A history of the world in 6 glasses (2005)

Standage expertly demonstrates how the distillation of spirits like rum and brandy powered maritime exploration, colonial expansion, and the transatlantic slave trade. By treating spirits as foundational technologies of empire, the narrative reveals how naval grog rations and trade monopolies underpinned European dominance across the high seas. It offers an essential global perspective on how distilled liquor transformed geopolitical economies.