A History of the World in 6 Glasses

 As I've previously discussed, the intersection of food, history, and anthropology fascinates me. The diffusion of customs among disparate groups can teach an attentive observer much about the commonalities between groups, be they ancient, through ancestors, or in the moment via contact such as trade. Moreover, not only do changes in culture lead to alterations in cuisine, but the opposite is true as well.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage studies the way that drinks and culture affected each other during the development of society. It starts with beer and the way it improved the safety of beverages in the first civilizations, like Sumer. Then, it continues with wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Some of the tales were familiar to me, such as the importance of coffee houses in English society leading to still renowned organizations such as Lloyd's of London (from Lloyd's Coffee House), the London Stock Exchange (initially from Johnathan's), and many others. 

However, many of the histories related by Mr. Standage were entirely new to me. I don't want to reiterate all that I learned (this post would be novel-length), but one story was particularly fascinating to me. Apparently, the American Civil War that we all know wasn't the first attempt at secession from the union. Even as I write this, I'm envisioning the incredulous look on your face, dear reader. I know, I was startled as well. The first attempt occurred during the presidency of George Washington. Yeah, that didn't take long. Oh, and in a great example of history rhyming, these mutineers were unhappy due to taxes on beverages. No drinks ended up in the harbor, though there was a large mobilization of state militias sent to suppress it. And all because Alexander Hamilton 

Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (waiting in the wings for you)
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time!

decided to levy a tax on whiskey production in order to raise funds. It is really worth reading- the language is easy and it is relaxing, informative, and just all around enjoyable. On my desk next to me is another book by Tom Standage, An Edible History of Humanity. I just got it in the mail yesterday and I really look forward to reading it (not next in the queue, but soon I hope).

Anyway, 2 random thoughts to finish the night- first the word "queue" literally only has 20% of its letters pronounced. Secondly, Hamilton has an amazing soundtrack. I got to watch it on Disney+ a couple years back when it was briefly released there (I actually subscribed to the service for a month just for access). I still can't think of the name Alexander Hamilton without mentally breaking out into song. Helpless is just such an amazing song. Actually the whole soundtrack is great. Bucket list item: go see it live.

I can keep rambling on about this, but probably shouldn't to avoid scaring off my readers. To quote Critical Drinker, "Anyway, that's all I've got for today. Go away now."