“The first chapter of the book shows how to infuse spirits with various flavors, and then provides options on how to develop that flavored spirit into any number of different liqueurs. Use one-or more  of a number of different syrup recipes to sweeten it. Make it a cream liqueur… make it a chocolate based cream liqueur. The possibilities really are endless. It’s like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book… but tastier!”—Marie Porter

The Spirited Baker: 
Intoxicating Desserts & Potent Potables: Anybody familiar with the term “dessert in a glass” will love how mixologist Marie Porter turns concept on its head. Skip the fruitcake, and instead combine favorite spirits like Southern Comfort with traditional baking ingredients for Holiday bliss. Lynchburg Lemonade Cupcakes, Pina Colada Rum Cake, Strawberry Daiquiri Chiffon Pie are among the 160 recipes. MARIE PORTER, www.thespiritedbaker.com, $16.99

Cooking with Trader Joe’s: Dinner’s Done!: Trader Joe’s is America’s go-to source for affordable, sensational and entertaining.  Like their two previous books, Cooking With All Things Trader Joe’s and The Trader Joe’s Companion, the authors show you how to make maximum impact with TJ’s prolific spirits selection and global foodstuffs. DEANA DUNN & WONA MINIATI, www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com, $24.95.

Left Coast Libations: With the help of two nationally renowned West Coast bartenders and lush photography, give your favorite home bartender some California sunshine in cocktail form! Witty prose provides a decisively  “Left Coast” slant on topics such as the do’s and don’ts of ice usage and the role egg whites have in cocktails. SCOTT BODARKY and MICHAEL LAZAR, Left Coast Libations, $24.95

Mr. Boston Holiday Cocktails: This slim, elegant volume brings together wintertime favorites and modern cocktails with easy-to-follow recipes and alluring photography by Ben Fink.  It also includes “Trade Secrets,” from keeping punch cold for hours to making real grenadine at home. Edited by ANTHONY GIGLIO and JIM MEEHAN, Wiley, $15.95

The Sommlier Prep Course: What do you get the wine enthusiast who has everything?  Inspiration and a deeper knowledge of the stuff they love, including the latest on New World and Old World wines, viticulture, fermented beverages (sake, mead), beer and spirits. MICHAEL GIBSON, Wiley, $35.

The Bartender’s Best Friend, 2nd Edition: Proof big ideas come in small packages: this contains hundreds of recipes for cocktails, from an A.B.C. to a Zorbatini. This book also ensures the reader has a well-stocked bar, from equipment to ingredients, techniques, glassware, and garnishes. MARDEE HAIDEN REGAN, Wiley Paperback, $19.95.