I’m giving this talk as part of Nerd Nite at the Rickshaw Stop.
Around the World with the Gin & Tonic
By: Camper English
The history of the G&T includes the history of malaria (prevented and cured by quinine in tonic), the Black Death (repelled by juniper), Jesuit missionaries in Peru, the swamps of Rome, the Belgian Congo, horse races in India, Greek medicinal wines, the World Health Organization, the Dutch in Indonesia, Australians in Bolivia, French scientists in the lab, and if there’s time we’ll include cats dropped out of airplanes, the invention of the color mauve, Little House on the Prairie, the birth of chemotherapy, the Official Preppy Handbook, and how the wrong ice machine inspired the creation of the Spanish-style Gin and Tonic.
Camper English is a cocktails and spirits journalist who has been covering drinks in SF for decades. He is the author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails, and also a book about ice cubes. Check out his writing, classes, and bar history tours on Alcademics.com.
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