Rebellious Spirits

A delicious taste of the secret, exciting and often dangerous history of illicit spirits Britain has always been a nation of enthusiastic drinkers. Any attempt to regulate, limit or ban our favourite tipple has been met with imaginative and daring acts of defiance: selling gin through pipes in a London back alley; smuggling brandy across Cornish clifftops; or dodging bombs and shrapnel running whisky in the Blitz. The history of spirits in Britain has more illicit in it than licit - and that history has shaped these isles. Packed with wild stories, as well as authentic recipes from the past, Rebellious Spirits reveals the colourful characters and tall tales behind Britain's long and lively love affair with booze.

Ruth Ball works at East London Liquor Company, a London distillery. She is a chemist and former bartender, and was the founder of Alchemist Dreams, a company dedicated to making handmade liqueurs blended to order for high-profile creative events with The British Library, Starwood Hotels and The Science Museum Group. She is also the author of Rough Spirits and High Society: The Culture of Drink.