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The story of alcohol spans centuries, brimming with captivating tales and legendary anecdotes. It has sparked countless myths, bold claims, and spirited narratives. While it has had its share of controversies, we’re here to celebrate its colorful legacy with a touch of nostalgia.
These entries may entertain, astonish, or even appall you—some might evoke all three reactions. Dive into ten fascinating stories, myths, and legends about alcohol, perfect for quenching the curiosity of even the most seasoned trivia enthusiast.
10. Cleopatra’s Legendary Pearl Wager
One of Cleopatra’s most notorious tales involves a wager with Marc Antony. To flaunt her immense riches, she wagered the Roman general that she could devour a meal worth ten million sesterces in one sitting.
Antony agreed to the challenge. Cleopatra presented a goblet of wine vinegar, removed a colossal pearl from her earring, dissolved it in the vinegar, and consumed the mixture.
But did Cleopatra truly ingest a pearl valued at ten million sesterces? This account originates from Pliny the Elder’s renowned Natural History, penned roughly a century later. Contemporary scholars question its accuracy.
Rather than debating its authenticity, modern scientists have focused on testing its feasibility. Prudence Jones from Montclair State University in New Jersey recreated the experiment for a study published in Classical World. Unable to use a priceless pearl, she substituted a five-carat gem and common white vinegar.
Jones discovered that a one-gram pearl could dissolve within 24 to 36 hours. Additionally, the calcium carbonate in the pearl counteracts some of the vinegar's acidity, making the concoction more drinkable than pure vinegar. Alternatively, crushing the pearl and using heated vinegar reduces the reaction time to just a few minutes.
Assuming Pliny embellished the tale, there are two plausible scenarios: the drink was prepared days in advance, or the pearl was crushed and added to the vinegar beforehand.
9. The Unquenchable Thirst of a Giant
Andre the Giant’s drinking abilities are the stuff of legend. Numerous firsthand accounts attest to his feats. Hulk Hogan recalled Andre consuming 102 beers in 45 minutes. Cary Elwes, his co-star in Princess Bride, witnessed the wrestler mixing various liquors into a 1.2-liter (40-ounce) pitcher, likening the taste to airplane fuel. Andre reportedly drank several of these in one sitting. Fellow wrestler Mike Graham claimed Andre once polished off 156 beers in a single session, a potential world record. However, without official documentation, these tales remain part of his legendary drinking lore.
Despite consuming vast quantities of alcohol, Andre seldom experienced blackout drunkenness. His drinking companions recounted only one occasion when the giant collapsed from overindulgence. It occurred in a hotel hallway, and his immense size made it impossible for wrestlers or staff to move him. They simply covered him with a piano drape and let him sleep. Hotel guests mistook him for a piece of furniture.
8. Is the Beer Belly a Myth or Reality?
Middle-aged men often dread the infamous beer belly, a protruding stomach commonly associated with excessive beer consumption. This belief suggests that beer, more than other foods or beverages, directly contributes to abdominal fat accumulation.
Charles Bamforth, a food science professor at the University of California Davis, argues that the beer belly is a myth. He explains that the alcohol in beer is no different from that in other drinks and lacks any unique properties that specifically target the stomach. Bamforth attributes the potbelly to lifestyle factors, noting that heavy beer drinkers often overconsume calorie-rich foods like fried or fast food. The excess calories, regardless of their source, lead to weight gain.
Dr. Aliyah Sohani, an alcohol researcher, agrees, pointing out that overconsumption is easier with beer due to its larger serving sizes and lower alcohol content compared to wine or spirits. This makes it easier to consume more calories while seeking the same level of intoxication.
However, there might be a kernel of truth to the myth. Excessive beer consumption can lead to liver disease, which may result in a condition called ascites. This involves fluid accumulation in the abdomen, causing a swollen belly, often seen in severe alcoholics.
