Early spirits were important for their fire-bearing property, says British food historian Wilson, and it was not until the 13th century that the distillate of wine began to be widely recognized as a medicine, and still later a pick-me-up and finally the social drink it is now. She begins her account with Dionysus and ancient stills that could have produced brandy, though no evidence has surfaced to show that they actually did. The story concludes with the use of alcohol in medicine and perfumes, and the rise and fall of spirit drinking 1918-2000. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)