The great man of letters Charles Lamb was naturally shy — wine allowed him to shine on conversation. Sometimes, though, he would overindulge

Edgar Allen Poe may have drunk himself to death but his tastes reveal a staggering ignorance about alcohol

Revisiting Brideshead, we see that wine ministers to the sense of being as do few other things

A history of convivial symposia or drinking parties is rare. but one archival document opens a window on a past scene of drinking