7. ‘Your Lips Must Touch the Toe’
Should you ever visit Dawson City in Yukon, Canada, you can join the exclusive “Sourtoe Cocktail Club.” Simply head to the Downtown Hotel, enter the Sourdough Saloon, and order a shot. While you can choose any liquor, the drink will feature a unique addition—a preserved human toe.
The sourtoe cocktail includes a mummified toe floating in your drink. To gain membership, you must follow the club’s motto: “Drink it fast or slow, but your lips must touch the toe.”
The tradition began in 1973 when Captain Dick Stevenson discovered a mummified toe while cleaning an old cabin. Local lore claims it belonged to Louie Linken, a 1920s rumrunner. During a blizzard, Louie and his brother Otto sought shelter in the cabin. Earlier, Louie had stepped into a puddle, freezing his toe solid. To prevent gangrene, Otto amputated it with an ax and preserved it in alcohol.
The original toe was lost in 1980 after a miner swallowed it. Since then, others have contributed their own toes to the cause. The most recent donation came in April 2018, when Nick Griffiths, a Brit, lost three toes to frostbite while preparing for the Yukon Arctic ultramarathon.
6. Tesla’s Views on Alcohol
Could chewing gum be more harmful to your health than alcohol? Nikola Tesla believed so, arguing that chewing gum overworks the salivary glands, making it worse than drinking.
A true genius, Tesla was also known for his eccentric habits, including a highly disciplined diet. He primarily consumed milk, water, and vegetables, avoiding meat and detesting tea, coffee, and tobacco. Alcohol, though, was an exception. Tesla regarded it as a “true elixir of life” and enjoyed whiskey daily.
Unsurprisingly, Tesla opposed Prohibition. He claimed to have followed the law and avoided alcohol during that period, but it left him feeling “very ill” and caused months of distress. Tesla expressed his views in a 1932 article for the New York World Telegram titled “Chewing Gum More Fatal Than Rum, Says Tesla.”
Tesla attributed the negative perception of alcohol to prohibitionist propaganda. He believed moderate alcohol consumption was essential for health, aiding mental clarity, speech, and physical activity by sterilizing the digestive tract and preventing infections. He also argued that studies condemning alcohol were flawed, as they often focused on heavy drinkers or individuals predisposed to health issues.
5. The Enigmatic Green Fairy
Absinthe has a storied and controversial past, leading to its widespread ban in Europe and the US in the early 20th century. Its most infamous reputation is its supposed hallucinogenic effects, but this has never been scientifically proven.
The alleged cause of absinthe’s hallucinogenic reputation is a compound called thujone, found in grand wormwood, a key ingredient in the drink. While thujone is toxic and can cause convulsions, there’s no evidence it has psychedelic properties. Additionally, thujone exists in absinthe only in minimal amounts. Consuming enough absinthe to reach toxic thujone levels would result in fatal alcohol poisoning first.
So how did the Green Fairy earn its notorious reputation? Researcher Ted Breaux suggests absinthe became a scapegoat, targeted by both temperance advocates and the French wine industry. A pivotal case involved Jean Lanfray, a Swiss farmer who murdered his family after a drinking binge. Although he consumed various alcohols, the media labeled the tragedy the Absinthe Murders, as absinthe was the controversial drink of the era. A few such stories were enough to tarnish the Green Fairy’s image.
4. One Drink Too Many
William Aetheling, also known as Adelin, was the sole legitimate son of Henry I and the heir to England’s throne. In 1120, he perished while crossing the English Channel aboard the White Ship, which struck a rock and sank near Barfleur, Normandy. His death sparked an 18-year civil war called the Anarchy. The tragedy occurred because everyone on the White Ship was intoxicated.
The ship’s captain was Thomas FitzStephen, son of Stephen FitzAirard, who had famously transported William the Conqueror across the English Channel during the invasion of England. FitzStephen offered the White Ship as a gift to King Henry, but since the king had already arranged his travel, he suggested his son William use it instead.
For reasons unknown, the White Ship departed at night, long after the other ships had set sail for England. According to historians like William of Malmesbury, the 17-year-old heir and his entourage spent their time indulging in wine. By the time they were ready to leave, everyone was in high spirits, even dismissing the priests who came to bless the ship for a safe journey.
