A Drinking Story

The Battle of New Orleans was planned in a bar between a pirate and a general, and over drinks, an unlikely alliance was formed. The British outnumbered the Americans, but they weren't prepared for the combined forces of militia, smugglers, pirates, frontiersmen, free men of color, and Choctaw warriors. Spoiler alert: General Pakenham went home in a barrel of rum, and the Americans went home legends.

Melissa and Sam trace the full story: Jean Laffite's smuggling empire, the myth of the blacksmith shop bar, the whiskey-for-a-sniper deal, and the coffee houses of the French Quarter that were really bars all along. Plus - what New Orleans was actually drinking in 1815, and why it matters.

A Drinking Story - when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

A sitting world leader was found on Pennsylvania Avenue. In his underwear. Drunk. Demanding a pizza. This is not the scandal. The scandal is what came next.

Boris Yeltsin — Russia's first elected president and the man who dismantled the Soviet Union — spent the 1990s visibly, spectacularly drunk while Russian democracy collapsed around him. Behind the chaos, he was handing power to a quiet former KGB agent to save himself from prosecution. That man did not waste the gift.

Melissa breaks down the Yeltsin drunk timeline and the political aftermath that shaped modern Russia. Sam breaks down vodka — its history, its cultural grip, and why it was never just a drink in Russian political life.

Cold War. Soviet collapse. Oligarchs. The rise of authoritarianism. One drinking problem changed everything.

A Drinking Story — when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

Sources

1. Boris Yeltsin — Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin

2. The Peculiar Truth About Boris Yeltsin — Medium https://medium.com/the-peculiar-truth/the-peculiar-truth-about-boris-yeltsin-77a87c645a8e

3. No. 10 Feared Boris Yeltsin Was Drinking Himself to Death — The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/no-10-feared-cuddly-bear-boris-yeltsin-was-drinking-himself-to-death-bprnct5qr

4. Yeltsin Restores State Monopoly on Alcohol — Jamestown Foundation https://jamestown.org/yeltsin-restores-state-monopoly-on-alcohol/

5. Boris Yeltsin — NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18273852

6. Boris Yeltsin — ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82447&page=1

7. Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin's 1994 State Visit — History.com https://www.history.com/articles/bill-clinton-boris-yeltsin-drunk-1994-russian-state-visit

8. Launching the Clinton Administration's Russia Policy — National Security Archive https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2023-02-07/launching-clinton-administration-russia-policy-1993

9. Russia's Failure of Democracy — Carnegie Endowment https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2016/06/the-road-from-1996-russias-failure-of-democracy

10. Why Russia's Democracy Never Began — Davis Center, Harvard https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/why-russias-democracy-never-began

11. The Legacy of Boris Yeltsin — RUSI https://www.rusi.org/publication/legacy-boris-yeltsin

12. Kellogg Institute Working Paper on Russian Democracy — Notre Dame https://kellogg.nd.edu/sites/default/files/old_files/documents/352_0.pdf

13. Putin Is Perfecting the Authoritarian Model — The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/156987/putin-perfecting-authoritarian-model

14. The Constitutional Dark Arts Spreading from Russia — Lowy Institute https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/constitutional-dark-arts-spreading-russia-world

Want to Understand Trump's US? Look at Putin's Russia — Democracy for Sale https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/want-to-understand-trumps-us-look-putin-russia-oligarchy-autocracy

April 14, 1865. Five days after the Civil War effectively ended, Abraham Lincoln went to Ford's Theatre expecting a night of laughter.

Washington, D.C. was in full celebration mode. Saloons were packed. Victory drinks were flowing. And next door to the theater, at the crowded Star Saloon, two men connected to history's most infamous crime moved through the same room: Lincoln's bodyguard and his killer, John Wilkes Booth.

This week on A Drinking Story, we examine how alcohol didn't cause the assassination—but helped create the conditions around it. From Booth's heavy brandy habit, to a policeman drinking instead of guarding the President, to a co-conspirator who got drunk and lost his nerve, this is the story of one of America's darkest nights through the lens of what everyone was drinking.

