A year ago, I read an engrossing book called
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, and became instantly hooked on the cultural history of alcohol in America. Further poking around in this subject revealed that America, in both colonial and post-colonial times, was a boozy land indeed: In the years before the Revolutionary War, men, women and children consumed the equivalent of six ounces of hard liquor per person, a level of consumption that by the early 1800s triggered the Temperance movement. It's a cinch that booze played a large role in American history, and I'd like to read up on the topic, concentrating on the following types of books:
-An era-by-era overview of drinking in America, covering both colonial and post-colonial times.
-To cast a wider net, a cultural history of alcohol in world civilization in general.
-Books with anecdotes on the drinking habits of famous personages and politicians, and their effect on history.
-Books on specific topics, such as the rise of moonshine, or other historical issues--especially obscure ones--that are eye-opening or unusual.
Besides these reading list recommendations, I'm interested in any stories, factotums, anecdotes or asides that you may have come across in your reading, no matter how sweeping and general or specific and little-known. Enlighten me, please!
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 1:46 AM on September 19, 2011