{"product_id":"an-unholy-brew-alcohol-in-indian-history-and-religions","title":"An Unholy Brew: Alcohol in Indian History and Religions","description":"The first comprehensive book on alcohol in pre-modern India, \u003cem\u003eAn Unholy Brew: Alcohol in Indian History and Religions\u003c\/em\u003e uses a wide range of sources from the Vedas to the Kamasutra to explore drinks and styles of drinking, as well as rationales for abstinence from the earliest Sanskrit written\u003cbr\u003erecords through the second millennium CE. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBooks about the global history of alcohol almost never give attention to India. But a wide range of texts provide plenty of evidence that there was a thriving culture of drinking in ancient and medieval India, from public carousing at the brewery and drinking house to imbibing at festivals and\u003cbr\u003eweddings. There was also an elite drinking culture depicted in poetic texts (often in an erotic mode), and medical texts explain how to balance drink and health. By no means everyone drank, however, and there were many sophisticated religious arguments for abstinence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMcHugh begins by surveying the intoxicating drinks that were available, including grain beers, palm toddy, and imported wine, detailing the ways people used grains, sugars, fruits, and herbs over the centuries to produce an impressive array of liquors. He presents myths that explain how drink came\u003cbr\u003einto being and how it was assigned the ritual and legal status it has in our time. The book also explores Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain moral and legal texts on drink and abstinence, as well as how drink is used in some Tantric rituals, and translates in full a detailed description of the goddess\u003cbr\u003eLiquor, Suradevi. Cannabis, betel, soma, and opium are also considered. Finally, McHugh investigates what has happened to these drinks, stories, and theories in the last few centuries. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn \u003cem\u003eUnholy Brew\u003c\/em\u003e brings to life the overlooked, complex world of brewing, drinking, and abstaining in pre-modern India, and offers illuminating case studies on topics such as law and medicine, even providing recipes for some drinks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames McHugh\u003c\/strong\u003e studies the history and religions of early India, working with texts in Sanskrit and related languages. He completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 2008, and is now Associate Professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His book \u003cem\u003eSandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture\u003c\/em\u003e explored the significance of odors, perfumes, and aromatics in India.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50496301596946,"sku":"9780199375943","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_baeed7d6-2549-47f7-8397-56131085f7ea.jpg?v=1730692548","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/an-unholy-brew-alcohol-in-indian-history-and-religions","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}