Drinking is one of the most basic human needs. However, the act of drinking encompasses much more than just quenching one's thirst. This publication complements the 'Drinking Skills' exhibition at the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich. It illustrates the important cultural role that drinking has by describing some characteristic beverages from around the world. The authors clearly explain the different ways these drinks are prepared, shared, and consumed, and their inherent social power. Two sommeliers contribute brief descriptions of the beverages which Western palates are not accustomed to - an invitation to the readers to enjoy this book with all their senses.

Mareile Flisch, born 1960 in Münster, studied Ethnology and Sinology in Germany, France and China. She received her PhD in 1990 and afterwards worked as research assistant at the FU Berlin's East Asian Institute. Professorship in 2001. From 2002 to 2005 she directed the research project History and Ethnology of Everyday Practices in China. She has been a professor at the Ethnological Institute of the University of Zurich and Director of the university's ethnological museum since 2008.