Our ancestors took no prisoners - at least when it came to alcoholic beverages. Once the day's work was done, whether the enemy had been driven off or - less dramatically - the fields had been tilled, the last nail hammered in, or - worse - the last shirt sold, one sought out like-minded individuals to "have another one." Have you ever tried "Icebreaker," "Ox Blood," "Dog Watch Grog," or "Iceland Fire"? What are the most bitter beers? What types of gentleman's drinks are there? What were the most popular strong drinks among warring peoples, pirates and sailors, officials and robbers, knights and peasants, among the rich and poor in different eras? This is both a cultural guide and a handbook - the obligatory health warning on the copyright page of the book appears in extra-large type - because what follows, b.