A History of the World in 6 Glasses

A fun book about six beverages that have figured heavily in world history:

1. Beer

2. Wine

3. Spirits (hard liquor, basically)

4. Coffee

5. Tea

6. Soft drinks

Each of these have influenced the world enormously in different ways. The world grew up around these drinks –

• People wanted access to them

• Congregating over them was a key societal influence

• Governments taxes them

• Moralists condemned them

• People went to war to get access to them

• Countries exported their culture through them in a kind of “beverage imperialism”

Example: tea played heavily in both the American Revolution and the British occupation of Hong Kong for 100 years. The book examines the history behind tea as a economic tool – how governments angered people by taxing it, and how it was used as currency in the opium trade.

Tom Standage is a great history writer. I also enjoyed his book about the history of the telegraph: The Victorian Internet