Thinking Drinking

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A podcast about drinks and drinking: two friends share trivia and social history from the virtual pub. Absolutely no tasting notes.

Tim Macavoy


    • Jan 18, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 54m AVG DURATION
    • 95 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Thinking Drinking

    Episode 95: Prohibition (or "Wet for Hatchet Granny")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 95:44


    This year's super-sized “Dry January” episode is an overview of the dreaded US Prohibition, why it went wrong, and how Britain avoided it.Check out this archive of British anti-prohibition posters:https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/archives_online/exhibitions/prohibition/

    Episode 94: Last Orders (or "Deathbed Drinkies")

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2023 75:42


    It's the end of the year, so Tim and Eleri are calling Last Orders on time at the bar, funeral fun, and the hazards of embalming fluid.

    Episode 93: Gifts (or "Hampers and Champers")

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 52:28


    ‘tis the season for boozy gifting and Tim and Eleri have some facts to swap too.

    Episode 92: Berries - Part Two (or "A ramble through the bramble")

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 40:55


    Eleri and Tim are Lingon around for part two of “Berries”. Take me to Kirsch!

    Episode 91: Berries - Part One (or "Blowing a raspberry")

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 41:54


    From Cassis to Chambord, Tim tastes blackcurrants and Eleri blows a raspberry in the first of the berry two-parter.

    Episode 90: Poison - Part Two (or "Sucking the Sauce with Socrates")

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 65:55


    Spooktober the second sees Eleri and Tim sipping cyanide, speaking with Socrates, and suspecting seals.

    Episode 89: Poison - Part One (or "Toxic Taints")

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 48:39


    Tim and Eleri get toxic over poisons in the first of this spooky season two-parter. This week: poison pens, phylloxera, and a snakebite.

    Episode 88: Hops (not "Scotch")

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 57:43


    Tim and Eleri hop to it with some history and trivia of beer's favourite accessory.

    Episode 87: Algae (or "The Sea Weed")

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2023 63:20


    Coastal gins, kelpie beers, biofilters and freezing foragers are on the oceanic menu with Eleri and Tim.

    Episode 86: Evaporation (or "I know why the bulbous bird drinks")

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2023 23:36


    Inspired by that episode of The Simpsons where Homer puts a drinking bird to work, Tim wonders how it maintains its constitution…

    Episode 85: Guinness (or "Widgets and Creamy Head")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 83:59


    Eleri and Tim imbibe the black stuff as they pick the cream of Guinness facts, history and advertising.

    Episode 84: Nice Can (or "Because we can can can")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 62:49


    Tim and Eleri talk about metal cylindrical drinks containers - because they can.

    Episode 83: Dasani (or "The Peckham Spring")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 15:41


    Stick a pony in your pocket, because Tim has got a story which links the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses to the downfall of a major bottled water brand.

    Episode 82: Shiraz (or "Que Syrah, Syrah")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 61:09


    Tim and Eleri w(h)ine about Syrah, or is it Shiraz? Featuring poetry, huns, and a singalong.

    Episode 81: Bath (or "Jane Austen, boozehound")

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2023 15:05


    Emerging from Tim's laptop of two years-ago, this short and shaky episode is finally free from lockdown. The drinking duo had their first post-pandemic pint in the lovely Bath (the city, not doing soapy-good-times together), and now you can find out what they chatted about in the pub.

    Episode 80: Pub Quiz 3 (or "Your a vision and a mess")

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 44:53


    Tim and Eleri do their annual pub quiz, all about the previous year's podcast topics. Will Tim make it 3 wins in a row, or will Eleri get a grip? This year we're live (just about) from Eurovision, so expect some extra camp content, very strong language, and retching.

    Episode 79: Tantalus (or "Thirst Trap")

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 35:49


    Tim is tantalising, and Eleri is thirsty. Eternally punish yourself with this dry, dry episode.

