About this episode
This episode explores the heist of illegal cinchona seeds and its impact on the British Empire and the creation of a popular cocktail.
Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British established their sprawling empire across the subcontinent and beyond, they encountered a formidable adversary — malaria. There was a cure — the bark of the Andean cinchona tree. The only problem? The Dutch and the French were also looking to corner the market in cinchona. And the trees themselves were under threat. Grab a gin and tonic and come with us to hear how a botanical empire took off — and gave birth to a quintessential cocktail.
Topics covered
- heists
- botanical empire
- malaria
- cinchona tree
- cocktails
Keywords
- heist
- cinchona
- malaria
- British Empire
- cocktail
- gin and tonic
- botanical
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: British, Dutch, French
Products: cinchona, gin and tonic
Places: Andean
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