Proof: The Science of Booze

Adam Rogers

May 2014 · HarperCollins

About this ebook

A New York Times bestseller, science journalist Adam Rogers'sProof is a spirited narrative on the fascinating art and science of alcohol, sure to inspire cocktail party chats on making booze, tasting it, and its effects on our bodies and brains, from "one of the best science writers around" (National Geographic).

Winner of Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book
An IACP Cookbook Awards Winner
Finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

Humans have been perfecting alcohol production for ten thousand years, but scientists are just starting to distill the chemical reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers takes us from bourbon country to the world’s top gene-sequencing labs, introducing us to the bars, barflies, and evolving science at the heart of boozy technology. He chases the physics, biology, chemistry, and metallurgy that produce alcohol, and the psychology and neurobiology that make us want it.

If you’ve ever wondered how your drink arrived in your glass, or what it will do to you, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.

“Lively...[Rogers’s] descriptions of the science behind familiar drinks exert a seductive pull.”—New York Times

“Rogers’s book has much the same effect as a good drink. You get a warm sensation, you want to engage with the wider world, and you feel smarter than you probably are. Above all, it makes you understand how deeply human it is to take a drink.”—Wall Street Journal

Ratings and reviews

A great foray into all kinds of alcohol. There are some bland points and a few rambling points that are left open but the research is done well. As a bit of a beer nut it was nice to learn about the development of purer alcohols and how big the world is. I particularly enjoyed the sections on aging in wine barrels where traditions held for centuries, the yeast culture database that works endlessly to keep beer drinkers happy and yeast burping, finally I really enjoyed his exploration into fungi- it was odd and a fun. I'll be picking up another Adam Rogers book if it keeps a similar tone, hopefully it will end with a few less straggling points.

Were lol of what as far as i knew i got yall how i want ya not believein me down to every word and u know i dont leave very much proof that you can use as such as try to lock me up so have fun cause either way not bothering me lol yall not gonna get a reaction ya want if one at all and really the one u get will probably be fake

Rogers does a great job of describing the booze manufacturing process from beginning to end. He does a great job of explaining the science behind the production of alcohol without making a lay person feel inadequate all the while inserting anecdotal stories to help support the journey. I highly recommend the read, but be aware that it does inspire you to drink with Rodgers along the way!

About the author

ADAM ROGERS is the New York Times best-selling author of Proof: The Science of Booze, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and winner of the IACP Award for Best Wine, Beer, or Spirits Book and the Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book in the United States. He is a deputy editor at Wired, where his feature story “The Angels’ Share” won the 2011 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award. Before coming to Wired, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT and a writer covering science and technology for Newsweek. He lives in Oakland, California.