It is remarkable the uses to which the creativity of our species is turned. The same cognitive abilities that create the iPhone and The Odyssey summon up sarin gas and cluster bombs. It also turns itself to finding a myriad of ways to make alcohol, and this is on display in Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist , a natural history that represents a near-exhaustive catalog of all the plants we use to create the drinks that many of us love. If a plant is palatable and non-toxic, someone, somewhere has tried to ferment it. While there is little of depth in this work, the sheer breadth is remarkable. Starting with the usual suspects we are accustomed to in our booze, from barley and grapes to rye and potatoes, Stewart proceeds to take us on a whirlwind journey through some of the lesser known plants that make an appearance in some of the alcohol we love--and some we may not even consider trying, like sorghum beer, wine made from the nuts of the monkey puzzle tree, or tobac...
Occasional author. Lover of coffee.