Book Review: Proof: The Science of Booze
Books and recommendations from Scientific American
By Clara Moskowitz
Proof: The Science of Booze
by Adam Rogers
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014
Wine lovers, beer hounds, whiskey connoisseurs and even teetotalers are all likely to find something to interest them in this look at the science of liquor. Journalist Rogers follows “a sip of booze on a birth to death journey via your tummy,” delving into the biochemistry of fermentation and distillation, the history of alcohol production, and the physiological and psychological effects of drinking. To tell his tale, he makes pilgrimages to Scottish whiskey distilleries, storied cocktail bars in New York City's Chinatown and the laboratories of mixologists, who deploy complex chemistry equipment in pursuit of the perfect drink.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber