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The history of alcohol: everything you wanted to know

The history of alcohol: everything you wanted to know

From the world’s oldest beer to Britain’s deadly “gin craze”, Phil Withington answers listener questions on the long and impactful history of alcohol

Ellie Cawthorne

Published: December 18, 2022 at 9:04 AM

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What’s the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage? Why was wine believed to be medicinal? And did medieval people actually get drunk from sipping beer all day? In our latest everything you wanted to know episode, Professor Phil Withington of the University of Sheffield answers listener questions on the history of alcohol. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, he discusses prohibitions, rituals and the deadly “gin craze”, and shares a 17th-century punch recipe.

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra