I want to find someone to give a talk on the history of human benefit from alcohol. We watch "The Indian Doctor" on Acorn TV streaming. He moves into a Welsh mining town with his Indian wife. Neither of them are experienced in living without servants. In order to be friends with the men, and a few women, of the town, he needs to go to the pub. He is impressed with the capacity for drink that the men show.
Many churches serve wine in the Mass. There are toasts at wedding banquets and a good dinner starts with drinks of one alcoholic type or another.
I looked up a little information on beer, wine and spirits. What I found said that beer was older and the first to be understood. Wine came next and is 2 or more times as alcoholic as most beer. Distilled spirits such as gin, vodka, and whiskey, drinks that demanded more understanding of alcohol followed eventually. I have read that a large portion of traffic accidents and crimes involve alcohol and I know that alcoholism ruins many lives. But it also seems to me that a fair presentation of the case of humans and alcohol would include the comfort of the little brown jug, the elation produced by a good drink,and the romances launched in a tipsy state.
So far, I haven't found a speaker for the subject. But I am aware of this Amazon page: https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=history+of+alcohol
While thinking about the topic and a speaker, I had a glass of milk at lunch. The glass reminded me of my alcohol interest but at the same time, I realize that milk is the basic food for all us humans and our mammal (breastfeeding) cousins. I imagine there was a time when the presence of milk meant life for the newborn and its absence spelled death. Now I am aware of this Amazon page:
