Proof
Proof: The Science of Booze
Adam Rogers, 2014
A history of the production and consumption of alcohol, from a scientific standpoint. Includes chapters on distillation, aging, hangovers, and others.
A book that combines two of my favorite things: science and alcohol.
You probably have to be at least a casual science nerd in order to appreciate this book. It’s not a book about alcohol in general, although the author does give a few good examples of interesting alcohols to try. It’s more a book about the history of alcohol – when and where the first evidence of distillation and fermentation show up in archaeological records, as well as how it has been adapted and perfected over the years. The author writes it very well, though. Full of interesting anecdotes personal experiences as well as facts and science, so that it doesn’t read like a textbook.
I learned a lot about alcohol from reading this book. Oddly enough, I attended a winery tour just after reading the chapter on fermentation, and I was pleased to discover how much more I understood about the process as the girl was taking us on the tour.
A very interesting read, but certainly not for everyone. But if you’re a science nerd at heart, and enjoy a drink now and again, it’s definitely recommended reading.
