Birds, Booze, and Brilliant Puns in One Book
A witty, illustrated cocktail guide for bird lovers, Make Myna Double pairs scientifically sound ornithology with pun-filled, bird-inspired drink recipes that are as delightful as they are delicious.
Birds and booze, together at last. Whether you're a budding birder or just love a well-crafted cocktail, Make Myna Double offers a playful and practical crash course in bartending and birdwatching. With every recipe tied to a real species-from hummingbirds and toucans to kiwis and ptarmigans-you'll learn the science behind feathers and flavors while shaking up creative drinks.
Crafted by a PhD ornithologist turned full-time cocktail creator. Katie Stryjewski, known for her Instagram @garnish_girl, combines her love of birds with years of mixology experience to create this one-of-a-kind guide. Each page brings together bird facts, clever puns, and mixology tips, with recipes grouped by spirit and presented alongside scientific sidebars, drink layering techniques, and fun field guide illustrations.
Inside, you'll find:
- 65 original cocktail and mocktail recipes, inspired by real birds and classic drinks
- Ornithological sidebars and bird facts, from courtship displays to brood parasitism
- Mixology guidance on tools, glassware, ingredients, and layering techniques
- Humor and education in equal parts, perfect for bird nerds and home bartenders alike
If you liked Tequila Mockingbird, Modern Cocktale Classics, or Mocktales, you'll love Make Myna Double.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Author’s Note
Note on Taxonomy, Names, and References
Abbreviations
Field Guide to Tools and Ingredients
Techniques
Native Species
- Cardinal
- Jungle Bird
- Paloma
- Stork Club
- Yellow Bird
Gin
- Bee-Eater’s Knees
- Bitter-n
- Booby Trap
- Gin & Tit
- Honeyguide
- Maharaja’s Kookaburra-Peg
- Purple Martini
- Ptarmigimlet
Rum
- Bananaquit
- Blue Hawaiian Honeycreeper
- Daiquiwi
- Doctor Bird
- Doradito Mojito
- Hot Tody
- Macawsmapolitan
- Piña Koel-ada
- Sazeracket-tail
- Toucan Play at that Game
- Vangastura Sour
Tequila
- Boom Chachalaca
- Fulmargarita
- Porn Starling Martini
- Tequila Sunbird
Vodka
- Appletini’iwi
- Bobwhite Russian
- Brambling
- Hoopoe Coupe-o
- Moscow Murre
- Vesper Sparrow
Whiskey
- Apple Eider
- Blood and Sandpiper
- Philadelphia Fish Crow Punch
- Queen’s Lark Swizzle
- Rob Royal Flycatcher
- Rusty Rail
- Sage Grouse
- Scarlet Rye-bis
Other
- Bamboo Partridge (Sherry)
- Bulbullini (Sparkling Wine)
- Hoatzinfandel (Pisco)
- Jaeger Bomb (Jaegermeister)
- Kite-parinha (Cachaça)
- LBB (Licor 43, Brandy, and Benedictine)
- Negrito Negroni (Pisco)
- Pitohui Punch – (Arrack)
- Rosélla (Rosé wine)
- Sidecardinal (Cognac)
- Suffering Bustard (split Rye/Gin)
Mocktails
- Bella Loona
- Mockingbird Mocktail
- Whydah Hell Not?
About the Author :
Katie Stryjewski is a PhD-trained ornithologist, cocktail creator, and the voice behind the popular Instagram account @garnish_girl, where she shares inventive recipes and stunning drink photography with over 26,000 followers. After earning her doctorate in ornithology and completing postdoctoral research on bird vision at Harvard University, Katie traded fieldwork for mixology, blending her scientific expertise with her creative passion for cocktails. Her work has been published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, PNAS, and Natural History, and she has been featured in Forbes, Liquor.com, The Wall Street Journal, and more. She is also the author of Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden. In Make Myna Double, Katie combines her love of birds and bartending, offering readers a uniquely witty and educational experience that celebrates both ornithology and craft cocktails. She is based in Boston, MA.
Review :
“Katie brings a fresh, thoughtful energy to cocktails. This book feels just like her: creative, approachable, and full of great ideas.”
—Natalie Migliarini, author of Beautiful Booze: Stylish Cocktails to Make at Home
“Stryjewski has created a truly delightful combination of ornithology and cocktails. Her storytelling brings bird-related natural history to life with each familiar yet creative recipe. As an ornithologist, I’m impressed with the level of detail she has managed to convey in such an accessible way. Everyone from experienced birdwatchers to cocktail enthusiasts is sure to find something to learn and enjoy.”
—Allison Shultz, associate curator of ornithology at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
“What a fun read! I love the birds-as-cocktails conceit, the connections the author finds between them, and the ever-present wordplay—which goes well beyond the book’s title to drinks like the Sidecardinal and the Compulsive Lyrebird. The cocktail recipes are original, interesting, and well within reach for readers to mix at home. You will learn a lot of great bird facts, but Make Myna Double is such a breezy book you may not even realize how much it’s teaching you. A clever, cheeky contribution to ornithologist-mixologist relations—and undoubtedly a great gift for bird lovers and cocktail lovers alike!”
—Brian D. Hoefling, author of Dryads: Spirits of the Trees and The Cocktail Seminars
“Katie’s new cocktail book is as delightful as it is clever. Effortlessly weaving the study of birds, geography, and history, Katie devises the perfect cocktail with a twist. Easy-to-prepare recipes, with spirits and mixer alternatives, add another layer to this humorous, unique, playful, and beautifully illustrated scientific cocktail adventure.”
—Diane Lapis, author of Cocktails Across America