A Drinking Story — when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ford's Theatre. History of Ford's Theatre / Lincoln's Assassination. https://fords.org/lincolns-assassination/history-of-fords-theatre/
• Smithsonian Magazine. Lincoln's Missing Bodyguard. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lincolns-missing-bodyguard-12932069/
• Oakland University Digital Collections. Archival PDF Collection Related to Lincoln Assassination Era Sources. https://digitalcollections.library.oakland.edu/files/original/26011c0b48717f53765b209aa645cf76d504bc4f.pdf
• Playbill. The Night Lincoln Was Shot: Minute by Minute Backstage with John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre. https://playbill.com/article/the-night-lincoln-was-shot-minute-by-minute-backstage-with-john-wilkes-booth-at-fords-theatre-com-346483
• National Park Service. Ford's Theatre Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.nps.gov/foth/learn/historyculture/faq-fords-theatre.htm
• History.com. What Lincoln Said in His Final Speech. https://www.history.com/articles/what-lincoln-said-in-his-final-speech
• NAACP. Legislative Milestones: Voting Rights Act of 1965. https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/legislative-milestones/voting-rights-act-1965/

Beer is older than writing, older than money, and older than the wheel. It wasn't just a drink — it built civilizations. Literally. We know ancient aliens and enslaved labor didn't build the Egyptian Pyramids because of beer. Archaeologists found the receipts right at the base: barracks, bakeries, clinics, and an industrial size brewery. And that's just where the story starts.

History didn't happen in spite of drinking. It happened because of it.

Melissa Huston is an Annapolis-based historian and storyteller. Her husband Sam Huston is a beverage industry specialist covering the Mid-Atlantic market who has spent his career inside the world of what people drink and why. Together they're connecting the glass in your hand to the history nobody taught you in school.

A Drinking Story — when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

Sources & Further Reading

Smithsonian Magazine — The World's Oldest Industrial-Scale Brewery Found in Egypt https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-industrial-scale-brewery-found-egypt-180977026/

Smithsonian Magazine — The Beer Archaeologist https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-beer-archaeologist-17016372/

Nautilus — How to Make the Bread That Fueled the Pyramids https://nautil.us/how-to-make-the-bread-that-fueled-the-pyramids-1223483/

Atlas Obscura — Ancient Egyptian Cocktails https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-egyptians-cocktails

British Museum — Sip Through History: Ancient Egyptian Beer https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/sip-history-ancient-egyptian-beer

Princeton University — Archaeological Team Identifies World's Oldest Industrial Brewery https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/02/16/archaeological-team-co-led-princetons-vischak-identifies-worlds-oldest-industrial

Harvard Gazette — Excavation Unearths Ancient Egyptian Brewery https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/10/excavation-unearths-ancient-egyptian-brewery/

VinePair — Workers Were Paid With Beer 5,000 Years Ago https://vinepair.com/booze-news/workers-were-paid-with-beer-5000-years-ago/

The Drinks Business — Ancient Egyptians Used "I'm Brewing" as an Excuse to Skip Work https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/06/ancient-egyptians-used-im-brewing-as-an-excuse-to-skip-work/

Pass the Flamingo — Ancient Recipe: Egyptian Beer https://passtheflamingo.com/2017/03/29/ancient-recipe-egyptian-beer-egypt-ca-5000-bce/

By John Roach — Abydos Brewery https://byjohnroach.com/abydos-brewery/

Alcohol and human society have been together for at least 13,000 years.

And in that time, drinking has built empires, started wars, toppled governments and shaped the course of history.

Hi. I'm Melissa Huston. And this is A Drinking Story — about when history was drunk, and what they were drinking when they were.

This isn't Drunk History. This is something different. These are the moments in time that were directly shaped by imbibing. When beer, wine or liquor effected the historical outcome.

With me will be Sam Huston, an expert from the spirits industry, who will be breaking down what they were drinking, how they were drinking it, and where they got it from.

