The Drunken Botanist

Posted on 23 August 2018 by Amy Stewart

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 a Dutch physician added oil of juniper to a clear spirit, believing that juniper berries would cure kidney disorders The Drunken Botanist uncovers the enlightening botanical history and the fascinating science and chemistry of over 150 plants, flowers, trees, and fruits and even one fungus.Some of the most extraordinary and obscure plants have been fermented and distilled, and they each represent a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history Molasses was an essential ingredient in American independence when the British forced the colonies to buy British not French molasses for their New World rum making, the settlers outrage kindled the American Revolution Rye, which turns up in countless spirits, is vulnerable to ergot, which contains a precursor to LSD, and some historians have speculated that the Salem witch trials occurred because girls poisoned by ergot had seizures that made townspeople think they d been bewitched Then there s the tale of the thirty year court battle that took place over the trademarking of Angostura bitters, which may or may not actually contain bark from the Angostura tree.With a delightful two color vintage style interior, over fifty drink recipes, growing tips for gardeners, and advice that carries Stewart s trademark wit, this is the perfect gift for gardeners and cocktail aficionados alike. New Read Books The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart – kino-fada.fr Waaaayyyy back in my undergrad days, I fulfilled my science requirement in part by taking classes like Practical Botany and Environmental Plant Biology So, I know a thing or two about those things that grow in dirt Consequently, I found discussions about the necessary starch levels in potatoes needed to make good vodka at least semi interesting And now I finally know what proof means, which is good therein lies a delightfully entertaining story that I shan t spoil.Mostly, though, this boo Waaaayyyy back in my undergrad days, I fulfilled my science requirement in part by taking classes like Practical Botany and Environmental Plant Biology So, I know a thing or two about those things that grow in dirt Consequently, I found discussions about the ...Horticulture in bottles Booze and botany The elixir of life the aqua vitae that the plant world has given usEvery great drink starts with a plantSo, depending on the mission, one person will beinterested in the content of the bottle, and another might be thrilled by the botanical magic leading up to it I m one of the latter A teetotaler since forever, most boring nerd at a party Coffee and water the only substance abuses I am guilty of Ah, it just happily float my boatHow Horticulture in bottles Booze and botany The elixir of life the aqua vitae that the plant world has given usEvery great drink starts with a plantSo, depending on the mission, one person will beinterested in the content of the bottle, and another might be thrilled by the botanical magic leading up to it I m one of the latter A teetotaler since forever, most boring nerd at a party Coffee and water the only substance abuses I am guilty of Ah, it just happily float my boatHow can anyone with even a passing interes...I was so relieved to learn that I wouldn t have to root around in emu droppings in order to enjoy a quandong cocktail.Amy Stewart is sort of the Mary Roach of the plant world, but not quite as funny I mof a botanist than a boozer, so I was most interested in the history and folklore of the plants It s quite a revelation, though, to see the variety of plants that are used in alcoholic beverages If ...This is a great book, very interesting It all started when Stewart went to a liquor store with her friend We had arrived at a liquor store by then, and I was gesturing wildly at the shelves around us This is horticulture In all of these bottles Suddenly we weren t in a liquor store any We were in a fantastical greenhouse, the world s most exotic botanical garden, the sort of strange and overgrown conservatory we only encounter in our dreams Around the world, it seems, there is This is a great book, very interesting It all started when Stewart went to a liquor store with her friend We had arrived at a liquor store by then, and I was gesturing wildly at the shelves around us This is horticulture In all of these bottles Suddenly we weren t in a liquor store any We were in a fantastical greenhouse, the world s most exotic botanical garden, the sort of strange and overgrown conservatory we only encounter in our dreams Around the world, it seems, there is not ...Brilliant I loved this book While the format is something like an encyclopedia, I read it cover to cover, and was sad when i reached the end the entries were that informative and well written that it wasengaging than some novels I ve read recently.I knew some of the background info, but a lot was new to me And fascinating As a species, we are clearly keen on fermenting anything that might be fermentable The suggestions of ways to explorelike with tequilas and liqueurs were real Brilliant I loved this book While the format is something like an encyclopedia, I read it cover to cover, and was sad when i reached the end the entries were that informative and well written that it wasengaging than some novels I ve read recently.I knew some of the background info, but a lot was new to me And fascinating As a spec...A good book to read a bit at a time, and a painless way to learn some botany Stewart writes well, and her botanical vignettes are mostly entertaining There are drink recipes and liquor lore, mostly lost on me though I did learn some interesting stuff about brewing beer 3.5 stars, rounded up.This would make a fine gift book the hardcover is attractive, sturdy, and well designed I gave away a copy this past Christmas.The go to review is Margitte s,https www.goodreads.com review show A good book to read a bit at a time, and a painless way to learn some botany Stewart writes well, and her botanical vignettes are mostly entertaining There are drink recipes and liquor lore, mostly lost on me though I did learn some interesting stuff about...This book goes into meticulous detail in listing all the plants, trees, herbs, nuts, flowers, spices and pretty much anything else that has ever been fermented and distilled to make alcohol Stewart tells how agaves are harvested, what that flavor in Amaretto di Saronno is nope, not almonds , what kind of bugs find their way into what liquour and gives comparison charts for the multiples of say, violet liqueurs This isn t just a gathering of dry facts though when something is badly made Stewa This book goes into meticulous detail in listing all the plants, trees, herbs, nuts, flowers, spices and pretty much anything else that has ever been fermented and distilled to make alcohol Stewart tells how agaves are harvested, what that flavor in Amaretto di Saronno is nope, not almonds , what kind of bugs find their way into what liquour and gives comparison charts for the multiples of say, violet liqueurs This isn t just a gathering of dry facts though when something is...Who knew plants were the life of the partyThe Drunken Botanist The Plants that Create the World s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart The Drunken Botanist is a wonderful reference on plants associated with the world s favorite drinks It s a well balanced mixture of history, horticulture, and even some agricultural advice and some recipes to boot It s an ambitious and well laid out book that like a great drink is better served in small measured amounts than as a whole This instructive 400 page book is broken out into the following three pa The Drunken Botanist The Plants that Create the World s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart The Drunken Botanist is a wonderful reference on plants associated with the world s favorite drinks It s a well balanced mixture of history, horticulture, and ...As the subtitle says, this is about the plants behind alcoholic beverages Besides the obvious candidates, such as barley, grapes, rice, agave, etc that form the backbone of drinks, the author also covers various flavoring agents, so that we hear about vanilla and cocoa and allspice and cinchona The author is at pains to tell us that her coverage is by no means exhaustive, but it is comprehensive She delves into the botany of the plants and how different species can contribute different f As the subtitle says, this is about the plants behind alcoholic beverages Besides the obvious candidates, such as barley, grapes, rice, agave, etc that form the backbone of drinks, the author also covers various flavoring agents, so that we hear about vanilla and cocoa and allspice and cinchona The author is at pains to tell us that her coverage is by no means exhaustive, but it is comprehensive She delves into the botany of the plants and how different species can contribute different flavors or must be eschewed entirely due to toxicity or simply unpleasant tastes , the history of the plants and their mutations over the centuries, archeological findings supporting speculations about the origins of some favorite beverages, recipes for DIY, and growing tips for would be gardener...

English
23 August 2018

Amy Stewart