“Four drinks isn’t a binge. That’s après-ski on a Tuesday.”

Alcohol has informed every phase of Veronica Woodruff’s life. Growing up, her parents’ addiction took the family from wealth and privilege to destitution and eventual homelessness. Bartending provided the income she needed to complete her education and start her career as a scientist; drinking brought friendship, romance, and adventure. Booze lubricated the gears of her professional and personal life for decades.

Combining research with memoir, Veronica charts the evolution of drinking culture in North America, from the morality-based lens that led to Prohibition to the science-based approach that underlies today’s sober curious movement.