In the second episode Dr Kate Lister navigates the astronomical impact of gin in the 18th century, who was drinking it and how they were making it (spoiler alert, it was strong, drunk in a pint sized jar and sometimes flavoured with urine!). She looks into how they tried to quell the gin craze after 50 years of gin madness in 1751 and how they promoted the obviously healthy drink of beer as an alternative!

After Kate tries gin she explores the history of a drug commonly associated with the Georgians, opium, before trying a Georgian pleasure still available (and legal) today, Snuff! After all that booze and tobacco we follow Kate to bath for a more sobering hit of some of Jane Austen’s favourite tipple, the Pump rooms famous spa water, before exploring a group of people even Lady Whistledown herself would have loved, the diamonds of the sex work trade, the influencers of their age, the Courtesans. Finally Kate tries to figure out why everyone was so obsessed with the regency’s most famous bad boy, Lord Byron, was he really mad, bad and dangerous to know?

All of this will help to unearth the real lives of the people stomping the streets, pubs and back alleys of these lavish Georgian cities. No stone is left unturned in the quest to reveal the real lives of Georgian society!

Want to know even more about this titillating time period? Check out Kate’s podcast on History Hit Betwixt the Sheets, where we have a special 4 part series all about the reality of the world of Bridgerton, exploring sex, drugs and rock n roll, Georgian style! And she doesn’t stop with the Georgians... She delves into Medieval, Tudor, ancient sexuality AND MUCH MUCH more. Listen to Betwixt the Sheets for free wherever you get your podcasts.
https://shows.acast.com/betwixt-the-sheets

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Fancy visiting some of these locations?
The Mayflower pub, London - https://www.mayflowerpub.co.uk/
Summer hall gin distillery, Edinburgh - https://summerhalldistillery.com/
Georgian House Museum, Edinburgh - https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house
Segar and snuff parlour, Covent Garden - https://www.davy.co.uk/wine-bar/segar-and-snuff-parlour/
The Pump room, Bath - https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/pump-room-restaurant
The Three Compasses, London - https://www.3compasses.com/
Burgh House, London - https://www.burghhouse.org.uk/
The Royal Crescent, Bath - https://visitbath.co.uk/things-to-do/the-royal-crescent-p56191