Intoxicating History

From the rise and fall of empires to the birth of modern diplomacy, civilization's greatest moments have been shaped by an unlikely force: what filled our glasses.

Join award-winning author Henry Jeffreys and renowned food writer Tom Parker-Bowles as they pour through history's most intoxicating stories. From Charles Dickens's beloved punch to the royal family's legendary drinks trolley, discover how alcohol has shaped civilizations, sparked wars, and sealed peace treaties.

Each episode finds our convivial hosts uncorking a different chapter of human history through the unique lens of alcohol. Whether they're recreating Dickens's beloved punch recipes, infiltrating the closely-guarded royal wine cellars, proving that the English invented champagne or discovering how Portuguese port sparked an international alliance, Henry and Tom blend scholarly insight with irreverent wit and a shared passion for historical peculiarities.

Authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, Intoxicating History serves up serious history with a generous measure of irreverent humour. Through revolutions and peace treaties, cultural upheavals and technological breakthroughs, your hosts reveal how the contents of the glass have steered the course of history – usually while sampling the evidence, (purely for research purposes, of course!)

Whether you're a history buff, food and drink enthusiast, or simply love a well-told tale, raise a glass with us as we explore civilization's most intoxicating moments.

Pour yourself something suitable and join us for a journey through time, one drink at a time.

New episodes served weekly.

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Episoder(26)

Wine and Wimples: How Blue Nun sparked a Global Wine Revolution

It was the wine that took the world by storm—then became a punchline. But behind the once brown and now blue bottle’s retro reputation lies a fascinating story of global wine culture, clever marketing...

20 Feb 202547min

WW2 Part 2: From Vines to Victory

The Nazis are retreating, the Allies are advancing, and the fate of France’s most prized vineyards hangs in the balance. What happens when a desperate army turns to scorched earth tactics? Could centu...

13 Feb 202528min

WW2 Part 1: Wine, War and the Battle for France’s Vineyards

When the Nazis stormed into France, they weren’t just after land—they had their eyes on the ultimate spoils of war: France’s legendary vineyards became battlegrounds, not just for soldiers, but for wi...

6 Feb 202537min

The Admiral, The Navy, and the Wine That Won the Day

In this episode of Intoxicating History, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles tell the remarkable story of how Admiral Nelson, fresh from beating the French at the Battle of the Nile, stumbled upon a ...

30 Jan 202539min

Shaken, Not Stirred: How James Bond’s Drinks Defined an Era

We’re easing out of dry January by veering off the path of hard history and into the world of a fictional hero. One in which the love of vodka martinis reflects a post-war Britain desperate for glamou...

23 Jan 202541min

Monks, Mavericks, and Murder: The Untold History of Champagne

Get ready for a sparkling journey through scandal, invention, and murder with Intoxicating History. In this episode, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles pop the cork on the truth about champagne: Did...

23 Des 202440min

Pouring Power: Claret, cocktails and the Crown

In this week’s Intoxicating History, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles dive into the opulent, often outrageous world of royal courts, where what is poured and plated isn’t just about indulgence—it ...

19 Des 202446min

Flips, Punches and Corpse Revivers: Charles Dickens’ Victorian World of Drinks

This week on Intoxicating History, Tom Parker Bowles and Henry Jeffreys take us to the heart of Dickensian London, a world where every glass of gin, mug of punch, or bottle of sherry consumed by one o...

12 Des 202450min