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58 HOOK MAGAZINE | 2024 By David Neilsen Book Reviews Botanical Bar Cra# By Cassandra Elizabeth Sears "Humans have been evolving their consciousness for thou- sands of years by stretching and pushing the boundaries of sobriety." So says Cassandra Elizabeth Sears in her new book Botanical Bar Cra( and the statement is an excellent glimpse into her mind and methodology. A lifelong herbalist who put herself through school working as a bartender, the book is a joyful mix of her two passions. As she states in her Introduc- 9on, the book is both "an herbal medicine book for bar- tenders and a mixology book for herbalists." Sears begins her book with a look at how both herbs and al- coholic beverages have been part of the prac9ce of medicine for centuries. Alcohol does, indeed, have valuable medicinal benefits and can be quite useful and helpful when used prop- erly. Once the reader is infused with the idea of mixing botan- ical knowledge with the art of mixology, Sears takes us on a journey into the ins and outs of herbal cocktails and mock- tails. She discusses cra( dis9lla9on prac9ces, chemical inter- ac9ons, gardening - basically everything you ever needed to | World Heritage Sites A Complete Guide to 1199 UNESCO World Heritage Sites By UNESCO To qualify as a United Na9ons Edu- ca9onal, Scien9fic, and Cultural Or- ganiza9on (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, a loca9on must meet at least one of ten selec9on crite- ria. These are 1) represen9ng a masterpiece of human crea9ve ge- nius, 2) witnessing an important in- terchange of human values, 3) bearing an excep9onal tes9mony to a cultural tradi9on or civiliza9on, 4) being an outstanding example of architecture or landscaping which illustrates a significant stage in human history, 5) being an out- standing example of tradi9onal human se:lement, 6) being directly associated with events or living tra- di9ons of outstanding universal sig- nificance, 7) containing natural phenomena of excep9onal beauty, 8) represen9ng major stages of Earth's history, 9) being outstanding examples represen9ng stages of natural evolu9on, and 10) contain- ing important natural habitats for biological diversity. There are currently 1199 of these sites situated around the world on every con9nent (except Antarc9ca) and on islands in every ocean on the globe. This year, UNESCO published their 9th Edi9on of World Heritage Sites, and the book is a treas- ure trove of informa9on. Complete with over 850 mes- merizing photographs, it is a window into our world. Each lis9ng includes a geographic map of the loca9on, a list of the criteria the site has met in order to be included, and a lengthy descrip9on of loca9on and its history. The book itself has two methods of cata- loging the sites: in the front of the book are large, con9nent- sized maps with each World Heritage Site included while a country-by-country index is lo- cated in the back. At over 1,000 pages, it is an immense tome, and opening its pages at random can take you anywhere in the world. Flip open the book and read about Ancient Thebes in Egypt, which made the cut due to being an example of human crea9ve genius, giving tes9mony to cultural tradi- 9on, and being a Heritage as- sociated with events of universal significance. Flip 400 pages forward and you find Australian Fossil Mam- mal Sites which chronicle major stages of Earth's his- tory and which demonstrate significant ecological and processes. There are lis9ngs of amazing natural beauty as well as those which wit- nessed important moments in humanity's history. While there are quite a few World Heritage Sites located in the US, the only two sites which are in the State of New York are The Statue of Liberty and the Guggenheim Mu- seum in NYC. The la:er is not its own lis9ng, but is included as one of eight buildings rep- resen9ng the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. World Heritage Sites is a repository of informa9on about our world, and the book's stated purpose is to inspire the reader to take ac- 9on to help safeguard the shared heritage of humanity. know to truly master the art of botanical bar cra(. Once the basics are down, it is 9me to revel in the recipes. Botanical Bar Cra( includes over 60 original recipes, both al- coholic and non-alcoholic, with evoca9ve names such as Sexy Hot Chocolate (which she claims is the quintessen9al aphrodisiac), Ruby-Throat Sunset (a watermelon-flavored drink inspired by hummingbirds), and Gates of Immortality (an apothecary varia9on on the tradi9onal Whiskey Smash). Each recipe is a unique crea9on that uses fresh ingredients, 9nctures, and other botanical treasures. The book ends with a sec9on of plant monographs where Sears a:empts to familiarize the reader with a large number of plants that have turned up on the previous pages. These are in-depth descrip9ons with tastes, uses, habitats, prepara- 9on 9ps, and any important warnings or cau9ons that need to be addressed. The end result is a glorious combina9on of the two worlds. The herbalist is given new ways to use all of the amazing nat- ural ingredients they forage while the cocktail enthusiast's eyes have been opened to ways to bring their crea9ons to the next level.

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