    Episode 78: Orange (or "Loose screws")

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023 76:53


    Eleri and Tim go Orange for King's Day, ask whether OJ is OK, and triple their secs.

    orange oj eleri loose screws
    Episode 77: Drinking Chocolate (or "Coocoo for Cacao")

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2023 67:55


    Eleri and Tim guzzle hot choc like Willy Wonka taught them nothing. From Meso-America to Quakers, conching to chocolate fountains, we explore all things cacao.

    Episode 76: Trappists (or "#Lads4theLord")

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2023 54:35


    Tim and Eleri go full monk-mode with Trappist beers.

    trappist eleri trappists
    Episode 75: Pub Names - US Style (or "Go anus or go home")

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2023 42:39


    Following Tim's episode on London pub names, Eleri has her turn, tripping round the USA. Will the spreadsheet get any additions, or will Tim be a dick about it? Content warning: marketing bullshit.

    Episode 74: Kölsch (or "A Quickie from Cologne")

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2023 20:03


    Tim had a nice time in Cologne and now Eleri has to hear about it.

    Episode 73: IPA (or "Hops bop a loo bop a lop bom bom")

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2023 50:06


    With some home truths about India Pale Ale, Eleri goes stateside, and Tim gets post-colonial. Again.

    Episode 72: Pub Names - The London A-Z (or "Y isn't for Ye")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 33:27


    Eleri visits Tim in London and he takes her on a pub crawl without leaving the flat. Discover the stories behind the names of our favourite pubs.

    Episode 71: Kombucha (or "Scoby Doby Doo")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 51:14


    Rounding out a dry(ish) January the scoby gang (Tim and Eleri) explore kombucha, kvass, and kefir.

    Episode 70: Hangovers (or "New Year Crapulence")

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2022 56:42


    Happy New Year! So, who has a hangover? Tim and Eleri bravely battle through a recording they may have been better off not doing. Hair of the dog anyone?

    Episode 69: Champagne (or "How not to pop your cork")

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 60:13


    POP! Glug, glug, glug. Fizz…

    Episode 68: Animals (or "Hamsters on the lash")

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2022 58:27


    Professional humans Tim and Eleri explore the mammalian love of booze, unlucky lizards, tequila fish, and cat windows.

    Episode 67: Droopy Nuts (or "Milk this")

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2022 48:32


    Tim discovers the shocking truth about amaretto, and Eleri squeezes her nut bag.

    Episode 66: British Royalty (or "WTF is Dubonnet?")

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2022 63:56


    Tim and Eleri narrowly avoid an act of treason as they explore the boozy tastes of British Royalty, from wine fountains to Dubonnet.

    Episode 65: Haunted Pubs (or "Things that go burp in the night")

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 77:57


    Turn the lights off and the volume up, as Tim and Eleri tell tall tales of haunted pubs - and stay tuned for spooky story time.

    Episode 64: Peru (or "On the pisco")

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 61:51


    Eleri and Tim travel the Andes in search of pisco, chicha, and whistling water vessels.

    Episode 63: Bitter (or "Betty Botter's Butter")

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 66:08


    Rancorous hosts Tim and Eleri sip ale and Angostura as they discuss all things bitter.

    Episode 62: Buckfast and Irn-Bru (Or "Bucky Balls and Fanny Usage")

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2022 79:44


    Following the festivities of Edinburgh Fringe, Eleri and Tim examine two iconic Scottish-ish drinks.

    Episode 61: Lethe (or "Hungry Hungry Hippokampoi")

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2022 8:12


    Did Eleri drink too much and forget to turn up today? Tim investigates.

    Episode 60: Ageing (or "Pi** and Vinegar")

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 67:18


    Tim's turning 40 and so, with Eleri, we're celebrating all that is good about ageing, from wine to vinegar.

    Episode 59: Frozen Part Two (or "The cold brew never bothered me anyway")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2022 47:25


    Tim and Eleri return to antarctic wastelands and get slushy with more frosty facts about booze.

