The Science Behind Drinking’s Greatest Myths, Legends, and Unanswered Questions
A charming, uproarious exploration of the scientific answers to our most timeless questions about drinks and drinking The world is full of questions, myths, and half-truths about drinking. Beer before liquor, never sicker? Should you drink the hair of the dog that bit you? These questions have often hilarious answers, but more often than not, the old wives’ tales and wild guesses of bartenders (and goers alike) drown them out. For the first time in one volume, ‘Distilled Knowledge’ compiles all the major points of discussion and disputation-with the science to either back them up or knock them down. Cocktail historian and instructor Brian D. Hoefling’s pithy, conversational text is divided into two parts. The first, What Hits the Glass, discusses the ins and outs of fermentation, distillation, aging, and mixing-even solving the age-old conundrum between shaken and stirred. The second section, What Hits the Body, deals with the after-effects of alcohol on the human body, answering a wide range of questions on intoxication, social lubrication, and hangovers. Readers will receive a complete and comical education through this attractive volume, which features clear, cheeky illustrations throughout. Complete with cross-references, scientific appendices, and a full index, the easily digestible entries are robust enough to put an end to any barroom dispute. A compulsively readable book, ‘Distilled Knowledge’ is as funny as it is factual and will delight cocktail enthusiasts, beer aficionados, and those who love a good bit of trivia. AUTHOR: Brian D. Hoefling is a Boston-based mixological historian, liquor blogger, event planner, and cocktail demonstrator. After graduating from Yale University, he opened the Herzog Cocktail School, a company specialising in private events and custom cocktail courses. His writing on cocktails has appeared in Boston Business Journal. Leandro Castelao is an Argentinean illustrator based in Brooklyn. He has worked with The New York Times, The New Yorker, Nike, and Google, and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2014 for best recording packaging. 30 full colour illustrations
