An Exploration of Seven European Alcoholic Drinks
Seven weeks of research.
I remember sitting on a beach, freshly 14 years old, and staring at Tom Standage’s A History of the World in 6 Glasses. I didn’t realize it back then, but this summer assignment would fundamentally change the way I interacted with the world and instill in me a love for food and beverage history.
When I talk about food and beverage history, I’m talking about the ways food has shaped the human experience over time economically, culturally, and spiritually. Over the years I’ve read books devoted to Salt, Coffee, Olive Oil, amongst many others, and listened to countless podcasts, seminars, and teachings on the subject. I’ve undergone experiments: going dairy free, kosher, and vegan. In fact, I’m still dairy free and kosher today.
My favorite part of food and beverage history is what it’s able to teach us about those specific peoples who exist(ed) and live(d) in specific cultures abiding by specific beliefs and bound my specific circumstance. Of all the research I’ve done, there is no area more telling of this as alcohol is.
Throughout this informal study, I sought to find answers to two questions:
1. What selection of alcoholic beverages is typical to the location I’m visiting?
2. What do these…
