A Spirited History of Milwaukee Brews and Booze

A Spirited History of Milwaukee Brews and Booze by Martin Hintz

Milwaukee's history is tied with Beer. Miller still stands as a big beer brand. Schlitz was once a dominate brand that ranked number one or two nationally. Then they tried to cut costs to disastrous consequences. Pabst is another big one that declined in part due to limitations of the charitable ownership. All have been acquired by other companies. Miller is the only one that maintains a large brewery presence in Milwaukee.

The book touches the surface and feels like a series of college essays rather than one coherent work. Chapters typically focus on a single company from their origin to modern times. The chapters on the big brewers are interesting including covering ones that have lost significance (like Gettelman). Then things dive off. Modern craft brewers and distillers don't have nearly as much historical panache. The book also suffers from lack of maps to understand where things were happening geographically.

Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition

Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition by Mark Lawrence Schrad

The history of prohibition has been significantly rewritten from the modern point of view. Today it is often seen as a moral crusade by the religious right to inflict middle class values on the working class. However, during the time, it was primarily the oppressed fighting against those in power. An analogy today would be the attacks on big pharma for their role in the opioid epidemic. 

Taxes on alcohol sales were often a primary driver of revenue for governments. In addition, licenses to sell alcohol would be hard to come by. Regulation was often a means of controls. Laws prohibiting alcohol sales on Sundays would only be enforced on those establishments that failed to pay appropriate bribes. The lower classes tended to suffer the greatest damage. Saloon owners would encourage them to stay and drink more and more. It would cost the poor money as well as cause difficulty in the community. The damages were also inflicted on other countries occupied by Americans (such as the Philippines and Cuba)

Prohibition and temperance sought to resolve problems. The primary attack was on the liquor traffic, not the individual consumer. Abolition, universal suffrage and prohibition were closely entwined as part of the progressive platform. Blacks and Native Americans were especially drawn towards abolition as it caused great harm in their communities.  Even today, dry areas can be often found in areas with large Native American populations, such as Indian Reservations and Alaskan villages.

The book provides a very thorough history of prohibition worldwide. There were differences from place to place. However, a common theme is money and corruption. Those in power see alcohol as a great way to subjugate and extract money from those without. The author spends significant time flipping the modern narrative on its head. 

The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto

Bernard Devoto was known for his popular American history stories. Alas, those are now out of favor. The one audiobook carried at the library was this whimsical drinking guide. This is a rare audiobook that is available at the local library, but nowhere to be found anywhere on Amazon. 

In it, he is strict on how a "cocktail hour" should take place. Certain drinks should be used. They should not be adulterated with anything sweet or even salty things like olives. Cookbooks are dangerous because they encourage women to try out bizarre combinations instead of sticking to the tried and true. It is a short work with very strong opinions. (I think it is meant to be taken seriously, but could just as easily be considered a joke.)