Well, let me tell you somethin’ ‘bout this here book, “Tom Standage a History of the World in 6 Glasses”. This fella, Tom, he says you can tell the whole story of the world by lookin’ at what folks been drinkin’. Sounds crazy, right? But maybe there’s somethin’ to it. He talks about six drinks: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. Who knew them things could be so important?
First off, there’s beer. Now, I ain’t much of a beer drinker myself, find it kinda bitter, but Tom says it was a big deal way back when. He says them old-timers in Mesopotamia, they even wrote down how to make it on rocks! Can you believe that? Guess they didn’t have paper back then, huh? They even had a picture for beer, looked like a jar. So, beer was important, see? It wasn’t just somethin’ to wet your whistle, it was part of their whole life.
Then comes wine. This here drink, Tom says, was for the fancy folks, the kings and queens and such. They drank it in Greece and Rome, places I only heard about in church. Wine made ‘em feel all high and mighty, I reckon. It probably made ‘em think they were smarter than they were too. You know how some folks get when they have a little too much to drink.
Next up is spirits. Now, this is the strong stuff, the whiskey and the rum and whatnot. Tom says this here drink was powerful, it could make folks do crazy things. It also helped folks forget their troubles, which I guess is why some folks liked it so much. But it also caused a lot of problems, fights and such. Spirits, they’re like fire, can warm you up but can also burn you bad if you ain’t careful.
- Beer: Started it all, way back when.
- Wine: Fancy drink for the rich folks.
- Spirits: Strong stuff, can be good and bad.
Then comes the drinks that wake you up. First, coffee. Tom says this here drink came from some place far away, where some fella saw his goats gettin’ all jumpy after eatin’ some beans. Imagine that! Goats teachin’ us about coffee! Anyways, folks started drinkin’ it and it made ‘em think better, work harder. Coffee houses, they became places where folks would talk and plan and do all sorts of things. It changed the world, Tom says, made folks more awake and ready to go.
And then there’s tea. Another one from far away, Tom says. Them Chinese folks, they been drinkin’ it for ages. It’s kinda like coffee, keeps you awake, but it’s also kinda calm, ya know? Tea became a big deal too, just like coffee. Folks in England, they loved it so much, they even fought wars over it. Imagine that, fightin’ over tea! Crazy, ain’t it?
Finally, Tom talks about Coca-Cola. Now this one, I know. It’s sweet and fizzy and all the young folks love it. Tom says it’s an American drink, and it spread all over the world. It’s like a symbol of America, he says, of bein’ modern and new. It’s kinda funny thinkin’ about it, this sweet drink bein’ so important, but I guess it is. You see it everywhere.
So, there you have it. Six drinks, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. Tom Standage, he says they tell the story of the world. Maybe he’s right. Maybe what we drink says a lot about who we are and where we come from. It’s somethin’ to think about, ain’t it? Next time you take a sip of somethin’, think about where it came from and what it means. Might surprise ya.
This here book ain’t just some boring history lesson. It’s about how everyday things, things we drink every day, can change the whole dang world. It makes you look at things a little different. And that’s a good thing, I reckon. Makes you appreciate what you got, even if it’s just a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet tea.
Tags: [History, Drinks, Beverages, Culture, Society, Tom Standage, Beer, Wine, Spirits, Coffee, Tea, Coca-Cola]
