seem to call for it, and with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s dazzling soirées and Prohibition-era shenanigans, this one was absolutely it. Glasses of champagne were a must, merlot was on the menu and, to be certain, there was gin. My book still bears the scars with red wine rings staining some pages, but it was worth every drip.
Even if your next book isn’t as boozy, you’ll still enjoy sipping along with these recommendations paired with a nice beer, wine or cocktail for a literary and libational experience to remember. Try these tastings to add a fun, new element to your next book club meeting or just as a quiet way to unwind at the end of the day.
Borrow any of these titles on the Libby reading app anytime, because ebooks and audiobooks are always on tap from your library.
Book: The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Drink pairing: Pinot noir
Book: Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
Drink pairing: Rosé
Book: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Drink pairing: Chardonnay
Book: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Drink pairing: Champagne
Book: Laid Out to Rest by J.C. Eaton
Drink pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon
Book: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Drink pairing: Moscato
Book: The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin
Drink pairing: Belgian
Book: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Drink pairing: IPA
Book: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Drink pairing: Stout
Book: To Brew or Not To Brew by Joyce Tremel
Drink pairing: Pilsner
Book: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Drink pairing: Wheat ale
Book: You by Caroline Kepnes
Drink pairing: Sour ale
Book: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
Drink pairing: Porter
Book: Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman
Drink pairing: Lager
Book: Too Bad to Die by Francine Mathews
Drink pairing: Dirty martini
Book: Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
Drink pairing: Margarita
Book: Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
Drink pairing: White Russian
Book: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Drink pairing: Long Island iced tea
Book: A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña
Drink pairing: Manhattan
Book: The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Drink pairing: Espresso martini
Book:The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Drink pairing: Hot toddy
Published Feb 13, 2023