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#47 Camper English: Clear Ice, Toxic Cocktails, and the Science of Booze

#47 Camper English: Clear Ice, Toxic Cocktails, and the Science of Booze

 

Most people just see a cocktail. Camper English sees centuries of science, danger, and human obsession frozen in a glass.

He’s the author of Doctors and Distillers and The Ice Book, two incredible works full of adventure and fun (and drinks, lots of drinks). In this conversation, we explore what happens when curiosity becomes a full-time profession: why clear ice became a cultural status symbol, how bartenders almost poisoned people in the name of creativity, and what ancient monks knew about medicine that modern science had to rediscover.

Camper breaks down myths about “fancy ice,” reveals the shocking truth about tobacco bitters, and tells stories that connect scurvy, malaria, and gin and tonics in ways that will make you rethink your next drink. We even wander into the strange world of alchemy, where distillation was once seen as the key to immortality.

Camper English has spent nearly two decades turning bartending into a scientific pursuit. From perfecting clear ice to exposing dangerous cocktail trends, his work bridges chemistry, curiosity, and culture. His projects: Alcademics and CocktailSafe have redefined how professionals and home bartenders think about safety, science, and the strange beauty of booze.

Expect to Learn:

  • The only real way to make clear ice at home
  • Why alcohol was once seen as medicine and magic
  • How tobacco bitters nearly killed bar guests and bartenders
  • The science behind “directional freezing”
  • What alchemy and monks taught us about distillation
  • How quinine, scurvy, and malaria shaped modern cocktails
  • Why curiosity might be the most important ingredient in any drink

Links:

Service starts now.

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I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost.

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As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers
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