IN THE SPIRIT

La Bay London Dry Gin La Bay enters the crowded craft-spirits field with a point of view that’s entirely its own. Master distiller Shadi Saroufim builds the spirit around a remarkable ingredient: fresh juniper berries hand-picked from ancient trees in Lebanon. Their resinous brightness anchors the gin, but the surprise comes in the layers that follow—spring wild za’atar lending a green, savory lift, and fig leaves offering a subtle sweetness that threads through the botanicals without tipping the balance. It’s a flavor map that moves easily between the Mediterranean and California, resulting in a profile that’s both vivid and unusually harmonious. Distilled in small batches in Los Angeles, the gin feels intentional down to its presentation; the weighty glass stopper alone telegraphs luxury. The result is a spirit with enough structure for classic cocktails and enough personality to drink neat—distinctive, confident, and impossible to mistake for anything else. 3 Month Old Oak Barrel Aged Gin The three-month oak finish pushes the gin into deeper, more contemplative territory. Rested in custom American–French oak fusion barrels, the spirit picks up warm textures without losing the za’atar-and-fig signature that defines the original. The wood adds a quiet hum of caramel and tobacco, a wisp of dark chocolate, and a gentle leathered edge, turning the herbaceous profile rounder and more mature. Silky on its own and striking over ice, it’s a confident evolution—familiar in identity yet thrilling in its new depth. https://www.labaygin.com/

Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin The Empress lineup expands with a gin that trades spectacle for sheer vibrancy. Cucumber Lemon leans into the flavors of a refined afternoon tea, but the execution is anything but quaint. Eight botanicals—jasmine, cardamom, juniper, and bright lemon peel among them—build a profile that’s crisp, aromatic, and confidently layered. The cucumber brings a cooling clarity, the citrus snaps everything into focus, and the florals soften the edges without drifting into perfume. What makes this release stand out is its agility: it’s just as compelling in a simple highball as it is in more elaborate cocktails, where its citrus-forward spark can lift even familiar recipes into brighter, livelier territory. Perfect for anyone who wants a gin that tastes like summer, but thinks like a classic. https://empressgin.com/

Bitter Bianca Victoria Distillers, best known for the color-shifting Empress 1908 Gin, turns to the aperitif world with a spirit that’s all about nuance. Bitter Bianca folds eleven botanicals—gentian, wormwood, and bright citrus among them—into a bittersweet profile that reads both modern and classic. Distilled in copper pot stills, it shows off layers of fruit and florals without losing its herbal spine. Whether anchoring a spritz or lending depth to stirred cocktails, it’s a polished, all-natural bottle that rewards anyone chasing complexity over sweetness. Try it in a Negroni and suddenly everyone asks, “Wait—what did you put in this? https://bitterbianca.com/

Bloody Gerry Bloody Mary & Michelada Mix This Venice-born mix earns its accolades not through gimmicks but through clarity of flavor. Built on organic tomatoes and bright California lemon juice, it avoids the usual syrupy shortcuts and instead delivers a clean, savory backbone that suits both Bloody Marys and Micheladas. Its triple win at the SIP Awards hints at why: the blend is confident, balanced, and unexpectedly refined for a bottled base. With no preservatives, added sugar, or thickeners, it’s a reliable staple for anyone who prefers their cocktails crisp, honest, and instantly pourable. https://www.bloodygerry.com/

BOOKS

The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Insight Editions) by Jay Glennie Glennie opens the official Tarantino Library with a meticulous chronicle of the making of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, built from unprecedented access to the filmmaker and his collaborators. Tarantino not only introduces the volume but contributes an extraordinary archive of on-set photographs, design sketches, memos, and ephemera that chart the film’s evolution from first spark to its ten Oscar nominations. Glennie’s new interviews—spanning Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and an expansive supporting cast—create a layered, first-person portrait of an auteur assembling one of his most iconic achievements. https://insighteditions.com/

