Good Spirits

This is a helpful book that addresses the problem of what to drink once the adult has cut down on caffeine, cut out alcohol and turned away from the chemical wonders of soda. Simmons and Lagowski go beyond Perrier and Virgin Marys in an inspiring display of inventive mixology. They flavor ice cubes, retrieve homemade syrups. Their concoctionsincluding fruit drinks, ciders, tea, yogurt-, chocolate- and coffee-based drinksshow that the authors pursue with diligence the possibility of satisfying alternative libation. The book's episodic organization (""Apres Ski,'' ``On the Porch'') and up-tempo prose gear it to the supermarket audience, but with more than 100 intriguing recipes, Good Spirits is a valuable acquisition for any serious cook. The only drawback: many of the drinks involve a fair amount of work. (November)