Abstract
A non-academic work written for a general commercial readership, this book answers many questions including: What role did Scotch whisky play in the development of the steam engine? Who first coined the word "alcohol"? This initial volume opens with the discovery that ancient Arabic term "al kol" had two appropriate definitions long before Europeans learnt to distill alcohol: "1: a genie or spirit that takes on varied shapes (a supernatural creature in Arab mythology). 2: Any drug or substance that takes away the mind or covers it." From there, the study traces the birth of spirits from China, to India, to Persia, through Europe and on to the New World. What did people do with these potent potables long before the first cocktail was ever mixed? The book explores the centuries-old origins of classic mixed drinks. But it doesn't stop there. Spirits and the drinks made with them have close ties to some of civilisation's landmark periods including the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Mongol, and Persian Empires as well as major historical events including the Crusades, Little Ice Age, The Black Death, the American Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
Publisher | Mixellany Limited |
Number of pages | 248 |
Volume | 1 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-0976093794 |
Publication status | Published - 25 Jun 2009 |