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Alcoholica Esoterica: A Collection of Useful and Useless Information As It Relates to the History andConsumption of All Manner of Booze

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Author: Ian Lendler
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$14.00~~
Buy New: $1.35
You Save: $12.65 (90%)

New (30) Used (17) from $0.99

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

12 reviews
Sales Rank: 133419

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 4.2 x 0.6

ISBN: 0143035975
Dewey Decimal Number: 394.13
EAN: 9780143035978
ASIN: 0143035975

Publication Date: September 27, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - Alcoholica Esoterica: A Collection of Useful and Useless Information As It Relates to the History andConsumption of All Manner of Booze

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Finally, theres a book thats almost as much fun as having a couple of drinks. Alcoholica Esoterica presents the history and culture of booze as told by a writer with a knack for distilling all the boring bits into the most interesting facts and hilarious tales. Its almost like pulling up a stool next to the smartest and funniest guy in the bar. Divided into chapters covering the basic booze groupsincluding beer, wine, Champagne, whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, and tequilaAlcoholica Esoterica charts the origin and rise of each alcohols particular charms and influence. Other sections chronicle "Great Moments in Hic-story," "Great Country Drinking Songs," "10 Odd Laws," and "Mt. Lushmore, Parts IV." Additionally, famous quotes on the joys and sorrows of liquor offer useful shots of advice and intoxicating whimsy.

Did you know...

that the word bar is short for barrier? Yes, thats rightto keep the customers from getting at all the booze.
that Winston Churchills mother supposedly invented the Manhattan?
that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because the sailors on the Mayflower were running low on beer and were tired of sharing?
that you have a higher chance of being killed by a flying Champagne cork than by a poisonous spider?
that the Code of Hammurabi mandated that brewers of low-quality beer be drowned in it?
that beer was so popular with medieval priests and monks that in the thirteenth century they stopped baptizing babies with holy water and started using beer?

Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Interesting AND informative. Wow... November 3, 2008
Most books in this category are well, boring. They go into history and process, and science, with the kind of zeal and skill as a second grade teacher who just had a huge paycut and has been off cigarettes for two weeks...but this book is totally different. It's progression is organized but witty. It lists the funny stuff that no one else will tell you and yet you'll still learn the science and history and process behind varying alcohol. Just like it starts out...all Alcohol is basically yeast poop. Champagne has a psi of 90 (or 3x your car tire) and was called devil wine by the monks who were injured by the exploding bottles. See now that's interesting!

5 out of 5 stars

A Must Have For Any Drink Aficionado's Library March 28, 2008
This was a fun book to read and reread from cover to cover. Each chapter was entertaining and informative with interesting tid-bits, historical caveats, and famous quotes. If you want to impress (or bore) your friends with seldom-known facts or off-the-wall stories about their favorite drink, then buy this book. This book is the best accompiament to a good dram of single malt scotch.
Cheers!

5 out of 5 stars

Best drinking facts! January 31, 2008
This thing has the most unbelieveable facts! I feel like I need to be taking notes to remember all of them; I might start doing just that. I would think this was a parody if I didn't know any better, but all these stories are either fact or at the very least well established theories.

Completely fascinating book! ...especially beacuse I LOVE the booze :)

5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and Offbeat book January 11, 2007
My husband is a wine writer for our local newspaper so I purchased this book for him. He liked the book so much that he did a side-bar to his last article with the following review:

More than just a book about wine this is "a collection of useful and useless information as it relates to the history and consumption of all manner of booze." There is a remarkable amount of information packed into this entertaining and offbeat book. You're likely to find yourself reading it two or three times because it is impossible to remember all the frivolous and factual trivia Lender offers up. For example, an Italian caf� owner created the beverage Compari in 1860 but it became wildly popular in the U.S. during Prohibition where it was considered a digestive bitter, not alcohol. It just happened to be 48 proof.

5 out of 5 stars

Hysterical and informative. November 10, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

If you like to tip a few here and there (and who doesn't?)this is a great read with pieces of trivia that you need as someone who enjoys a drink or three. It's not a novel so you can pick it up and put it down-even if you only have a minute.

Enjoy the book and dazzle your friends with your knowledge of a pastime that you are sharing.

5 stars!

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