This New York Times article is a summary and review of the book "Proof: The Science of Booze" by editor Adam Rogers. It not only discusses the chemistry of producing alcohol but also the chemistry of its consumption. Its starts out talking about the natural process of fermentation that converts sugar to ethanol by yeast. It also talks about the discovery of yeast by scientists such as Louis Pasteur and how “early microscopists had a reputation for seeing things that weren’t really there.” Roger then leads into discussing the many different types of alcohol that can be made and the flavors that are produced from aging. He then goes into the chemistry behind the consumption of alcohol, mostly the psychology of it. Even after all of this discussion, there is still a lot to learn about alcohol.
“Ethanol is one of the few legal drugs of abuse,” Mr. Rogers writes, “and the only one that nobody really understands at the functional level.”
I found this article very interesting because I am a food science minor and interned at a winery this summer. I am looking to go into the production of alcohol as a career making this book a must-read for myself.
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