When the History Channel shifts its gaze to the evolution of the American beverage in the 19th and 20th centuries, drinking--whether it be an iced soda pop on a hot afternoon or a shot of rye whiskey after work--will never again be a mere thirst-quenching activity. <p> Narrator Mason Adams starts the journey by taking a whimsical look at cocktail culture and the revered martini, which acquired a cultural niche with the endorsement of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and became the drink of choice (with vodka, of course) for movie icon James Bond.<P>Earlier, a 19th-century health craze popularly called soda pop quenched Americans' thirst. Leading the revolution were three popular brands--Moxie, Coke, and Pepsi--although not all survived the century equally. Strong immigrant roots and drinking traditions led to the American mastery of whiskey, beer, and wine production and their move from working-class to world-class beverages. And those popular alternatives to alcohol--caffeine and sugar--have experienced a heyday throughout the late 20th century as kids and adults find more and more pleasing alternatives to lowly tap water. <p> A bubbly romp through American history, <I>American Drinks</I> traverses the glamour of cocktail culture, the beautiful simplicity of the martini, the popular evolution of soda pop, the growing maturity of American coffee and wine drinking, the proliferation of kids' drinks such as Kool-Aid and Tang, and finally the working-class roots of beer and whiskey. Thirsty yet? <I>--Jessica Scheibach</I>

Reader Reviews

Price: $29.95 Updated on 5-25-2009.