André Darlington - Booze & Vinyl Country: 100+ Spirited Music-and-Drink Pairings
(Running Press, 2025)
Cocktail Writer.
Now, there is a coveted occupation.
But that is André Darlington. A Cocktail Writer.
Darlington has written for Organic Life magazine, Mandarin Quarterly, and Isthmus, where he was an award-winning food critic and wine columnist. In 2016 he opened Field Table, a farm-to-table restaurant and natural wine bar designed by JBF award-winning architects Heliotrope. He has judged international wine competitions, including Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, and speaks regularly for organizations such as Google, The Smithsonian, and ThinkCompany.
As of late, Darlington has authored thirteen cocktail books, including his trilogy, Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks (Running Press, 2018), Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2: 70 More Albums + 140 New Recipes (Running Press, 2022) (both cowritten with his sister, Tenaya Darlington), and A Booze & Vinyl Christmas: Merry Music-and-Drink Pairings to Celebrate the Season (Running Press, 2023). He brings this trilogy to a quartet with Booze & Vinyl Country: 100+ Spirited Music-and-Drink Pairings.
Considering broadly, Darlington focuses on the more contemporary (and culturally popular) Country acts. He divides his music (and paired drink recipes) between three categories: “Toe Tappers,” “Unwind,” and “Coming Home.” The preference for middle to late career releases for long-lived artists is clear and inspired. For example, American IV: The Man Comes Around (Def American, 2002) represents Johnny Cash among the “Coming Home” selections rather than many songs from earlier in his career. The same section presents Emmylou Harris with Wrecking Ball (Asylum, 1995) rather than her iconic Luxury Liner (Warner Bros., 1976) or Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (Warner Bros., 1978). Willie Nelson’s mention comes with Stardust (Columbia, 1978). Rather than imagining the artists early in their careers, Darlington opts for the artists after becoming themselves.
The old guard is present and represented uniquely selected vinyl offering. Hank Williams shows up this his Moanin’ the Blues (MGM Records, 1952) and its songs, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “I’m a Long Gone Daddy,” and “Honky Tonk Blues.” This is Williams’ road music, representing Williams as a Chuck Berry-like country theoretician. The appropriately predictable Mama Tried (Capitol, 1969) is the album reflecting Merle Haggard, while Carnegie Hall Concert (Capitol, 1966) shines its light on Buck Owens. Old No. 1 (RCA, 1975) appropriately addresses Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt (Poppy, 1969) mirrors that artist.
Most of the usual suspects: Loretta Lynn (Coal Miner’s Daughter (Decca, 1971)), Hank Williams, Jr. (Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (Elektra/Curb, 1979) - could it have been any other?). Regarding more contemporary music, the 2000s and beyond are well represented with Chris Stapleton’s Traveller (Mercury, 2015, Miranda Lambert’s Weight of These Wings (RCA, 2016), and Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour (MCA, 2018). Courageous inclusions include Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (Republic, 2021) and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter (Columbia, 2024). Perhaps predictable but still inspired are Bonnie Raitt’s Give It Up (Warner Bros., 1972) and Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel (Capitol, 1974). And with great gratitude are John Prine and John Prine (Atlantic, 1971) and Jason Isbell and Southeastern (Southeastern, 2013).
What about the booze?
Oh yes, the paired recipes orbit the bourbon, tequila/mezcal, and rum constellations rendered in a dizzying array of mixologic delights. Absinthe appears frequently as a tincture blessing the drinks described with a certain delicious depravity. Most drinks are elaborate, requiring three or more ingredients. They range from sweet and fanciful to savory and omnipotent. This is a collection of libations that would be fun to work one’s way through with the suggested listening. It leaves open the opportunity for the listener/drinker to make up their own pairings. That is the real entertainment with this book. Isn’t that what this is all about?
Let me head this part off at the pass: a book like this cannot please every reader. It is the author’s prerogative to include what inspires them (and, also, what may draw the greatest readership) That being said, when compared with the artists included in this volume, there are two unfortunate exclusions and two near stylistic misses that could have otherwise enhanced this book.
This book addresses several “Beach Country” recordings without one inclusion by Jimmy Buffett (not counting the clouded mention on the Beachy Country Playlist (“It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” — with Alan Jackson)). Seeing that Buffett was the leading advocate, if not inventor of the genre, it should not have been too much to include A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean (MCA, 1973) with its brilliant “Railroad Lady” (written with Jerry Jeff Walker, who does not rate a mention in this book).
Another unfortunate omission is Rodney Crowell. Many included in this book have recorded his songs. Yet, no room for Ain’t Living Long Like This (Warner Bros., 1978)?
But one can’t include every worthy artist, and Darlington’s is a yeoman’s effort. He accomplishes what he intended to generate one hell of a lot of fun while making the reader smarter about country music and the libations that go best with it.