Publisher's Synopsis
From their beginnings in ancient religious ceremonies, spirits have often been consumed in secret, and as swiftly as they have risen to popularity, they have been suppressed. This history takes in the first Malt Laws in Scotland, the restrictions on gin in Hogarth's London in the 18th century and the bootleggers of the WWII. Today the state of illicit spirits is a darker and more sobering affair, of foreign gangs and organised crime. But legal versions of the bootlegging experience are flourishing, and this volume also includes a whistle-stop tour of the best speakeasies to be found, as well as some authentic recipes.
