A History of the World in 6 Glasses

by Tom Standage

Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever. —Aristophanes, Greek comic poet (c. 450–385 BCE)

Baths, wine and sex ruin our bodies. But what makes life worth living except baths, wine and sex? —Corpus Inscriptionis VI, 15258