The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks

Written by:
Amy Stewart
Narrated by:
Coleen Marlo

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
75
Narrator
9
Release Date
March 2013
Duration
10 hours 19 minutes
Summary
Every great drink starts with a plant. Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley. Gin was born from a conifer shrub when medieval physicians boiled juniper berries with wine to treat stomach pain. The Drunken Botanist uncovers the surprising botanical history and fascinating science and chemistry of over 150 plants, flowers, trees, and fruits (and even a few fungi).Some of the most extraordinary and obscure plants have been fermented and distilled, and they each represent a unique cultural contribution to global drinking traditions and our history. Molasses was an essential ingredient of American independence when outrage over a mandate to buy British rather than French molasses for New World rum-making helped kindle the American Revolution. Captain James Cook harvested the young, green tips of spruce trees to make a vitamin C-rich beer that cured his crew of scurvy-a recipe that Jane Austen enjoyed so much that she used it as a plot point in Emma.With over fifty drink recipes, growing tips for gardeners, and advice that carries Stewart’s trademark wit, this is the perfect listen for gardeners and cocktail aficionados alike.
Reviews
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Anonymous

Very educational and entertaining.

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Anna M.

I loved this book. would recommend for younger readers and older alike. took me back to my western watching youth. the narrator took a little getting used to but over all reads well.

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Marcus G.

Even as a non-cocktail aficionado, this stroll through the finesse behind the booze is well researched and conveyed.

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Anonymous

If you like plants and mixing cocktails, this is a super-fun book. Science, cultural history, and recipes!

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