Rebellious Spirits: The Illicit History of Booze in Britain

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?

Table of Contents:
Contents; Introduction vii; Chapter 1: Monks and Monasteries 1; Chapter 2: They’ll Never Take Our Whisky 21; Chapter 3: The Gin Craze 55; Chapter 4: Pure Irish Spirit 91; Chapter 5: Worse Things Happen at Sea 115; Chapter 6: We’ll Drink Again 149; Chapter 7: A Scottish Fairy Tale 179; Chapter 8: Exploding Garages and Secret Speakeasies 201; Recommended Further Reading 239; Acknowledgements 241; Index 243

About the Author :
Ruth Ball grew up in the Peak District, and studied Chemistry at Imperial College London. After graduating she founded Alchemist Dreams, a company dedicated to making handmade liqueurs blended to order. Starting out from Ruth's own kitchen, the company now boasts The British Library, Starwood Hotels and The Science Museum Group as clients. In researching traditional spirit-making Ruth found that many of the best sources came from the wrong side of the law - and this book was born.

Review :
`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