Drinking Japan: A Guide to Japan's Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments by Chris Bunting

Though a few years old now Drinking Japan: A Guide to Japan's Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments is a hand dandy guide to alcoholic beverages in Japan. 

More than just a guide to sake bars, whisky bars, and great craft brewers, it's a great introduction to Japan's native and adopted alcohols and their history. 

What I appreciated the most was it does not begin and end with the big two - whisky and sake. Instead it cover everything - beer, wine, shochu, and awamori each get their own sections as well. Each comes with a history, some explanation, and then a guide to the best places - circa 2011 - to try the tipples. 

Bunting really does prove his point that Japan is a drinker's paradise - based on the amazing Japanese products available and they world-leading bars that bring together the best offerings from across the globe. And one tip - don't skip the bar descriptions even if you have no plans to visit. There are lots of nuggets of information in each and every profile - so they are worth reading.

The style of the book is delightful and that makes each and every chapter is easily drinkable.