At the end of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge and his long-abused employee, Bob Cratchit, enjoy a mug of Smoking Bishop. It’s a drink loaded with English history, politics and class identity. Illustration by John Leech, 1817-1864.
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In Charles Dickens’ famous tale A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge’s spectral-induced transformation leaves him with a longing for an old-fashioned Christmas drink.
“I’ll raise your salary and endeavor to assist your struggling family,” Scrooge promises his much-abused employee, Bob Cratchit, “and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of Smoking B…