Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution

America’s founding generation drank a staggering amount of alcohol by today’s standards.

It influenced their politics, built and sustained their relationships, and drove the economy. Booze was not a small part of colonial society, nor covertly consumed in private spaces—it was integral to American life.

Historians have been reluctant to discuss the influence of alcohol on the founding of the United States, but it is necessary if we want to gain a full picture of the movement—it’s time to r...