Sherry Monahan
Sherry began her writing career when she combined her passion for food, travel, and history. She penned her first book, Taste of Tombstone, in 1998. That same passion landed her a monthly magazine column in 2009 when she began writing her food column in True West entitled, Frontier Fare. It includes details of food, drink, businesses and related stories in the Victorian West as well as a historic photo. She is a culinary historian who enjoys researching the genealogy of food and spirits. Visit her book page to see all her publications.
She is the past president of Western Writers of America (2014-2016) and holds memberships in the James Beard Foundation, the Author’s Guild, Single Action Shooting Society, and the Wild West History Association. Sherry is also a professional genealogist and an honorary Dodge City marshal.
Sherry is a member of the Most Intrepid Western Author Posse and each year they ride into a different town to entertain and sell books.
Works
Golden Elixir of the West
Distilleries are the new microbreweries, cropping up all over the West and producing brands that emulate the predecessors that were made in copper stills by emigrants and served in saloons and dance halls. This history of the spirit and its origins and migration across the country—and its place in shaping the West—celebrates the story of the golden elixir through first-hand accounts, evocative photographs, and historic cocktail recipes. Whiskey was the golden elixir of the West and king of the distilled spirits. It was an integral part of the great western expansion and has strong ties to early explorers, pioneers, the railroads, and the cattle era. It was sold as medicine, used to barter with, and often gave courage where there was none. Whiskey’s role in shaping the West, and its rise to prominence over rum or vodka, has its roots in the early days of the United States. It’s a story of taxes, availability, and profits.
California Madams
Tinsel, Tumbleweeds, and Star-Spangled Celebrations
Western Writers of American Cookbook
The Cowboy's Cookbook
Frontier Fare
Mrs. Earp: Wives and Lovers of the Earp Brothers
California Vines, Wines & Pioneers
Images of America: Southport
Images of America: Cary, NC
Images of America: Apex
Tombstone's Treasure
The Wicked West
Images of America: Pikes Peak
Taste of Tombstone
Awards and Recognition
- Will Rogers Bronze Medallion, 2018 (Golden Elixir of the West)
- Will Rogers Gold Medallion, 2018 (Tinsel, Tumbleweeds, and Star-Spangled Celebrations)
- Will Rogers Gold Medallion, 2016 (Cowboy's Cookbook)
- Wrangler Award, 2010
- Glyph Award, 1999
Website
Location
Holly Springs, NC
Author Contact
Category
Cooking / Food & Wine, General Non-Fiction, Biography & History, Entertainment & Culture