Friday, November 8, 2013

History of Alcohol Class

So I have been writing about food for about 25 years, and teaching food history about a dozen or so. And somehow I've always been able avoid thinking about consuming whatever I'm writing about. A survival strategy. In fact I've so successfully managed to separate food at work from hunger that I never eat lunch. Just breakfast and 12 hours later dinner.
But for some reason the history of alcohol class I'm writing now is completely different. After writing about some spirit for a more than a whole day, then talking about it, there is nothing I want more than to drink it. Wednesday was cognac. Monday was whiskey. YES, and I had to have them all. Monday with be absinthe. You can see what I was doing today! Am I really that impressionable, or just a garden variety dipsomaniac? I don't even like vodka. Really. No flavor or aroma. It's just watered down grain alcohol. What's the point? So what could have possessed me to buy this? The passages from Tolstoy and Bulgakov. Listening to the folk song about Stenka Razin who got drunk and drowned his new Persian bride, and dredging up my freshman year's worth of Russian. And you know what, I still don't like it, but it must be consumed. хорошо?

3 comments:

Laura Kelley said...

None of the flavored vodkas turn you on? Some of them are очень вкусный! (very delicious)

Years ago, I had buffalo-grass infused vodka in E. Germany that was gentle and almost sweet, and now there is a modern brand of vodka, "Van Gogh" that has some flavors like Dutch chocolate that may amaze. I had never considered vodka a dessert alcohol until trying that brand.

Anonymous said...

An interesting development...I think alcohol may operate along different lines than food. I rarely find myself wanting the food I teach, except Korean Tacos, I absolutely wanted those. But I have found myself wanting drink from my research.

Ken Albala said...

So it continues apace. Absinthe had to be drunk after that lecture and is now gone. And just delivered Champagne. MUST find the Widder.