a book
Empire of Booze
Henry Jeffreys · 2017 · 304 pages
From renowned booze correspondent Henry Jeffreys comes this rich and full-bodied history of Britain and the Empire, told through the improbable but true stories of how the world’s favourite alcoholic drinks came to be.
Read about how we owe the champagne we drink today to seventeenth-century methods for making sparkling cider; how madeira and India Pale Ale became legendary for their ability to withstand the long, hot journeys to Britain’s burgeoning overseas territories; and why whisky became the familiar choice for weary empire builders who longed for home.
Jeffreys traces the impact of alcohol on British culture and society: literature, science, philosophy and even religion have reflections in the bottom of a glass. Filled to the brim with fascinating trivia and recommendations for how to enjoy these drinks today, you could even drink along as you read...
So, raise your glass to the Empire of Booze!
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Tom Holland
“You will not read a more entertaining book on alcohol than @HenryGJeffreys' History of Booze, which advances the splendid theory that the country which has most influenced its history over the past few centuries is none other than Britain.”↗