What could six of the most popular drinks have to do with the history of our world? According to Tom Standage, a creative non-fiction writer, they have influenced everything. As an editor for The Economist and author of several prominent historical works, Standage has the knowledge and creativity required to relate drinks to history. In A History of the World in Six Glasses, Standage clearly and descriptively singles out six popular drinks- beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola- that shaped the modern world. Readers are captivated by Standage’s discussion of how different drinks have come to prominence in different times, places, and cultures. He approaches the drinks in a neat and chronological order linking each with a specific era due …show more content…
Standage discusses beer’s importance in bringing people together and how the drink is still used today in pubs to open up conversations. Whether it was social or religious gatherings, people longed for a taste of beer believing it was a gift from the Gods and should be appreciated just like life is. Standage’s confidence in his writing is clearly displayed through his connection between beer and the first form of writing, cuneiform. He openly states his argument that beer was one of the main causes writing developed, but carefully incorporates counter-arguments to balance the scale which demonstrates his skill as an author. Modern Christianity is deeply tied to the origin of wine’s importance going back to the time Jesus walked the Earth. Since then, wine has become a staple in the christian celebration of Easter and other special occasions. It’s intriguing how one drink has not only formed a practice of it’s own, but is a critical part of a religion. Standage then moves on to discuss the practice of tea drinking in Britain which dates back to the Industrial Revolution. Around the world, Britain’s empire flourished with the acceptance of pristine tea drinking and the “historical impact of its empire [...] can still be seen today” (150). The drinking of beer in pubs, the use of wine in religious ceremonies, and the esteemed tea …show more content…
Since these drinks were more of modern inventions, Standage highlighted the importance of rum during the Age of Exploration and Tea with British imperialism. Rum and other spirits were used as currency during the Transatlantic Slave Trade which really stabilized when Europeans began to produce rum and other spirits on a mass scale. Standage then highlights the effects on the economy and trade when he begins his section on tea where imperialism grew and freedom decreased. Trade was forever changed when the British East India Company undermined the rules set in place by both the Chinese and the British. The result of this was the destabilization of China in the 19th century of which damaged the economy seeing that China was a powerful economic country. While these drinks can’t be said to have caused the most decisive moments in history, they definitely directed the history that led to what our world looks like
There are many things that shape the course of history. Powerful rulers, deadly diseases, and influential religions are a few common examples of these. But, one group of influential commodities to shape history that not many people consider is beverages. In particular, beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, and cola are six that have significantly shaped the course of history. The nonfiction book, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, written by Tom Standage, discusses the significance of these six popular drinks in relation to human culture shaping around their existence.
6. Wine is a part of a Catholic ritual where wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ and Christianity began in the Roman Empire and became an important force in Europe after the change between Emperor Constantine. Wine was also uses for medical purposes as a pain killer.
Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses discusses the importance of six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, Coca-Cola), each of which define distinctive periods of civilization. The comparably minor, yet crucial role of water is also represented in support of Standage’s argument regarding not only the necessity of each drink as a requisite to life, but also the role of each drink as a stimulus for cultural diffusion and development. Various historical developments, ranging from water purification to convivia, are utilized to depict each beverage’s appeal and the contributions of each drink towards its respective era of prosperity, subsequently illustrating various historical themes that mark the progression of society
Are there any other beverages that influenced the history of the world or any others that are representative of a particular time period? While Standage mentions seven beverages that represent certain time periods, there are more drinks than the seven that he listed, and any of those other beverages could also have a similar impact to the seven he listed.
Water is believed to be the most quintessential and contributing drink towards the progress of the human race. While that may be the case, water was aided by many beverages that were developed over time. People were destined to eventually make, invent, find or discover these universal beverages, as described in A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage. He writes about six different beverages: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola, which were all blown up to influence lifestyles, customs, cultures and more. While the six important beverages have not necessarily had a positive influence, they still demonstrate the different themes that define the progress of world history.
The book talks about six drinks; beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and coco-cola. From the third millennium BCE to twentieth century, the drinks changed human history. Tom Standage tells how it was made, the origins, what countries the drink spreads to, and how it change human civilizations. The human civilizations changes includes agriculture, wars, and trading. Also, writing and culture changes because of these drinks. Another thing, how the brain changes under the influence of alcohol and caffeine and if it was socially accepted to go in the places where the drinks was serve. The book includes how important or famous people was affected by the drink.
This was due to coffee’s effect on the mind that inspired a sense of clarity and conversation. This effect was completely different than the effects of alcohol on the drinker. Standage argues that the emergence of
According to the author, every specific alcoholic beverages has certain symbolic meaning and it can be proved by different kinds of beverages in different country, based on their own culture background.
God gives us the right to drink alcohol moderately but not waste ourselves with it. Also, we should not stumble our brothers and sisters if we do choose to drink. I will prove this by researching the uses and ingredients of biblical wine, by researching present day wine along with one other present day alcoholic drink, and by comparing and contrasting my research on present day and biblical wine.
Spirits helped build and shape America through trade. Rum played a big role in the triangular
Beer and wine might have been one of the first drinks that caused humans to civilize and create a great community. In fact Tom Standage introduces us to this idea of these early drinks shaping human culture in his book A History of a World in Six Glasses. As Standage informs us about how beer was one of the causes in early settlement, and why farming was led to a great success because of the use of beer. Standage also mentions a start in traditions and a formation of government due to these drinks. Although beer being very important, Standage also introduces us to wine as a form of a class status that helped man distinguishing barbarism to a world of high standards and manners allowing for the community to become more cultured and
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage is a non-fiction historical novel, whose main purpose is to show the surprisingly pervasive influence of certain drinks on the course of history. Then it takes the reader on a journey through time to show the history of mankind through the lens of beverages.
The wine they drank symbolized that. And maybe, as with everything in their perspectives, it was the median on a scale of beer to water of the three instrumentalities of moderation.
Though it might not be apparent at first glace, beverages other than water have played a vital role in the development of our world. In A History of the World in 6 Glasses, Standage sheds light on the vital importance of the six most influential non-water beverages in human history. As he states, “The availability of water constrained and guided humankind’s progress. Drinks have continued to shape human history ever since” (Standage 1). Drinks have influenced every aspect of humanity, from civilization to medicine to trade. Though each of the six beverages discussed in A History of the World in 6 Glasses had vastly different affects, they all influenced humanity in dramatic ways.
The relationship between alcoholic beverages and religion goes back thousands of years. The use of wine is at the heart of many Christian Religions and important Jewish ceremonies are marked by drinking a prescribe number of glasses. The Ancient Egyptians believe the much worship god Osiris. The ancient Egyptians made at least 17 types of beer and even more varieties of wine used for pleasure, nutrition, medicine, ritual and funerary purposes. In Babylon, the people worships wine deities,