From the rise and fall of empires to the birth of modern diplomacy, civilization's greatest moments have been shaped by an unlikely force: what filled our glasses.
Join award-winning author Henry Jeffreys and renowned food writer Tom Parker-Bowles as they pour through history's most intoxicating stories. From Charles Dickens's beloved punch to the royal family's legendary drinks trolley, discover how alcohol has shaped civilizations, sparked wars, and sealed peace treaties.
Each episode finds our convivial hosts uncorking a different chapter of human history through the unique lens of alcohol. Whether they're recreating Dickens's beloved punch recipes, infiltrating the closely-guarded royal wine cellars, proving that the English invented champagne or discovering how Portuguese port sparked an international alliance, Henry and Tom blend scholarly insight with irreverent wit and a shared passion for historical peculiarities.
Authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, Intoxicating History serves up serious history with a generous measure of irreverent humour. Through revolutions and peace treaties, cultural upheavals and technological breakthroughs, your hosts reveal how the contents of the glass have steered the course of history – usually while sampling the evidence, (purely for research purposes, of course!)
Whether you're a history buff, food and drink enthusiast, or simply love a well-told tale, raise a glass with us as we explore civilization's most intoxicating moments.
Pour yourself something suitable and join us for a journey through time, one drink at a time.
New episodes served weekly.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From the rise and fall of empires to the birth of modern diplomacy, civilization's greatest moments have been shaped by an unlikely force: what filled our glasses.
Join award-winning author Henry Jeffreys and renowned food writer Tom Parker-Bowles as they pour through history's most intoxicating stories. From Charles Dickens's beloved punch to the royal family's legendary drinks trolley, discover how alcohol has shaped civilizations, sparked wars, and sealed peace treaties.
Each episode finds our convivial hosts uncorking a different chapter of human history through the unique lens of alcohol. Whether they're recreating Dickens's beloved punch recipes, infiltrating the closely-guarded royal wine cellars, proving that the English invented champagne or discovering how Portuguese port sparked an international alliance, Henry and Tom blend scholarly insight with irreverent wit and a shared passion for historical peculiarities.
Authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, Intoxicating History serves up serious history with a generous measure of irreverent humour. Through revolutions and peace treaties, cultural upheavals and technological breakthroughs, your hosts reveal how the contents of the glass have steered the course of history – usually while sampling the evidence, (purely for research purposes, of course!)
Whether you're a history buff, food and drink enthusiast, or simply love a well-told tale, raise a glass with us as we explore civilization's most intoxicating moments.
Pour yourself something suitable and join us for a journey through time, one drink at a time.
New episodes served weekly.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Intoxicating History, hosts Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles unscrew and pour a liberal measure of the scandalous saga of Johnnie Walker—a Scotch that started as a modest blend in a small Ayrshire grocers and skyrocketed to become a global currency of power and prestige.
We dive into the racy world of whisky where a simple bottle wasn’t just a drink, but a ticket to high-stakes boardrooms, secretive backroom deals, and even diplomatic breakthroughs in colonial India. Discover how Johnnie Walker’s iconic Striding Man—reborn from a cheeky 1908 advertising idea—came to symbolise relentless ambition. Imagine English officers engaged in rowdy drinking contests where the stakes were as high as the hangovers, or bribery sealed not with cash but with a case of the coveted Black Label.
The episode peels back layers of intrigue—from a family’s obsession with quality and ingenious blending methods to the whiskey’s unlikely status as the drink of choice for dictators and deal-makers across the Middle East. Even non-drinkers in conservative cultures couldn’t help but have strong opinions about it. We hear about a notorious incident of an officer so intoxicated by the spirit that he literally “lost his skin,” and our Tom and Henry reveal a world where every sip tells a tale of rebellion, ambition, and high-flying luxury.
Get ready for a spirited journey that’s as informative as it is intoxicating—a tale of how one brand transcended its humble origins to become a symbol of global power. Cheers to a history poured straight from the bottom of the glass!
Supported by Taylor’s Port
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.