13 Billion Years of Booze

Dr John A. Walters

Think your drink started in a distillery? Think again. Its true story began 13.8 billion years ago. 

13 Billion Years of Booze is a revolutionary journey through time, revealing the astonishing cosmic and evolutionary path of alcohol. From the Big Bang's creation of hydrogen, to stars forging carbon and oxygen, and supernovae scattering these vital ingredients across the galaxy, discover how the universe itself set the stage. 

Explore the chilling beauty of interstellar clouds where ethanol first formed, the cometary "special deliveries" to early Earth, and the primordial chemistry that made our planet a "boozy blue marble." Learn how ancient life, from the Last Universal Common Ancestor to resourceful yeasts and our primate forebears, evolved to interact with and metabolize alcohol, leading to pivotal genetic shifts. Finally, witness humanity’s leap from accidental encounters with fermented nature to the intentional brewing that helped catalyse agriculture and build civilisations. 

Through the lens of "Drakes Research"—the combined power of astrophysics, paleogenetics, archaeology, and more—this book uncovers a hidden history as intoxicating as its subject. This isn't just a story about alcohol. It's a story about the universe, life, and us. Prepare for a mind-altering perspective on your next toast.