One story at a time, we're going to look at global politics, religion, war, sports, art and culture — through the lens of booze.

A Drinking Story. New Season starting soon. Subscribe and Follow.

Our fourth episode is a drunken sailor story about a party cruise that went wrong in the 12th century.  Drink along with the tragic tale of the White ship with your drunken tour guide Melissa, our liquor specialist Sam and special guest Clare, who shares her drinking story about why she doesn’t drink gin anymore, and the do’s and don’ts of pleasure cruising

Do you have a drinking story to share?

Email [email protected]

Drinks are meant to be social, so Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler at @adrinkingstory

Adrinkingstorypodcast.com

Intro Music by Larry and His Flask 

Our third episode, and our umpteenth drink.  This week Melissa has a drinking story about when the early American elections were about “Swilling the Planters with Bumbo” aka getting the voters drunk on Rum punch.  George Washington won his first elected office by providing the biggest bar tab, so Sam talks about Washington’s Distillery, the history of Maryland Whiskey, and colonial punches. This week, Mike Carter of Annapolis & Baltimore Tours and Crawls joins us, and we are drinking Journeyman Not a King Whiskey, and Colonial Bumbo.

Got a drinking story you want to share?

Email [email protected]

Drinks are meant to be social, so Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler at @adrinkingstory

Adrinkingstorypodcast.com

Our second episode!  This week Melissa has a Drunk Monk story, and Sam introduces us to Bock and Doppelbock beers.  In studio guest, is Jake from Harvest Wood Grill + Tap, who shares a drinking story about Everclear.  The drunk term of the week is “Lordly” or “Drunk as a Lord” and we are drinking Victory Brewing company's White Monkey Belgian Tripel style beer, Ayinger’s Celebrator Doppelbock Beer, and Paulaner’s Salvator Doppelbock.

Got a drinking story you want to share?

Email [email protected]

Drinks are meant to be social, so Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler at @adrinkingstory

Adrinkingstorypodcast.com

Music by Larry and His Flask 

Footnotes: 

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/these-17th-century-monks-did-a-beer-fast-for-lent-90886

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/25/my-take-what-i-learned-from-my-46-day-beer-only-fast/

https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Part-Time-Monk-J-Wilson/dp/193700452X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323130214&sr=1-1

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/12/17/251959392/is-a-500-year-old-german-beer-law-heritage-worth-honoring

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/25/my-take-what-i-learned-from-my-46-day-beer-only-fast/

https://tempestinatankard.com/2017/05/31/how-paulaners-salvator-doppelbock-got-its-name/

https://www.paulaner.com/our-products/salvator/

https://www.drinkingpantspageant.com/winners

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/germany/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-munich-starkbier-fest/

This is our first episode, and in honor of St Patrick’s day, Melissa tells the Irish drinking legend about “Drowning the Shamrock” that explains why we drink on March 17.  She also shares the history of parades on St. Patrick’s Day, and you will be surprised to hear who has the oldest.  Co-Host Sam Huston addresses the Catholic whiskey vs Protestant whiskey debate and shares his drinking story from spending St Patrick’s day in Dublin.  For our first guest, Sam Graham, of the Drunkard United Football Show, joins us and tells his drinking story about the time he was late to a party and decided to double up on shots to catch up to everyone else and …. well...  listen to hear how he ended up.

The drunk term of the week is “Making Virginia Fence” and everyone is sipping on Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey.

Got a drinking story you want to share?

Email [email protected]

Drinks are meant to be social, so Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler at @adrinkingstory

Adrinkingstorypodcast.com

Music by Larry and His Flask 

A podcast about when drunk people made history, and what they were drinking when they did.   Melissa tells the historical drinking story, and Sam has the backstory on the booze.

First Episode launches March 15, so subscribe and make A Drinking Story your new favorite podcast.

Adrinkingstorypodcast.com

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler at @adrinkingstory

Got a drinking story you want to share?

Email [email protected]

Barleywine Bump 2013 used with permission Larry and His Flask