[Pre-Sale] Cocktail Theory II - Data Driven Drinks by Dr. Kevin Peterson, Sfumato Co-Owner

[Pre-Sale: Anticipated Shipping Fall 2026]

Cocktail Theory II: Data-Driven Drinks is a statistics-based approach to understanding what drives individual drink preferences. Based on a 3-year research and survey study performed at Castalia, this book gets to the bottom of how to understand anyone’s taste profile, and make the perfect drink just for them.

(from the author, Dr. Kevin Peterson) I am writing a statistics book masquerading as a cocktail book. I am revealing the elements of flavor that are most important in determining which drink a person will love or loathe. I am expounding on 

My former bar, Castalia, pairs cocktails and fragrances, but more importantly, it also collects data about which drinks customers like and why. We offer a tasting menu, which is a mini version of the 8 drinks comprising one of our seasonal menus, and I ask guests to rate those drinks, and leave written feedback if they feel so inclined. I also ask them about their underlying flavor preferences, such as feelings about sweetness or bitterness, textures, or aroma. After 3 years, I have an unparalleled data set with more than 1,000 responses, and I have analyzed the data using a barrage of statistical techniques to understand what elements of flavor push a person towards or away from any given cocktail.  

I have poured countless hours and dollars into acquiring a first-of-its-kind data set by asking real guests to rate their actual drinks while they enjoy a night out at my bar. And more than 1,000 times, guests were happy to fill out a survey giving feedback on their drinks. This kind of in-situ data is literally unheard of on Earth, except for the piles and piles of feedback sheets I’ve tirelessly collected. 

Well, let the analysis begin! Combing through numeric rankings, verbal data, sentimental thoughts on flavor memories and drinks that left imbibers in a state of wordless ecstasy, I have gained countless insights into what drives flavor preference.

If all goes according to plan, I can have physical copies of the book in my hands by summer of 2026, and get them to you shortly after. Things rarely go entirely according to plan, so I’m more realistically planning a fall release of the book.

This book builds on my first book,  Cocktail Theory - A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks. Peterson is the co-founder of Sfumato and Castalia.