Drunken History

by Clint Lanier, Derek Hembree

10,000 Years of Drinking Distilled Into 200 Pages! Did you know that the Egyptians who built the pyramids were paid not in gold or silver, but something much more valuable to beer? Did you know that Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, arguably one of our greatest and most noble thinkers, was a huge advocate of brewing, had his own brewery and was fond of collecting—and drinking—fine wines from around the world? Did you know that the consumption of hard alcohol actually increased during prohibition even though everyone thought it would naturally decrease? Drunken History staggers through mankind’s sometimes blurry past to bring all of these stories to you through witty narratives and humorous episodes. You learn which president was at one time the nation’s largest distiller of whiskey, the origin of many of your favorite drinks, from vodka to gin. You learn how much the church had to do with making your beer and whiskey, and how asinine prohibition really turned out to be. Think of Drunken History as a shot of whiskey for your soul; a tonic to your spirit. It is 100 proof, triple distilled fun that will teach you everything you probably shouldn’t know about booze, drinking and the drinking culture. Cheers!

Genres: History

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Martin]

Yes, I'll admit it: I'm a Beer Geek. I have a Beer Blog. My home is cluttered with beer caps, bottles, labels and miscellaneous memorabilia. So, when I spotted the caveman speculatively eying a frosty mug of beer on the cover of a book entitled, "Drunken History, 10,000 Years of Drinking Distilled Into 200 Pages," I was intrigued.

The book, boasts 200+ pages of fascinating information about the history of our infatuation with alcohol. Divided into seven sections that logically follow the development of the fermentation and distillation of alcohol and how it relates to humankind, the authors, Clint Lanier and Derek Hembree, have mastered that delicate balance between information and education. Each section is chock-full of details, anecdotes, and factual material. Best of all, this is extraordinary stuff for social interaction. I can tell you that Drunken History has upped my entertaining small-talk quotient to soaring new heights.
Thank you, Clint and Derek!

So, yes, I certainly recommend this book. It is structured in a way that you can read the whole thing at once, or enjoy it section-by-section. It's fun, enlightening and humorous. This is a book that I know I'll reread and keep on-hand for years.