Chanel: Her Intimate World by Isabelle Fiemeyer (Flammarion) An intimate and layered portrait of Coco Chanel emerges in this revelatory biography, enriched by rare access to her surviving family and personal archives. Far from the mythologized icon, Chanel appears here as a woman of symbols, secrets, and sentiment—her poetry, talismans, and clandestine wartime activities examined with nuance. Isabelle Fiemeyer’s sensitive narrative, bolstered by unpublished documents and cherished heirlooms, offers a profoundly human glimpse into a complex legacy. A must-read for those seeking the soul behind the silhouette. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Banksy: The Prints by Roberto Campolucci-Bordi, Paul Coldwell (Thames & Hudson) An arresting visual archive of provocation and wit, this meticulously compiled volume charts the evolution of Banksy’s print work—174 distinct editions that distill his wall-bound rebellion into collectible form. From modest beginnings to pop-cultural phenomenon, these prints reveal a parallel practice that both echoes and deepens his street interventions. The POW legacy looms large, anchoring a subversive, accessible body of work that challenged art world hierarchies even as it infiltrated them. Essential for understanding the private logic behind a profoundly public artist.

Bellissimo: Michele Morrone by Dolce&Gabbana (Rizzoli) Michele Morrone’s rise from Netflix star to global fashion icon is captured through a striking series of never-before-seen images that span his work with Dolce&Gabbana, a perfume campaign with Katy Perry, and his cinematic ascent alongside legends like Anthony Hopkins. Actor, musician, and visual artist, Morrone emerges here as both muse and mystery—his charisma as potent on screen as it is on the page. This portrait of a modern sex symbol celebrates not just fame but the layered magnetism of a man shaping his own myth. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Carlos Santana: Love Devotion Surrender -The Illustrated Story of Santana’s Musical Journey by Jeff Tamarkin (Insight Editions) This lavish retrospective charts Carlos Santana’s remarkable half-century of boundary-shifting music through the lens of his own archives. Hundreds of rare photographs, sketches, letters, and tour artifacts trace a career that earned him nearly a dozen Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. New interviews—with collaborators ranging from Clive Davis to John McLaughlin and Rob Thomas—add sharp insight into his creative evolution. The result is an intimate, visually rich portrait of an artist who reshaped rock, Latin music, and the guitar itself. Comes in a deluxe slipbox case. https://insighteditions.com/

Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery by Alexander Fury (Thames & Hudson) Westwood’s legacy finds a fitting tribute in this gleaming volume, which celebrates her jewelry’s irreverent glamour—from punk-laced paperclip earrings and broken-pearl chokers to the iconic crystal orb. Curated by fashion authority Alexander Fury, it showcases 163 dazzling images: close-ups, catwalks, and portraits of Westwood herself. Each piece—necklace, brooch, tiara, or cuff—reveals the house’s subversive codes and fantastical craftsmanship. Layered with wit, politics, and couture rebellion, this is not just jewelry—it’s a manifesto in metal, glass, and myth. A glittering must for collectors and fashion devotees.

Roberto Bolle: Dance and Fashion by Robert Bolle (Rizzoli) A tribute to both physical perfection and artistic mastery, this opulent volume captures Roberto Bolle in all his incarnations: divine, disciplined, and disarmingly human. Photographed by legends like Leibovitz, Weber, Ferri, and Testino, Bolle’s sculptural form becomes a canvas for dance, desire, and devotion. His own reflections—and those of admirers across fashion, culture, and performance—trace a career that vaulted ballet into the mainstream. At once an icon and ambassador, Bolle moves through these pages like myth made flesh, radiant with elegance and unmistakable presence. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

André Leon Talley: Style is Forever by Paula Wallace Et al (Rizzoli Electa) Talley’s inimitable style takes center stage in this opulent visual tribute, where iconic capes, suits, and sweeping silhouettes become emblems of his cultural impact. From his beginnings under Diana Vreeland to his reign at Vogue, Talley’s journey through fashion’s highest echelons is chronicled with reverence and flair. New and archival photography interlace with memories from peers, offering a window into the legacy of a man who didn’t just observe fashion—he was fashion. A vibrant, posthumous celebration of brilliance, audacity, and black excellence. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Monet and Venice by Lisa Small Et al (Rizzoli Electa) Monet’s luminous Venice paintings—mist-veiled domes, canals melting into sky—are reunited for the first time in over a century in this ravishing exhibition companion. Anchored by masterpieces from Brooklyn and San Francisco, the volume traces how Venice’s fragile grandeur stirred Monet’s lifelong obsession with light, reflection, and atmosphere. Blending bold brushwork with ecological sensitivity, these late works shimmer with an enveloppe that fuses water, air, and stone. A sensory journey through the City of Bridges, and a must-have for any Monet devotee. https://www.rizzoliusa.com/

