{"product_id":"9780143035978","title":"Alcoholica Esoterica: A Collection of Useful and Useless Information As It Relates to the History andConsumption of All Manner of Booze","description":"\u003cp\u003eFinally, there’s a book that’s almost as much fun as having a couple of drinks. \u003cb\u003eAlcoholica Esoterica\u003c\/b\u003e presents the history and culture of booze as told by a writer with a knack for distilling all the boring bits into the most interesting facts and hilarious tales. It’s almost like pulling up a stool next to the smartest and funniest guy in the bar. Divided into chapters covering the basic booze groups—including beer, wine, Champagne, whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, and tequila—\u003cb\u003eAlcoholica Esoterica\u003c\/b\u003e charts the origin and rise of each alcohol’s particular charms and influence. Other sections chronicle “Great Moments in Hic-story,” “Great Country Drinking Songs,” “10 Odd Laws,” and “Mt. Lushmore, Parts I–V.” Additionally, famous quotes on the joys and sorrows of liquor offer useful shots of advice and intoxicating whimsy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDid you know...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat the word bar is short for barrier? Yes, that’s right—to keep the customers from getting at all the booze.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat Winston Churchill’s mother supposedly invented the Manhattan?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because the sailors on the Mayflower were running low on beer and were tired of sharing?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat you have a higher chance of being killed by a flying Champagne cork than by a poisonous spider?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat the Code of Hammurabi mandated that brewers of low-quality beer be drowned in it?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat beer was so popular with medieval priests and monks that in the thirteenth century they stopped baptizing babies with holy water and started using beer?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47022306230512,"sku":"9780143035978","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780143035978_p0.jpg?v=1763656447","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780143035978","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}