The captain was instructed to push the ship to its limits to catch up with the king’s vessel. Shortly after leaving the harbor, it struck hidden rocks. Nearly 300 people perished, with only a butcher named Berold surviving. William’s death was recounted with a touch of nobility—chroniclers noted he reached a lifeboat but turned back upon hearing his half-sister Matilda was still on board. Unfortunately, the lifeboat became overcrowded and sank as well.
3. Tapping the Admiral
British naval vessels often stocked ample supplies of alcohol, which were rationed to the crew. However, some sailors sought more than their fair share by drilling small holes into the barrels and sipping the contents through straws. This act was called “sucking the monkey.” By the 19th century, it was also referred to as “tapping the admiral,” following a bizarre event involving Admiral Nelson.
In 2002, the BBC ranked Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson as the ninth-greatest Briton in history. Renowned for his role in the Napoleonic Wars, Nelson died in 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar. Rather than being buried at sea, his body was transported back to England. To preserve the body, it was placed in a barrel of rum. Sailors, honoring Nelson, allegedly drilled holes into the cask and drank the rum through straws. When the HMS Victory arrived in England, officials were stunned to find the cask nearly empty.
This tale is the legendary origin of “tapping the admiral.” However, there’s no concrete proof that sailors drank from Nelson’s cask. In reality, his body was preserved in brandy mixed with myrrh and camphor, not rum. This method was used only until Gibraltar, where he was transferred to a lead-lined coffin filled with spirits of wine.
2. Prohibition in New Zealand
In the mid-19th century, the temperance movement gained momentum, advocating against alcohol consumption. By the early 20th century, it reached its peak influence, successfully pushing for Prohibition in some regions, notably the United States. In New Zealand, however, Prohibition was narrowly defeated, thanks in part to returning soldiers from World War I who opposed the ban.
New Zealand’s first national vote on Prohibition took place in 1911. The temperance movement secured 55.8 percent of the votes but needed 60 percent to enforce the ban. When World War I began, the country implemented early bar closures at 6:00 PM, citing austerity, morality, and self-discipline. Though intended as temporary, this measure lasted for five decades.
By 1919, the war had ended, and another Prohibition vote was held. This time, only 50 percent of the votes were required for passage. Initially, the temperance movement appeared victorious, with 246,000 votes in favor and 232,000 against. However, the votes of overseas soldiers, totaling around 40,000, were not yet counted. Of these, 32,000 opposed Prohibition, tipping the scales to 49 percent in favor, resulting in its defeat.
Refusing to accept defeat, temperance advocates introduced another vote later that year, including a third option for state control of the liquor industry. They lost again, this time with 49.7 percent of the votes.
1. The Robin Hood of Moonshine
Born in 1854 in Swain County, North Carolina, Lewis Redmond hailed from a family of moonshiners. By 1876, he was already delivering his homemade liquor. His life changed drastically on March 1 when US Deputy Marshall Alfred Duckworth cornered him. The 21-year-old moonshiner pulled out a derringer and fatally shot the officer in the neck.
From that point on, Redmond became a fugitive, often hiding in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina. He continued his trade of producing moonshine, gaining fame and attracting other distillers who joined him in resisting revenue officers. At his peak, he led a group of over 30 men until his capture in 1881.
Redmond’s gang was notorious for their violent raids, particularly targeting the homes of pursuing agents. Despite this, many locals, who shared a disdain for government interference, viewed Lewis Redmond as a folk hero. Tales circulated of him using his moonshine profits to aid impoverished families, drawing comparisons to Robin Hood. However, these stories may have been exaggerated by local newspapers seeking to appeal to their readers.
When escape became impossible, Redmond attempted to go down fighting. He emerged from his cabin surrounded by federal agents, guns blazing, and was shot six times. Remarkably, he survived and served only three years in prison before receiving a pardon from President Chester A. Arthur.
