What role did Scotch whisky play in the development of the steam engine? Who first coined the word `alcohol’ ? Spirits and drink historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown know. They have been on a spirituous journey since they first launched their website Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini and the book by the same name. Fifteen years of travel around the world, a few worn out library cards, and thousands of pages of undiscovered research later, they have amassed their findings in the two-volume work, Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink, of which this is the first. Jared Brown is Master Distiller at Sipsmith Independent Spirits. He is publisher of Mixellany Books, specializing in drink-related subjects and co-author, with his wife Anistatia Miller, of a few dozen books. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian and Observer Food Monthly.