Review: A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Since I enjoyed Tom Standage’s The Victorian Internet, I picked up A History of the World in 6 Glasses. This covers the history of the six beverages that “chart the flow of world history:” beer, wine, distilled spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola.

Most of the book was about the history of the drinks, and how they were regarded at the time (for example, Native Americans didn’t want to drink unless they could get drunk). The section I found most interesting was about how tea (and its monopolist, the British East India Company) was a major cause of American independence (the famous Boston Tea Party was the result of a law dictated by the company).

An interesting read, recommended.