This is an insightful account of gin, the new drink that emerged with a vengeance in London in 1720. Warner illustrates that the economic circumstances were ideal for both gin production and its ready consumption. The drink's main proponents were the landowners who produced the grain and the working poor for whom gin was cheap and readily available. Parliament both welcomed it as a source of tax revenue and introduced legislation to limit its use. Gin's enemies were the moral reformers who focused solely on its detrimental effect on "polite society." Numerous failed Gin Acts (eight in all) were introduced to address these perceived social ills. Warner closely examines the custom of paid informers, a corollary of the introduced legislation, and contends that this practice did more to undermine society than gin ever could. She highlights the flamboyant characters of Prime Minister Walpole and reformer Joseph Jekyll, as well as the often tragic stories of ordinary folk. Warner draws parallels between the gin craze and our current drug problems.