Stories and Spirits: Two Books to Read with a Drink in Hand

Stories and Spirits: Two Books to Read with a Drink in Hand

What do a well-stocked library and a good bar have in common? Much more than you might imagine. Both are places to discover stories, immerse yourself in new worlds, and be inspired. And if those stories are high in alcohol, the connection becomes almost inevitable.

For those who love the pleasure of a good book as much as that of a cocktail, there are two titles that deserve to end up on your nightstand (or perhaps next to your shaker). They are books written with intelligence, irony and that almost feverish curiosity that every explorer of the world of drinking should possess.

"A Brief History of Drunkenness" by Mark Forsyth

Mark Forsyth invites us on a journey through time, to discover the relationship that humanity has had with alcohol throughout the millennia. With a cutting irony and an extraordinary narrative talent, Forsyth tells how and why we have drunk in every era: from Assyrian banquets to London taverns, passing through Egyptian temples and medieval banquets.

His writing is a perfect mix of historical knowledge and light-heartedness: reading Forsyth is like having a brilliant conversation at the bar counter, with a drinking companion who knows all the secrets of the room.

"Saints and Drinkers" by Lawrence Osborne

Osborne, instead, takes us on a geographical and interior journey. His is a memoir that explores drinking as a ritual, as a cultural and personal experience. Between cocktails sipped in the bars of Bangkok and alcoholic deserts in countries where alcohol is prohibited, Osborne tells us what it means to drink, and what it means not to be able to do so.

There is something deeply human in his approach: an investigation that goes beyond the glass, to explore the complex relationship between pleasure, taboo and culture. With elegant writing and a hint of melancholy, Osborne takes you on a journey without leaving home.

A toast to reading

Reading and drinking have more in common than you might think. Both require time, attention, and a desire to explore something new. If these two books pique your curiosity, you may find that reading has the power to enrich the way you think about your next cocktail.

And if you prefer to listen to stories with a high alcohol content in company, Eccetera is the place for you . Here the glass is never just a glass: it is a door to conversations, discoveries and, why not, some anecdotes worthy of ending up in a book.

See you reading, and the next drink.