Alcohol and Drugs History Society

New England tavern keepers, 1620-1720 (thesis)

Zachary Michael Carmichael, "Fit Men: New England Tavern Keepers, 1620-1720" (M.A. thesis, Miami University, 2009).

Nine of Britain's best coffee houses

The (London) Times briefly profiles nine of Britain's best coffee houses here.  Two of them seem to be principally tea shops!

Coffee house nostalgia

In the Chicago Tribune Ron Grossman indulges in coffee house nostalgia.  For him a coffee house was a restaurant that served basic meals as well as coffee (refilled endlessly).  It had seats at a counter as well as tables attended by waitresses.  Many people would call it a diner.  Most such coffee houses have closed, but Grossman finally found one in today's Chicago.  He did not want a slick, assembly line contemporary coffee shop in which a wide choice of overpriced coffee probably would be served in a paper cup and the most common food had plenty of sugar and no protein.   For more, see here.  Although he doesn't make the point, he was attempting to return to an era when a choice of coffee meant black, white, or decaf and it came with a spoon.

Starbucks and the reaction against brands

In a blog Bryant Simon, the author of a recent book about the social function of Starbucks coffee shops, writes about a reaction against brands that has prompted Starbucks to open what he calls stealth Starbucks (that do business without the Starbucks logo and other identifying features and thus pretend to be independents).

Daily grind: New York City's unemployed at coffee shops

The New York Times reports on the unemployed at local coffee shops (where they aren't always welcome).  For details, see here.

Coffeehouse culture today: the death of conversation

Michael Idov loves the coffeehouse.  He says that it "may just be mankind's greatest invention."  He laments that at least in America is has become quiet and solitary.  The social function of the coffeehouse has diminished.  Laptops have replaced newspapers and conversation and turned the coffeehouse into a place of weak decaf.  For more from his Wall Street Journal essay, see here.

Gutzke on Jennings's book on English pubs (book review)

David W. Gutzke, book review of Paul Jennings, The Local: A History of the English Pub, in English Historical Review 134 (2009): 1522-1523.

Drink in Victorian Norwich, Part II (article)

Rob Donovan, "Drink in Victorian Norwich, Part II," Brewery History 132 (2009): 67-133.  Part I appeared in issue number 130.

Hanging out at Starbucks (book)

Bryant Simon, Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks (University of California Press, 2009).  The Temple University professor visited more than 400 Starbucks cafes.

Palestine's Oktoberfest

The Christian founded Palestinian Oktoberfest, as reported here, is now able to include Moslems with its new non-alcoholic beer reported here .