Series: British Library Philosophies

An early description of a cocktail as 'a mix of alcoholic drinks with flavouring ingredients' does nothing to convey the alchemy and speak-easy glamour of these elaborate drinks. The cocktail's humble beginnings as a medicinal tonic, through the inclusion of botanicals into distilled spirits such as gin and whiskey, accelerate with the ingenuity of bartenders who created the 'classics' -...

The desire to cultivate indoor plants is shared by all of us. Houseplants are more than mere decoration: they improve our moods, can be used to treat ailments, and reflect our ever-evolving relationship with nature. Sarah Gerrard-Jones masterfully explores the psychology behind our attraction to houseplants, and the benefits of keeping plants in our homes, from the healing qualities of...

The Philosophy of Cider is sunshine in a glass! Follow Jane Peyton on a glorious voyage of discovery, from the journey of the wild Malus Sieversii apple—ancestor of today's domesticated apple—which has made its way from the foothills of Central Asia's Tien Shan mountains, to the Norman invasion that introduced new apple varieties and pressing technologies to Britain, and to...

What makes chocolate so alluring? Why is it the inspiration for endless culinary creativity? Sam Bilton explores our complex relationship with this versatile confection, which is made from the humble beans of the tropical cacao tree. Divided thematically, The Philosophy of Chocolate moves between the ceremonial uses of chocolate and its reputation as an aphrodisiac. It investigates its reputed health...

There are curries on almost every continent, with a stunning diversity of flavours and textures across India alone, and many more interpretations the world over, including in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Trinidad and the curry capital of the UK, Bradford. But curry is difficult to define. The word has origins in ancient India, but its adoption by Portuguese and British colonisers...