From tea ("the cup that cheers") to spirits ("the water of life") to water ("the most useful and necessary part of the creation"), drinking in Britain has always meant much more than satisfying a thirst. "Liquid Pleasures" is an engrossing study of the social history of drinks in Britain from the seventeenth century to the present. It discovers why tea versus coffee became the national beverage, why the use of alcoholic drinks declined in the nineteenth century until recently, and why more than half the population over the age of ten consumes soft drinks daily. A fascinating look at a basic human activity, "Liquid Pleasures" explores the social, economic, political and cultural factors that have influenced it.