Rebellious Spirits: The Illicit History of Booze in Britain - Hardcover

Ruth Ball

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1783961791 ISBN 13: 9781783961795

Publisher: Elliott & Thompson Limited, 2015

Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Fortnum & Mason Debut Drink Book of the Year Award

A delicious history of the secret, exciting and often dangerous world of illicit spirits

For as long as spirits have existed, there has been someone doing something really naughty with them: selling gin through pipes in a London back alley; standing guard on a Cornish clifftop waiting for a smuggler's signal; or dodging bombs and shrapnel running whisky in the Blitz. It is a history that is thrilling, utterly fascinating and uniquely British.

Packed full of historical recipes, from Milk Punch to a Wartime Martini, along with cocktails from contemporary bartenders, Rebellious Spirits is a treasure trove for the curious drinker.

From the gin dispensed from a cat's paw at the Puss and Mew shop which could have been the world's first vending machine, to whole funeral corteges staged just to move a coffin filled with whisky, the stories show off all the wonderful wit and ingenuity required to stay one drink ahead of the law. The accompanying recipes are just as intriguing: How did we drink gin before tonic? Was punch really made with curdled milk? Or breakfast served with brandy porridge, and gin mixed into hot ale? What did the past really taste like?

About this title

Product Description:

The history of spirits in Britain has more illicit in it than licit. Even the official histories of brands that trade heavily on their authentic historical roots are full of gaps and short on detail. From their beginnings in ancient religious ceremonies, spirits have often been consumed in secret, and as swiftly as they have risen to popularity, they have been suppressed. Their story takes in the first Malt Laws in Scotland, the restriction on gin in Hogarth's London in the eighteenth century and the bootleggers of the Second World War. Today the state of illicit spirits is a darker and more sobering affair, of foreign gangs and organised crime. But legal versions of the bootlegging experience are flourishing, and the reader is taken on a whistle-stop tour of the best speakeasies to be found. It is a history that is dark, dangerous and utterly fascinating; this book will not only let people discover that history, but also give them the chance to taste it with authentic recipes. How did we drink gin before tonic? Was punch really made with milk? Or breakfast served with brandy porridge, and gin mixed into hot ale? What did the past really taste like?

Review:

***** 5 Stars – "Many laugh out loud moments... I absolutely loved the recipes....It's such an interesting book that I am sure I will pick it up again for many years to come. It has certainly made drinking whisky and gin much more interesting... just the right amount of history and humour’"– The Book Magnet

“Full of great stories about the sordid and often lethal business of illegal alcohol” – Henry Jeffreys, The Guardian Best Drink Books of 2015

“For boozy, literary-minded dreamers... a lively and engaging read” – Countrywives.co.uk

“Evok[es], with its tales of gin being piped in alleyways, a mood of nostalgic Blitz-era gentility” – Stephen Bayley, Spectator

"I’m forever fascinated by the underground, and the sub-cultural drinking habits of bad old Blighty are a rip-roaring read" - King Adz, author of The Urban Cookbook and Street Knowledge

“I've finally found a book about the history of spirits I can be wholeheartedly enthusiastic about. ... I loved everything about this book; the enthusiasm it brings to its subject, the try this at home approach, it's humour, and the stories it brings to life. It really has a lot to recommend it. The alchemist sounds intriguing too - apparently one of her commissioned cocktails was for the British library - it had to evoke the flavour of old books, now that's something I'd like to try.” – desperatereader.blogspot.uk

“Ruth Ball has written an interesting and fun book on Britain’s favourite subject – the demon drink, and I love it.” - AtticusFinch

“A damn fun read... I love the mix of historical facts with recipes and personal stories from the characters involved. And the characters we meet on the way are fascinating – as are the ingenious lengths they go to in order to conceal their illicit booze making from the authorities. To avoid giving away any spoilers, the best I can say is that you must read this book and learn that there are people out there who quite literally died so that you could enjoy a dram of whisky when you fancy one.” –- Madame J-Mo

“An engaging, witty and informative read for anyone interested in the colourful and exciting history of booze” – Ginfestival.com

"Alchemist and drinks genius Ruth Ball has written a thrilling history of people and events surrounding the intoxicating world of spirits" -- Lemonaste blog

About this edition

• Publisher: Elliott & Thompson Limited
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1783961791
• ISBN 13: 9781783961795
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272