Red, white, sparkling or rosé - arguably no other alcoholic drink has had more impact on our society than wine. From its earliest iterations in earthenware jars all the way to the bottles we find lining supermarket shelves today, it has evolved from its use in religious rites along with culture, diet and society as a whole. And with literally billions of litres drank worldwide, our love of fermented grape juice shows no signs of waning.
This little book gets to the heart of our love affair with wine. After taking a tour through a history of its evolution through the centuries, it delves into the nitty-gritty of production before we taste the fruits of all that labour - in moderation of course - and learn all about drinking (and hopefully appreciating) this most esteemed of beverages. As well as a whole caseload of quaffable facts and famous sayings about the nectar of the gods, there is also a glossary of useful wine terminology for the aspiring connoisseur, just in case you need a handy reminder during a particularly arduous tasting session...
1789 is one of the most significant dates in history. It is the year, obviously, the French Revolution kicked off with the nation's peasants demanding 'Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité! and led to the rolling of the heads of the French ruling class. Rather wonderfully, it's also the year that America emancipated the name Bourbon from the French and began distilling the whiskey that would soon become the official spirit of the United States. History's funny like that.
Precisely 235 years later, bourbon is having a big boom all around the world, its popularity never more in full swing. From high-profile celebrity brands to bestselling bottles, famous drinkers to high volume sales, bourbon is the next renaissance in spirits, following hot on the heels of the premium gentrification of rum, vodka, tequila and gin.
The Little Book of Bourbon is America's official spirit distilled into more than 175 shots of booze-infused facts, stats, trivia, history, tips, recipes, advice and much more. An absolute must-own companion for bourbon connoisseurs. Please read responsibly.
'All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.'
Fred Minnick
