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"Alcoholic beverages"
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Uncorking the past
In a lively gastronomical tour around the world and through the millennia, Uncorking the Past tells the compelling story of humanity's ingenious, intoxicating search for booze. Following a tantalizing trail of archaeological, chemical, artistic, and textual clues, Patrick E. McGovern, the leading authority on ancient alcoholic beverages, brings us up to date on what we now know about the creation and history of alcohol, and the role of alcohol in society across cultures. Along the way, he integrates studies in food and sociology to explore a provocative hypothesis about the integral role that spirits have played in human evolution. We discover, for example, that the cereal staples of the modern world were probably domesticated in agrarian societies for their potential in fermenting large quantities of alcoholic beverages. These include the delectable rice wines of China and Japan, the corn beers of the Americas, and the millet and sorghum drinks of Africa. Humans also learned how to make mead from honey and wine from exotic fruits of all kinds: even from the sweet pulp of the cacao (chocolate) fruit in the New World. The perfect drink, it turns out-whether it be mind-altering, medicinal, a religious symbol, liquid courage, or artistic inspiration-has not only been a profound force in history, but may be fundamental to the human condition itself. This coffee table book will sate the curiosity of any armchair historian interested in the long history of food and wine.
eBook
The cocktail hour garden : creating evening landscapes for relaxation and entertaining
\"C. L. Fornari calls us to relax, make the world go away, and reconnect with nature's beauty at twilight. In this book you'll learn: What flower and foliage colors make your garden shine in low light. What silver and white plants are at their most beautiful after dark. What flowering plants are best for attracting songbirds and butterflies and other pollinators. What fragrant herbs give you an aromatherapy treatment just by strolling by. What edible flowers add color and zip to your cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. And many more garden design ideas!\"-- P. 4 of cover.
Book
Alcohol
Whether as wine, beer, or spirits, alcohol has had a constant and often controversial role in social life. In his innovative book on the attitudes toward and consumption of alcohol, Rod Phillips surveys a 9,000-year cultural and economic history, uncovering the tensions between alcoholic drinks as healthy staples of daily diets and as objects of social, political, and religious anxiety. In the urban centers of Europe and America, where it was seen as healthier than untreated water, alcohol gained a foothold as the drink of choice, but it has been more regulated by governmental and religious authorities more than any other commodity. As a potential source of social disruption, alcohol created volatile boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable consumption and broke through barriers of class, race, and gender.Phillips follows the ever-changing cultural meanings of these potent potables and makes the surprising argument that some societies have entered \"post-alcohol\" phases. His is the first book to examine and explain the meanings and effects of alcohol in such depth, from global and long-term perspectives.
eBook
Alcohol in Latin America
Aguardente,chicha,pulque,vino-no matter whether it's distilled or fermented, alcohol either brings people together or pulls them apart.Alcohol in Latin Americais a sweeping examination of the deep reasons why. This book takes an in-depth look at the social and cultural history of alcohol and its connection to larger processes in Latin America. Using a painting depicting a tavern as a metaphor, the authors explore the disparate groups and individuals imbibing as an introduction to their study. In so doing, they reveal how alcohol production, consumption, and regulation have been intertwined with the history of Latin America since the pre-Columbian era.Alcohol in Latin Americais the first interdisciplinary study to examine the historic role of alcohol across Latin America and over a broad time span. Six locations-the Andean region, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, and Mexico-are seen through the disciplines of anthropology, archaeology, art history, ethnohistory, history, and literature. Organized chronologically beginning with the colonial era, it features five chapters on Mesoamerica and five on South America, each focusing on various aspects of a dozen different kinds of beverages.An in-depth look at how alcohol use in Latin America can serve as a lens through which race, class, gender, and state-building, among other topics, can be better understood,Alcohol in Latin Americashows the historic influence of alcohol production and consumption in the region and how it is intimately connected to the larger forces of history.
eBook
Tea time : delicious recipes, fascinating facts, secrets of tea preparation, and more
\"Tea is a plant with many beneficial qualities for one's health and spirit. In fact, the long life span of people in China has been associated with the population's regular intake of green tea. Healthier than coffee and with a positively stimulating or relaxing effect--according to the length of boiling time--the vitamins and flavonoids in this infusion are not only healthy but also help in fighting free radicals. Tea also promotes creativity, harmony, and internal balance. This heavily illustrated book is the most complete guide to this Oriental treasure that millions of Westerners also enjoy\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
The origins of specialized pottery and diverse alcohol fermentation techniques in Early Neolithic China
In China, pottery containers first appeared about 20000 cal. BP, and became diverse in form during the Early Neolithic (9000–7000 cal. BP), signaling the emergence of functionally specialized vessels. China is also well-known for its early development of alcohol production. However, few studies have focused on the connections between the two technologies. Based on the analysis of residues (starch, phytolith, and fungus) adhering to pottery from two Early Neolithic sites in north China, here we demonstrate that three material changes occurring in the Early Neolithic signal innovation of specialized alcoholic making known in north China: (i) the spread of cereal domestication (millet and rice), (ii) the emergence of dedicated pottery types, particularly globular jars as liquid storage vessels, and (iii) the development of cereal-based alcohol production with at least two fermentation methods: the use of cereal malts and the use of moldy grain and herbs (qu and caoqu) as starters. The latter method was arguably a unique invention initiated in China, and our findings account for the earliest known examples of this technique. The major ingredients include broomcorn millet, Triticeae grasses, Job’s tears, rice, beans, snake gourd root, ginger, possible yam and lily, and other plants, some probably with medicinal properties (e.g., ginger). Alcoholic beverages made with these methods were named li, jiu, and chang in ancient texts, first recorded in the Shang oracle-bone inscriptions (ca. 3200 cal. BP); our findings have revealed a much deeper history of these diverse fermentation technologies in China.
Journal Article
Alcohol in early Java : its social and cultural significance
\"In Alcohol in Early Java: Its Social and Cultural Significance, Jiří Jákl offers an account of the production, trade, and consumption of alcohol in Java before 1500 CE, and discusses a whole array of meanings the Javanese have ascribed to its use. Though alcohol is extremely controversial in contemporary Islamic Java, it had multiple, often surprising, uses in the pre-Islamic society\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
The Impact of Compounds Extracted from Wood on the Quality of Alcoholic Beverages
The production of some alcoholic beverages very often requires the use of wood from various tree species to improve the quality parameters (smell, taste, and color) of the drink. The review discusses the types of wood used in the production of wines, beers, and flavored vodkas. Changes occurring in wood during the process of toasting barrels or wood chips are described. The compounds derived from wood that shape the aroma, taste, and color of alcoholic beverages are presented. Depending on their origin, they were classified into compounds naturally occurring in wood and those formed as a result of the thermal treatment of wood. Next, the influence of the presence of wood on the quality of alcoholic beverages was described, with particular emphasis on wine, beer, whisky, and brandy. The final part of the article presents innovative techniques using wood to impart qualitative features to alcoholic beverages.
Journal Article