David Wallechinsky - The Book of Lists

In a last-ditch attempt to undo the reforms of glasnost , on August 19, 1991, Communist party hardliners attempted to overthrow Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup collapsed two days later in the face of resistance led by Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Republic. The plotters’ failure to act decisively against Yeltsin ensured the failure of the coup. Heavy alcohol consumption contributed to the ineptitude of the plotters. Former Soviet Vice President Gennady Yanayev, the front man for the coup, drank heavily throughout the affair, and was found ‘in an alcoholic haze’ in his office when the coup collapsed. Another plotter, former Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov, began drinking the first night of the coup, by his own admission. When Pavlov tried unsuccessfully to convince the government to declare a state of emergency, he appeared sick ‘or more likely drunk’ according to Deputy Prime Minister Shcherbakov. The failed coup ultimately led to the complete disintegration of the Soviet Union.

On August 31, 1997, Diana, her boyfriend, Dodi al-Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul, were killed in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris. Paul had been driving at more than 100 mph when he apparently clipped another car and lost control. An investigation found that Paul’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. There were also traces of anti-depressants in his blood. Conspiracy theorists — including Dodi’s father, Mohammed al-Fayed — have disputed the blood test results. They note that two bodyguards who were with Paul shortly before the crash said that he did not appear drunk and that he acted normally.

Made with crème de cacao, gin, or brandy, and cream, this cocktail was named for Alexander the Great, centuries after his death.

Ferdinand L. Petiot, bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, mixed vodka and tomato juice in 1920; American entertainer Roy Barton gave it the name ‘bucket of blood’ after the club in Chicago. The drink was renamed ‘the red snapper’ when Petiot spiced it up with salt, pepper, lemon and Worcester sauce. Though it has been said that this ‘queen among drinks’ was named after Mary, Queen of Scots, it was Queen Mary I of England who was known as ‘Bloody Mary’.

Dom Pérignon (1638–1715) entered the religious life at the age of 15. A blind man, his acute senses of taste and smell aided him in making and improving the wines of the Benedictine monastery near Épernay, where he was a cellarmaster. It was Dom Pérignon who perfected the process of fermenting champagne in the bottle — he literally put in the all-important bubbles. Moët et Chandon vineyards later honoured Pérignon’s accomplishments by naming its finest vintage after him.

The typical summer drink of the English upper middle classes was created by James Pimm, nineteenth-century owner of an oyster bar in the City of London. Originally Pimm intended his drink, flavoured with herbs and quinine, to be a digestive tonic, but it was soon being drunk as a cocktail by fashionable Victorian society.

California surfer Tom Harvey (c. 1970) had a great passion for the ‘Italian screwdriver’ (orange juice, vodka, Galliano). After a day of surfing, Harvey still couldn’t stay off the waves. He would rush to his favourite bar, overindulge himself — and then walk into a wall when it came time to go home.

Mickey Finn was apparently the name of a bartender who worked in Chicago around 1896–1906. He served knockout drinks (which probably contained chloral hydrate) to his customers so that they could be robbed.

This concoction of Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth and bitters, topped with a maraschino cherry, bears the nickname of the legendary eighteenth-century Scottish cattle rustler Robert Macgregor.

This drink was named after a nineteenth-century bartender at Limmer’s Old House in London who was famous for his gin slings — a tall drink that resembles the Collins mixture of gin, lemon, sugar and soda water.

There are at least eight different stories relating to the creation of the tequila-based margarita. The most commonly accepted one is that the drink was concocted in 1938 or 1939 by Carlos Herrera, a Mexican bartender who named the drink in honour of a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was allergic to all hard liquor except tequila.

With Rose Gray, Ruth Rogers is chef and co-owner of London’s lauded River Café Restaurant. The Michelin-starred restaurant was one of the first in Britain to emphasise the flavours of Italian home cooking and employ an all-Italian wine list. She has published several cookery books, including, with Rose Gray, the prize-winning The River Cafe Cook Book (1995), The Italian Kitchen (1998, accompanying a Channel 4 TV series) and River Cafe Cook Book Easy (2003).

This soup is a traditional, simple soup of Florence made with Tuscan bread, fresh tomatoes and basil. This is my number one favourite.

A November soup with cavalo nero, bread, beans and oil — the new season’s oil, newly pressed and cavalo nero just after the first frost.

Summer vegetables — asparagus, green beans, courgettes and pesto served at room temperature or chilled. Different to winter minestrone.

A soup for the beginning of summer with new peas and fresh, bright green broad beans.

This soup is made of bread, stock, broccoli and melted fontina cheese and comes from the mountain regions of Italy.

I first had this in U Gianco; it is an unusual combination of fresh and raw porcini.

Porcini, tomato and bread from the Maremma. Acqua Cotta is translated as ‘cooked water’ and is full of the flavour of tomato and porcini.

A really easy soup from our most recent cookbook that can be cooked in 20 minutes.

Sliced fennel cooked in a chicken stock. The fennel absorbs the flavours of the chicken stock and the stock is flavoured by the fennel. The ricotta crostini is placed in the bowl with the fennel ladelled over, giving a creamy dimension.

An autumn soup which is comforting and warm and so thick that you can eat it with a fork.

With Ruth Rogers, Rose Gray is chef and co-owner of London’s famous River Café. She graduated to cooking after a career as teacher of fine art, designer and manufacturer of paper lights and furniture and importer of French cookers. She became chef at Nell’s Nightclub, New York in the mid-198os, and has published several cookery books, including, with Ruth Rogers, the prize-winning The River Cafe Cook Book (1995), The Italian Kitchen (1998, accompanying a channel 4 TV series) and River Cafe Cook Book Easy (2003). The restaurant has been showered with awards, including a Michelin Star (1998). Rose is also co-founder of the Cooks in Schools charity.