The Cocktail Diaries includes chapters on Sam’s Top 10 all-time favourites, ‘Simple and Timeless’ recipes for those easy crowd-pleasers, ‘Complex and Conversational’ for something a bit more sophisticated, and a final section, ‘Made by Friends’, featuring imaginative recipes created by international bartenders for Sam and his brand Sassenach Spirits – a tailormade tour of the world’s best cocktails.

Sam’s expertise and enthusiasm shine through, as he regales tales of tasting cocktails – from the historic Boulevardier in Paris and a Bramble in New Orleans to a Papaya Margarita in the back of a van in the Oaxaca mountains – and delights in sharing his favourite adventures (and drinks!) with the reader.