Tilda Swinton: Ongoing by Tilda Swinton et al (Rizzoli Electa) A vivid meditation on transformation and artistic symbiosis, this richly tactile volume traces Tilda Swinton’s singular presence across cinema, fashion, and art through images, dialogues, and archival ephemera. From Derek Jarman to Bong Joon Ho, she emerges less as muse than co-creator, reshaping the actor’s role through daring collaborations. With stills from Orlando, Suspiria, Only Lovers Left Alive, and more, the book is as visually inventive as its subject—printed on four paper stocks and acetate, and layered with essays, correspondence, and revelatory conversations.

Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast by Marie-Sophie Carron de la Carrière (Thames & Hudson) An immersion into the creative force who revolutionized early 20th-century fashion, this volume captures Paul Poiret’s avant-garde spirit through garments, decorative arts, perfume, and spectacle. From his collaborations with Raoul Dufy to his flair for theatricality and modern silhouettes, Poiret’s vision shaped the era and left a bold mark on design history. Featuring 200 color illustrations from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, it’s a richly layered tribute to a pioneer whose influence continues to ripple through fashion’s most daring and imaginative voices.

The Romans – A 2,000-Year History by Edward J. Watts (Basic Books) Rather than reheating the usual Cicero-to-Caesar snapshot, this commanding volume restores Rome to its full, unruly sprawl. Edward J. Watts traces the city’s evolution from Iron Age outpost to medieval powerhouse, charting wars, religious transformations, imperial fractures, and unlikely revivals with scholarly ease. The narrative moves nimbly from the Punic conflicts to Manzikert and the Crusaders, showing how a remarkably mixed population sustained Rome’s endurance. Readers drawn to the long arc of power—its reinventions and collapses—will find this a capacious, invigorating history. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/basic-books/

Jung’s Life and Work: Interviews for Memories, Dreams, Reflections with Aniela Jaffé (Princeton) A rare chance to hear Jung unfiltered, these newly translated interviews restore the wit, daring, and mysticism edited out of his famous memoir. Across wide-ranging conversations with Aniela Jaffé, he reflects on Freud, William James, Einstein, visions that shaped his theories, and the personal experiments behind the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the shadow. Sonu Shamdasani’s meticulous annotations and previously unpublished material deepen the sense of discovery, revealing a mind still probing the mysteries of psyche, religion, and destiny at the end of his life. https://press.princeton.edu/

The Lost History of Roman Theatre by T. P. Wiseman (Princeton) Revisiting a millennia of overlooked evidence, Wiseman interrogates the prevailing narrative of Roman theatrical origins with the precision of a historian and the instincts of a dramaturge. Drawing from neglected classical texts, visual artifacts, and long-dismissed grammarians’ lists, he exposes a sophisticated dramatic culture predating 240 BC. By disentangling history from historiography, this work restores nuance to a theatrical tradition too often filtered through Greek paradigms and modern misreadings. A sharp, revelatory contribution to both classical scholarship and performance studies. https://press.princeton.edu/

Timaeus in Paradise: Metaphors and Beauty from Plato to Dante and Beyond by Piero Boitani (Princeton) This lyrical volume traces the enduring resonance of Plato’s Timaeus—its visions of creation and beauty—through Dante, Aquinas, Kepler, and into the frescoes of Anagni and the cathedrals of Chartres. Moving across philosophy, theology, mysticism, and art, Boitani unearths the Platonic imagination shaping Europe’s spiritual and aesthetic legacy. With short, poetic chapters and rich iconography, the book explores how one ancient text stirred images as luminous as the cosmos it described—images that ripple across centuries of thought, worship, and wonder. https://press.princeton.edu/