Empire of Booze: British History Through the Bottom of a Glass

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Of course, it didn’t happen. It was always very unlikely to. Most book don’t sell. I also think the timing was bad. When I first started working on Empire of Booze , narrative non-fiction was all the rage. You know the kind of thing, how one man’s quest for cheese conquered a kingdom and changed the world. By the time it came out, such books were dead. Furthemore a book celebrating British exceptionalism in 2016 seemed to really annoy some people. I can’t think why. Henry Jeffreys is everything you want a wine writer to be: funny, knowing, unpretentious but also un-blokeish, funny, clever, refreshing, original, funny and inquisitive. And did I say funny?” – Craig Brown, author and parodist How did this small archipelago exert such influence on drinks? Like most cold countries, we have a fondness for alcohol. The Russians have vodka, the will be a loose history of Britain told through booze. Each chapter will focus on a drink and a period, but it will also look at how these classic drinks The book is full of interesting vignettes and factoids (if history is your thing), such as how techniques for adding bubbles to Champagne were actually developed in England for making bubbly cider.

Widow Burning, an account of the the Hindu custom. An uncommon original article from The Quarterly Review, 1851. to the world of the English language, railways and organised sports are much noted, but I would argue that our greatest gifts to the world are our Britain, champagne would have been flat and sweet. Port? Well, the names on the bottles are a clue: Taylor’s, Churchill’s, Smith Woodhouse. We went on to If any man deserved the epithet, a legend in his own lunchtime, it was Keith Waterhouse. You probably remember him for his playsBilly Liar, made into a film with Julie Christie and Tom Courtenay, andJeffrey Bernard is Unwell but his lunching exploits are equally worth celebrating. His work day consisted of rising at 6am, reading all the papers, writing his Daily Mail column followed by lunch that…strong drinks such as rum and India Pale Ale that could stand long hot journeys were developed. Whisky, an indigenous British drink, became the drink of Many men really can only communicate through sport. It provides a ritualised way to argue, to become passionate and to bond without having to talk about awkward things such as feelings. This isnever truer than of father-and-son relationships. But my father and Inever had this common ground… I did this slightly odd interview with Bluffer's Guides. I couldn't think of proper answers to most of the questions so I just made something up. 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.

I may have missed the boat here, but interested to know when your book on Kenelm Digby will be out. As I'm living in Thailand at present, book launches are not often on my radar. This was a Christmas gift from a few years ago and I don't know why I put off reading it, it was a fascinating look at the history of certain alcoholic drinks as influenced by Britain (for good or bad). I learn so many interesting facts! I would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in how alcohol is made (rather than just an interest in drinking it). 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... Production – Determines how much alcohol is produced each week. This helps keep the booze flowing when you’ve got a lot of businesses and patrons.This is a delightful book for anyone interested in history and alcoholic beverages, and how the two intersect. Fascinating pub trivia . . . Henry Jeffreys is a wine columnist and drinks writer who clearly knows his stuff * Mail on Sunday * 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.