Intoxicating History podcast | Listen online for free

26 episodes

An Apple a Day Kept Britain Going
23/01/2026 | 53 mins.
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 of apples, orchards and a drink that quietly fuelled the countryside for centuries.
We’re joined by James Crowden, whose deep knowledge of rural England helps us trace how cider shifted from everyday necessity to cultural afterthought. Along the way, we uncover how monks, farmers, class, labour and tax policy shaped cider’s fortunes, and why industrialisation changed the way Britain drank.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a story about land, work and identity, and why today’s cider revival is about reclaiming flavour, craft and connection rather than novelty.
Thoughtful, funny and gently persuasive, this episode makes the case for cider as one of Britain’s most important — and misunderstood — historic drinks.
As ever, we’re supported by Wylde Market have another wonderful box to unpack

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Churchill Drank What? Champagne, myths and the Making of a Wartime Legend
16/01/2026 | 46 mins.
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 of Intoxicating History, we take a long, considered sip of Churchill’s drinking life. From his famously weak “mouthwash” whisky sodas to champagne by the pint, brandy at bedtime, and alcohol prescribed on doctor’s orders during Prohibition America. We explore how drink shaped his working rhythm, his diplomacy, his image and perhaps even his genius. Along the way, there are Soviet banquets with Stalin, loathed cocktails courtesy of FDR, champagne diplomacy at Yalta, and the curious truth about whether Churchill was ever actually drunk at all.

Was alcohol his weakness or his secret weapon? Smart, surprising and very funny, this episode cuts through the myths to reveal the man behind the glass.
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American Presidents: What they drank and why it mattered
09/01/2026 | 57 mins.
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 wine, drink becomes a way of signalling power, taste, and intent. Along the way, we meet whiskey-loving generals, temperance-minded First Ladies, Prohibition presidents who quietly ignored their own laws, and eras shaped by glamour, chilli, or quiet restraint. Kennedy dazzles with French wine and style. Johnson tears up the rulebook with Texas hospitality. Nixon knows his claret but keeps it close. Reagan recognises the diplomatic value of American wine. Obama brews beer in the White House. Trump sticks to Diet Coke. Together, these choices tell a story of America through glasses raised, rules bent, and the politics of what ends up on the table.

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French 75s, Granny Sherry & the Night Eggnog Exploded: A Christmas Day in Drinks
05/12/2025 | 1h 4 mins.
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 things off with champagne, charting its journey from syrupy Russian favourite to the dry style loved in Britain, and the Victorian habit of happily mixing it with gin. From there, its’ a dive into the Buck’s Fizz, its scandalous origins at Buck’s Club, and the cameo champagne cocktails in Casablanca — including the wonderfully lethal French 75, and the surprising origin story of its name… Next up is sherry: Bristol Cream, sweetened amontillado, Dickensian purism, and the enduring British belief that “granny sherry” is still the drink of Christmas. Baileys follows — born from tax incentives, Jameson whiskey, Cadbury’s drinking chocolate, and a chemist who miraculously kept cream stable in a bottle. Finally, crashed in front of the telly, we journey into the wild world of eggnog and the utterly chaotic 1826 West Point Eggnog Riot, when drunken cadets caused custard-coloured festive devastation. A warm, funny, and deeply boozy Christmas special brought to you by Wylde Market, the online farmers’ market.

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History's Most Intoxicating Revelations: Season 1 Top 12
12/06/2025 | 17 mins.
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. We'll reveal how Mark Antony sent drunken letters to the Roman public (the ancient equivalent of drunk texting!), explore whether the Royal Navy actually invented the mojito, and uncover the bizarre horse-trading practice that may have given us the word "cocktail" - involving ginger and a very uncomfortable equine experience.

We'll also dive into prohibition's ridiculous loopholes, discover how the French protected their precious vineyards during WWII, and finally settle the great martini debate - was James Bond actually right about shaking, not stirring? From naval rum rations to Hitler's stolen wine collection, these stories prove that alcohol has been causing chaos, controversy, and comedy throughout human history. Pour yourself something appropriate and join us for this intoxicating journey!
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About 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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