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

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The book is easy to read, with good humor, and good pace. I really liked the sections "Drinking the Empire" in which he gives suggestions for each of the drinks, especially those he thinks would be most like what used to be drunk at the time. I suppose I would have liked to read more about booze in America. This is often touched on, but we don't get an entire chapter on it like we do, for example, with Australia. On the other hand, perhaps Australia fits better into a single chapter while America would have required a second volume? No offense to the Aussies. There is plenty of booze history left out, even as it relates to the English empire, which is the focus of the book, but what is included is good. British connection. Champagne? The technology for making sparkling came from England and the taste for a bone-dry wine also came from these shores: without

Swedes have schnapps and the Mongolians have fermented mare’s milk. The British, however, have a whole smorgasbord of drinks to compensate for the cold, Well argued and full of fascinating booze-related facts . . . it's an ambitious undertaking, but [Jeffreys] achieves it with a sharp eye and an understated humorous touch I rather liked. Daily Mail

In short, “Empire of Booze” is an excellent and entertaining read. Well written, clearly well-researched, amusing and informed. If it wasn’t any good you’d be reading something else here today; that was the deal. Charming . . . Never mind books about drink – a book you can drink, now that’s a Christmas gift. Spectator 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

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 They also started the fashion for corking bottles – before then they had been sealed with paper and wax – facilitated by Britain’s close diplomatic relationship with Portugal, where most cork trees grow. damp climate. This sheer ingenuity in creating alcoholic drinks is peculiar to Britain. Papers were read at the Royal Society in the 17 thI am a great admirer of Henry Jeffreys and have been eagerly awaiting his booze and empire book for many years!" – Elif Batuman, author, academic and journalist. Then you get a bit specialist. “ Inside Burgundy” (Jasper Morris) is the book I reach for most when I need to know something. It is impeccable. “ The Wines of Burgundy” (Clive Coates) is up there too. For a reference point on older wines then “Vintage Wine” (Michael Broadbent) is a must. And the paragraph above is lifted straight from what I wrote about “ Pomerol” (Neal Martin), which is the sort of book I’d like to write. Neal’s book is the last wine book I’ve read.

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. This is a difficult one to answer as following that rioja epiphany I got a job in Oddbins in Headingley where we drank a lot of very good wine though often in slightly strange circumstances: a bottle of Pesquera drunk after a techno night or a 1976 Von Buhl Spatlese drunk whilst watching the sun come up over Harrogate. These were memorable wines and I was certainly closer to my maker though not sure the wines were the main reason. 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 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 Even if you don't like wine, and you don't like reading, you will enjoy reading Henry Jeffreys on wine and other 'tipples'. Rachel Johnson, author and journalist

Summary

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 are faring today and will include recommendations so you can drink your way through the book. Britain’s legacy has been much argued over. The lasting gifts 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…