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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Avsnitt(26)

An Apple a Day Kept Britain Going

Cider once mattered as much as beer or wine — so how did it lose its place in British life?In this episode of Intoxicating History, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles explore the overlooked history ...

23 Jan 53min

Churchill Drank What? Champagne, myths and the Making of a Wartime Legend

Winston Churchill is remembered as the man who drank the British through the Second World War. But how much of that is legend, how much is exaggeration, and how much is actually true? In this episode ...

16 Jan 46min

American Presidents: What they drank and why it mattered

On this episode of Intoxicating History we trace American history through what presidents chose to pour. From George Washington’s Madeira-fuelled formality to Thomas Jefferson’s obsession with French ...

9 Jan 57min

French 75s, Granny Sherry & the Night Eggnog Exploded: A Christmas Day in Drinks

After a bit of a break, Intoxicating History is back. Tom Parker Bowles and Henry Jeffreys return with a full day’s worth of Christmas drinking, from breakfast bubbles to late-night nog. We kick thing...

5 Dec 20251h 4min

History's Most Intoxicating Revelations: Season 1 Top 12

We're back with something special - our top 12 most intoxicating moments from Season 1! Join us as we revisit the wildest boozy tales that shaped history, from Roman drinking clubs to champagne myths....

12 Juni 202517min

The Angel's Share: 300 Years of Port's Forbidden Sips

Tom and Henry have escaped our London bunker for the season finale and found themselves in glorious Porto, surrounded by the world's finest ports! Join us as AdrianBridge, the CEO of Taylor's Port, gr...

15 Maj 202546min

Mad Men, Sad Wine with Rory Sutherland

We’re thrilled to welcome marketing maverick Rory Sutherland to Intoxicating History. In this somewhat rambunctious episode, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles share a glass of Port with Rory as he ...

1 Maj 20251h 3min

Grape Pretenders, Part 2

In this second part of a two-part special, Tom and Henry delve into the scandalous world of wine fraud that shook the fine wine establishment to its core. We unveil the extraordinary tale of Hardy Rod...

24 Apr 202542min