Camper English - San Francisco Bars, Making Clear Ice, Alcohol as Medicine, Water Sommeliers

Camper is a San Francisco–based drinks writer and educator, best known for his long-running website Alcademics.com, an invaluable resource for bartenders and drinks enthusiasts alike. He’s the author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails (2022) and The Ice Book.

I sat down with Camper recently in San Francisco to talk about the city’s distinctive bar scene — from its historic haunts to its cutting-edge cocktail bars. We then dive into the fascinating world of ice (a subject Camper has explored more deeply than anyone), discuss Doctors and Distillers, and wrap up with a conversation about mineral water — including how to make your own.

00:00 Exploring San Francisco’s Distinctive and Walkable Bar Scene
10:30 Discovering San Francisco’s Legendary Cocktails and Historic Bars
23:54 Camper’s SF Bar Recommendations and Quirky Histories
34:03 Camper English’s Path from Science to Drinks Journalism
36:13 Unraveling the Secrets Behind Making Crystal Clear Cocktail Ice
41:42 Advanced Techniques and Tools for Perfect Clear Ice
48:15 The Surprising History of Alcohol as Universal Medicine
53:41 From Cinchona to Humors: Unpacking Historical Medical Theories
01:02:03 How Alcohol’s Medicinal Perception Shifted Through History
01:08:00 Genetically Engineered Yeast and Future of Healthy Beer
01:16:04 Mineral Water, Carbonation, and Historical Health Claims

Doctors & Distillers - https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-di...
The Ice Book - https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-b...

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📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - https://www.thecuriousbartender.com/