    Episode 58: Frozen Part One (or "Ice to see you, to see you, ice")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2022 49:38


    Stay cool in the summer heat with the first of our icy two-parter. Grab your luge and join Tim and Eleri.

    Episode 57: Good Booze (or "Booze for Good")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2022 67:58


    Do-gooders Tim and Eleri look at the socially positive impacts of brewing and boozing.

    Episode 56: Smuggling (or "Five Go Mad For Import Taxes")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2022 82:58


    Eleri and Tim smuggle some facts and some tall tales about secret boozy imports. Plus top tips for festival-goers!NOTE: In this episode we implied “Fanny loves Dick”, when in fact it was Mary. See for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8H_v8cM9CQ

    Episode 55: Sap (or "Birch, please")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2022 47:08


    Go suck a tree, it's an episode about drinks made from sap!

    Episode 54: Glass (or "Eleri's a disorganised solid")

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2022 77:55


    Vessels, stubbies, goblets, boob-myths, and old boots. Raise a glass with Tim and Eleri.

    Episode 53: Pub Quiz 2 (or "Will We Ever Learn?")

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022 63:27


    It's the end of year 2, so Tim and Eleri test their newly gained knowledge - and this year, there will be drinking penalties…Pub Quiz 2 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4gyre9TMRDZynWJg0QGG6V?si=dffda8626b7c4247

    Episode 52: Ukraine (or "Vodka, The Return")

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 48:11


    Tim and Eleri just about make their way through a traditional Ukrainian toasting session, and we see how the current situation is reflected through vodka and beer.

    Episode 51: Hogarth (or "A Good Trump")

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 56:49


    Tim and Eleri visit Tate Britain's Hogarth exhibit, and reflect on the pissed-up paintings from Beer Street to Gin Lane.Follow along with these images:A Harlot's Progress:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A-Harlots-Progress.jpgA Rake's Progress:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rake%27s_ProgressA Modern Midnight Conversation:https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/a-midnight-modern-conversation-1Charity in the Cellar:https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1882-0610-54Francis Matthew Schutz in Bed:http://norfolkmuseumscollections.org/collections/objects/object-3907514260.htmlBeer Street:https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/beer-street-1Gin Lane:https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hogarth-gin-lane-t01799Four Stages of Cruelty:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Hogarth_-_The_First_Stage_of_Cruelty-_Children_Torturing_Animals_-_Google_Art_Project.jpghttps://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/the-reward-of-crueltyThe Cockpit:https://www.rct.uk/collection/811986/the-cockpitThe Painter and His Pug:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_(dog)#/media/File:The_Painter_and_His_Pug_by_William_Hogarth.jpgCaptain Lord George Graham in his Cabin:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Lord_George_Graham_in_his_Cabin#/media/File:Captain_Lord_George_Graham,_1715-47,_in_his_Cabin.jpg

    Episode 50: Whoopsies! (or "Let's go to Dildo!")

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2022 50:05


    Episode 49: Porter (or "Gregory floods my basement")

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2022 50:36


    Eleri, Tim and special guest Gem (from My Turn podcast) celebrate some home-made porter with historical tidbits, cocktails, a disaster, and only a few tasting notes.

    Episode 48: Delirium (or "This is Insania")

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 81:32


    March madness descends on Tim and Eleri as they explore Delirium Tremens and drug-fuelled drinks.

    Episode 47: Communion (or "Blessed crouton in wine soup")

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 63:01


    Well bless my soul, Eleri and Tim explore communion wine and other religious approaches to boozin'.

    Episode 46: Valentine (or "The Papa John Effect")

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022 74:47


    Love is in the air as Eleri and Tim look at sex on the beach, and some cocktails. Also how does booze really effect your sex life?

    Episode 45: Burns Night (or "But it's written like satsuma!")

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 42:29


    Tim and Eleri celebrate “The Immortal Robert Burns” by mostly talking about whisky, failing to sing Auld Lang Syne, and massacring Scots dialect poetry.

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