Drink through History with Rebellious Spirits

To celebrate the launch of Rebellious Spirits: The Illicit History of Booze in Britain we present a series of evening events, inviting you to join the author for six recreated historical cocktails while you are entertained with tales of the secret, exciting and often dangerous world of illicit spirits brought to life from within the pages of her book.

You will sip a spiced wine from a recipe almost two millennia old while hearing about the mystery cults of ancient Greece; sample creamy Atholl Brose over tales of Scots outwitting dastardly English gaugers; try a Milk Punch, the surprisingly delicious result of a recipe involving curdled milk, while protest and rebellion break out on the streets of eighteenth century London. Then you will learn the history of the cruellest and most corrupt official in Donegal to the accompaniment of a fiery glass of sloe poitín, drink the Wassail to honour daring smugglers bringing in the brandy used to toast Christmas and finally try a Wartime Gimlet scraped together with preserved limes as not just spirit production but the production of most other cocktail ingredients is shut down to aid the war effort during the Second World War and the Spivs of the black market take up the challenge of supply.

The evening ends with the chance to ask the author any questions in your intimate group of just fifteen fellow explorers before finally heading home with a signed copy of Rebellious Spirits: The Illicit History of Booze in Britain. All six drinks as well as a copy of the book are included in the price of £50 Weds-Thurs and £70 Fri-Sat. The first and last drinks are full sized, but the middle four are half sized, to ensure the audience is still able to stand at the end of the evening.

Drink your way through History will take place in The Spare Room at The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in Hackney and ticket holders will be able to visit the permanent exhibition before or after the event for the reduced price of £2, instead of the usual £4. The event has been produced in part with liquid sponsorship from Jensen’s Gin.