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A History Of The World In Six Glasses Analysis

Decent Essays

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

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