Liquid bread : beer and brewing in cross-cultural perspective /

The desire for beer shaped ancient landscapes, has spurred technological change, and has fused traditional consumers into modern global markets. This important volume sheds new light on the social, political, and economic role of beer in society and greatly increases the depth and breadth of anthropological studies on drinking. Schiefenhovel and Macbeth have compiled a holistic and to some extent comprehensive volume that embraces biological, archaeological, linguistic, and sociocultural perspectives on beer. From the biological drive for ethanol, to the archaeological evidence for beer brewing in ancient Europe, to the linguistic underpinning of beer culture in New Zealand, to the solidarity created by ritualized beer drinking in German fraternity houses, the essays in this volume represent all four subfields of anthropology. In addition, the contributors creatively touch upon key themes in the anthropology of drinking, such as the spiritual function of beer, gendered differences in drinking, the nature of alcohol-based sociability, and the use of beer in cementing community bonds and promoting national identities. Some essays also critically deconstruct the marketing campaigns of modern beer producers. A valuable addition to the anthropological literature on alcohol. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. F. H. Smith College of William and Mary