University Guest Speaker: Andrew F. Smith

Andrew F. Smith, the author of Drinking History: Fifteen Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages, will be discussing his book at Paley on March 26th, discussing the history of All-American drinks such as Coke and Coors, as well as the advertising and marketing around them. This is an opportunity to learn how advertisers and marketers in the beverage industry have helped shaped the lifestyles of Americans as well as change American history.

When: March 26, 2013

Where: Paley Library

What: What is American drink? Is it warmed-over traditional British beverages, such as tea and ale? Or is it versions of ethnic beverages brought by successive waves of immigrants—sangria, tequila, bubble tea? Or is it the fiercely marketed creations of America’s beverage industry—Kool-Aid, Snapple, Coors, Coca-Cola? Andrew F. Smith, author of the just released Drinking History: 15 Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages (Columbia University Press) will discuss how beverages have changed American history and how Americans have invented, adopted, modified, and commercialized tens of thousands of beverages. Involved in their creation and promotion were entrepreneurs and environmentalists, bartenders and bottlers, politicians and lobbyists, organized and unorganized criminals, German and Italian immigrants, advertisers and consumers, prohibitionists and medical professionals, and everyday Americans in love with their brew.