If you thought that this was an invitation to a cool party, well no. But someone please take note, we need a Cocktails and Great Maps event. I feel like some mappy folks might be excited about it. If you’re following along with my column, you’ll realize that some inspiration or interesting fact crosses my mind or desk that spawns an interactive search for aha moments on the topic that is remotely spatial in nature.
Today’s inspiration felt like a reach at first. An article about wild chimps enjoying “boozy fruit” as part of their regular habits. Anna Bowland from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall said, “We also know that sharing alcohol – including through traditions such as feasting – helps to form and strengthen social bonds. So – now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits – the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?” It is interesting research and made me think. How much research and data is out there about alcohol and wine, and their consumption.
Photo created in Canva.Our chimpanzee friends prefer a natural process to create their “booze.” After a recent trip to the Texas wine country, I learned more about wine production than I had learned at other tasting experiences. The bottle of wine that you’re enjoying might have been produced from grapes in multiple locations, not just the winery of the label. I recommend signing up for an educational tasting experience with a sommelier and some friends. I learned more about the information on the label, the life of different types of wine, and how much to spend. To find an experience near you, check out WineMaps.com. You can filter by winery or wine bars globally. While I’m sure some fine wineries might not be represented here, it is one option to start planning that next wine trip. Old school maps might be your preference. If so, peruse the WineTourism maps available to download and print. They also have an interactive map where you can quickly zoom down to a winery and the cost of experiences there. If you’d prefer a more geographic approach to the information, “The Geography of Wine” shares some insights into wine regions and uses GIS to explore that data.
Perhaps wine isn’t your thing. If you enjoy an interesting cocktail, Taste Atlas has an interactive map showcasing the origin of global cocktails with links to recipes and ingredients. Each cocktail is also cross-referenced with other drinks of similar origin or ingredients. If you’d like to focus on the United States, the folks at VinePair have an interesting article about the birthplace of US cocktails like a cosmopolitan, lemon drop, rum runner, or sazerac.
Origins and social culture of regions vary. According to another article on vinepair.com, “in 2022 Americans consumed a whopping 7.9 billion gallons of alcohol via beer, wine, and spirits.” Global alcohol consumption data says our European friends lead the world in consumption per capita, and men surpass women; however, heavy drinker data takes us to the African continent. According to Worldmapper data from 2018, “The average Western European drinks over a third more alcohol than the average person living in any other region.” The cartograms on this site are particularly interesting…puffy maps. They are a great way to introduce data to non-GIS folks. It might make you look even smarter at the cocktail party!
Like a game of six degrees, boozy fruit eaten by chimps connects to a wine trip then grapes and geographic regions. That information sends us over to regional cocktails and then alcohol consumption data. Turns out geospatial connections are a little like Kevin Bacon (iykyk)!
Happy Summer! If you need me, I’m making a fresh batch of lemon martinis from my favorite recipe…just right for the hot July days.
Barbaree Duke
Geospatial Crusader
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