The Art of Drinking: A Historical Sketch — Context and Discussion

A Historian's Defense of Potology

Gervinus begins by acknowledging that a sketch on drinking might seem unworthy of a man devoted to earnest purposes. He rejects the idea of making it a mere treasure-box of curiosities, insisting that science excludes frivolous treatment. He scorns the notion of recreation as work, preferring that labors be pleasures. This opening establishes a serious, almost defensive tone, as if the author anticipates criticism for choosing such a topic.

The translator's note provides crucial context: Gervinus was a noted German historian and liberal activist, one of the seven Göttingen professors who protested the king's violation of the constitution. His fame rests on works about German literature, the nineteenth century, and Shakespeare. This sketch was designed as an outline for a history of potology, a term the translator uses to mean the study of beverages. The commission by the Brewers' Association suggests a practical, perhaps promotional, purpose behind the scholarly frame.

Chinese Wine and Imperial Prohibitions

The excerpt on China is the most detailed surviving passage. Gervinus describes rice-wine and grape-brandy, noting that grape-culture flourished only briefly. He cites Emperor Yu-te, who banished the inventor of rice-wine for foreseeing its sad consequences, yet the beverage persisted. The author observes that the Chinese cling to old customs with obstinacy, and that these wines fatten at first but then bring on consumption and death.

He mentions imperial decrees against injurious beverages, including a commandment from Emperor Yong-Tsheng and the personal example of Kanghi, who only touched wine with his lips at feasts. Gervinus also notes the economic argument: wine consumes grain in a densely populated country. This passage shows his method: combining anecdote, moral judgment, and practical reasoning, all within a historical framework.

Grape Cultivation and Climate

Gervinus turns to grape-culture in China, citing Kanghi's natural history remarks. The emperor boasted of introducing new grape varieties from Ha-mi, preferring that to building a hundred porcelain towers. The author notes that grapes degenerate in the south but do well in dry, stony northern soil. Missionaries in Peking had unfavorable experiences due to soil and climate, but earlier southern provinces produced wine that could be preserved for years when buried in well-closed vessels.

This leads to a recurring observation: the grape demands youthful power in the soil, and after a time even favorable land no longer suffices. Gervinus traces the introduction of vines from Samarcand, Persia, Thibet, and other regions, and mentions wine under Emperor Wu-ty in 140 B.C. He follows its use from reign to reign, showing a systematic, chronological approach that characterizes the larger work.

The Translator's Frame and the Brewers' Patronage

The translator's note, though not by Gervinus, shapes how we read the sketch. It presents Gervinus as a man of marvelous erudition and a defender of constitutional rights, lending gravitas to the subject. The note states that the sketch was designed as an outline for a history of potology, conceived by a philosophical mind. The translation was made for the United States Brewers' Association, which explains why the work might emphasize beer and wine over spirits.

This patronage context is essential: the book is not a neutral academic treatise but a commissioned work intended to elevate the cultural status of brewing. The translator claims no justification is needed for the English version, implying that the subject has become timely. Readers should keep this promotional undercurrent in mind, even as Gervinus maintains a scholarly tone.

The surviving excerpts offer only a fragment of Gervinus's global survey, focusing on China and the translator's frame. Readers should expect a work that moves from ancient to modern times, covering beer, wine, and spirits across cultures. The author's serious, moralizing voice and his reliance on imperial edicts and classical quotations suggest a blend of history and ethics. The Brewers' Association sponsorship adds a layer of advocacy, making this as much a defense of drinking as a history.