Oatmeal is a common American breakfast food, but Latin Americans enjoy a similar preparation called avena caliente as a beverage. Mix some oats with milk, sugar, and cinnamon and you have yourself a hot beverage to ward off winter chills. Thanks to the oats, it is also filling.
The history of distillation in New York’s capital region is complicated. The first distillery was opened by a Dutch family to serve British soldiers rum who were occupying the city. Eventually, the rye from New York’s farmland converted the city to whiskey. Today, Albany Distilling Co. tries to reimagine this history with whiskey, rum, and brandy.
In New York’s state capital, beer historians are rewriting history. At one point, Albany sat at the pinnacle of American brewing. This forgotten history informs the heritage of beer in Albany, and it may also provide a foundation upon which local craft brewers can develop into the future.
In Central Maine, craft brewing really only took off in the mid 2010s. Before this, many in the greater Bangor area relied on homebrewing to satisfy their taste for interesting beer. Central Street Farmhouse stood at the center of this community which would go on to found several breweries in the area.
Drinking alcoholic horse’s milk is a notable experience. Europeans have been writing home about it since Herodotus started writing history. Koumiss or airag, depending on the language, is an ancient drink that has enabled Central Asian nomads to preserve the nutrition of horse’s milk over many months and vast distances.
It’s a nerdy party trick to know your wine based on taste alone, but what about knowing the vine based only on the leaf? This is the obscure and necessary science of ampelography. Identifying particular varieties of grapes is vital in protecting vineyards from diseases and optimizing output.
Cod liver oil. Not exactly a beverage, but always consumed by drinking. The stinky oil has been consumed as a folk medicine in fishing communities for centuries. During the 1900s, cod liver oil helped scientists discover vitamins. After this, the medicine enjoyed great commercial success for its purported healing qualities.
Sailors are known for their drunken comportment, but what about lumberjacks? For a while, Maine was the logging capital of America, and when loggers came from the woods into town, they drank plenty of grog. Even in Maine, where alcohol was illegal, Bangor was famous for its saloons and brothels in the so-called Devil’s Half Acre.
Walking around some of Boston’s suburbs, it is curious to notice that some corner stores are called spas. They do not offer spa treatments, but sell tobacco and lottery tickets. This usage of the word is hyper-local to Boston and has deep history in the city’s soda fountain history.
For something we do everyday, drinking is incredibly complicated. Over 30 muscles must act in coordination to get the water we drink down our throats without flooding our lungs. Medical professionals have good insight into how drinking works. It is a back and forth between breathing and swallowing.
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