Doctors and Distillers (2022)

English investigates how the distillation of spirits and botanical bitters originated not as recreational indulgences, but as vital medical remedies. From Royal Navy grog rations fighting scurvy to cinchona bark and tonic water protecting British colonial officers against malaria, medicinal requirements directly created the classic cocktail cabinet. It provides an illuminating account of how apothecaries and maritime health crises steered global distilling.