Nine Bean Rows Books Filthy Queens A History of Beer in Ireland.

by Christina Wade

Filthy Queens A History of Beer in Ireland ABISBOOK Nine Bean Rows Books.

232 pages, Hardcover

Published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Joanne Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book about beer, about women or about history and this one covers all three. Dr Christina Wade brings us a look into the history of Ireland through the lens of beer - which is actually a very important part of not just history, but also people’s daily lives. I also love how Dr Christina highlights the impact of women on beer in Irish history - something that is sometimes overlooked or dismissed. She also writes in an open and accessible way so the information is exciting, funny, tragic or poignant at times, but never dry.

One of my favourite features of this book is how it not just tells us the history, it explains how the information is found and how we ourselves can look at historical accounts and evidence and find information. Looking at wills, the biography of a sex worker or household recipe books may not seem like a place to find information about beer - but when beer is referenced as a normal thing within these texts, it tells us that regular people saw it as an everyday piece of knowledge.

There are some great stories in this book as well - including a case of cannibalism, Arthur Guinness brandishing a pickaxe and ghosts that just wouldn’t quit their own funeral. And they all relate to beer!

If you are interested in beer, history or Ireland, you should definitely give this book a read!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did: it combines women, beer & Ireland - three of my favourite things! And, the illustrations are really fun! But, alas, despite the author's attempt to make it appeal to the mass public through using lighthearted (and oftentimes silly) language, it was really academic in the sense that everything felt overly justified and detailed.

[Taldragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Filthy Queens, Dr Christina Wade looks at the history of beer alongside some of the biggest events in the story of Ireland. You’ll find 18th-century courtesans who had a wicked streak of beer snobbery and early medieval monks who wrote beer reviews so terrible any Untappd fan would feel right at home.

There will be beer tastings, parties, music and wakes. You’ll meet thieves and murderers, saints and goddesses. You’ll hear stories of kings and paupers, witches and bishops, Irish, English and Vikings from the Late Iron Age all the way up to the early 20th century. And don’t forget the rules, from medieval edicts about malt quality to early modern water regulations. Of course, there will be some marked differences, notably the human sacrifice. And the zombies.

Throughout the book, Christina also makes connections to tangible links to the past, whether it’s buildings that still dot the landscape, artefacts in museums, things you pass on your daily commute or the pint glass you drink out of. We’ve been drinking beer for millennia, so it’s a perfect way to embrace the past and those who lived in it. In the end, you’ll see that the history of beer is intimately intertwined with the history of us.

[Lana Svitankova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Люблю, коли історію розказують з джерелами (тут їх БАГАТО), і не нудно. Крістіна Вейд моя героїня, почуття гумору у неї чарівне, окрема забава анотація до книжки, і навіть легенди вона переповідає так, що неконтрольовано гигикаєш. Багато і детально про ірландське пиво від царя гороха і до майже сучасності. Рекомендую.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable journey looking at the central role of women in Irish brewing from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th Century.

Dr. Wade often had me laughing out loud!