Welcome to Drinking Culture, my weekly newsletter. It will look at the history and culture of alcoholic drinks in particular wine and whisky but as long as it contains alcohol, I’m interested. Booze is a great prism though which to see the past and illuminate culture. The aim is to keep it amusing and stimulating though there may be some controversy too. Stand back! Paid subscribers will get extra posts and weekly drink recommendations.
About me
I’m Henry Jeffreys, an award-winning drinks writer who has written for many publications in Britain and America. I was features editor for the Master of Malt whisky blog from 2018 until 2024. I’m currently drinks columnist for The Critic magazine and regular contributor to the Guardian, Spectator and BBC Good Food magazine. I have also appeared on Radio 4, Radio 5, GB News with Michael Portillo and on BBC 2’s ‘Inside the Factory’. I used to blog at Henry’s World of Booze but this is the place to go for all your drink-soaked content from now on.
In December 2024, I launched the ‘Intoxicating History’ podcast with Tom Parker Bowles, produced by Melanie Jappy from ‘The Wine Show.’
I’m the author of four books Empire of Booze: British history through the bottom of a glass (2016), The Home Bar (2018), The Cocktail Dictionary (2020) and the Vines in a Cold Climate: the people behind the English wine revolution ( 2023) which was shortlisted for James Beard, Andre Simon and Guild of Food Writers Award, and won drink book of the year at the 2023 Fortnum & Mason awards.
Book me
I am an experienced public speaker who has appeared at numerous literary and food & drink festivals across the country. I have given talks, after dinner speeches and put on wine tastings based on my book on English wine, and on my first book Empire of Booze which looks at the influence of the British empire on what we drink today. If you would like to book or commission me, please get in touch: henrygjeffreys@gmail.com
If you want to get a flavour of my work, it’s worth listening to the Rest is History podcast I did with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.
Over the years some very important people have said nice things about me:
“Empire of booze is really really brilliant is you have any interest in drink or history or drink in history, it’s absolutely unmissable.” Tom Holland from The Rest is History
"Henry Jeffreys is everything you want a wine writer to be: funny, knowing, unpretentious but also un-blokeish, funny, clever, refreshing, original, funny and inquisitive. And did I say funny?" Craig Brown (the humourist not the former Scotland football manager)
"I am a great admirer of Henry Jeffreys and have been eagerly awaiting his booze and empire book for many years!" --Elif Batuman
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