EPISODE 4
Family portrait of Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665) and Lady Venetia Anastasia Stanley (1600-1633) with their sons Kenelm Digby (?-?) and John Digby (1627-1690)
Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641)
Monks, Mavericks, and Murder: The Untold History of Champagne
Get ready for a sparkling journey through scandal, invention, and murder with Intoxicating History. In this episode, Henry Jeffreys and Tom Parker Bowles pop the cork on the truth about champagne: Did the English actually invent it?
Spoiler alert—it involves pirates, royal lovers, and a brief diversion into the wonderful world of cider. We meet Sir Kenelm Digby, the cavalier-turned-glassmaking genius who might have killed his wife with an anti-aging serum made of snake venom.
From the Powder of Sympathy to the revelation that Dom Pérignon probably wasn’t the inventor of sparkling wine, this is history served effervescently. With a side of scandal and a generous pour of wit, you’ll discover how wars, eccentric inventors, and a little English ingenuity helped shape the world’s most glamorous drink.
IMAGERY
Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665)
Van Dyck (1599-1641)
National Portrait Gallery
Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665) was a true Renaissance man: a scientist, alchemist, inventor, and philosopher. Known as the father of the modern wine bottle, his experiments in glassmaking revolutionized the preservation of sparkling drinks, paving the way for champagne. A member of the Royal Society, he also corresponded with Galileo and dabbled in early chemistry, including his famed "powder of sympathy," a controversial wound-healing concoction. However, his personal life was as colorful as his work. After his wife Venetia Stanley’s sudden death, Digby faced accusations of murder, fueled by his experiments with a viper-based anti-aging serum. Heartbroken, he retreated into obscurity.
Lady Venetia Digby (1600–1633) was a renowned beauty of the Jacobean era, celebrated for her elegance and intelligence. Married to Sir Kenelm Digby, her sudden death at 33 sparked intrigue and scandal. Rumours of poisoning and murder surrounded her demise, fuelled by her husband’s controversial experiments with an anti-aging serum made from viper venom, which she reportedly used willingly. After her death, Sir Kenelm commissioned artist Anthony van Dyck to paint her on her deathbed, a haunting portrait that immortalized her beauty and cast her as a tragic figure. Devastated, Sir Kenelm retreated into mourning and devoted himself to science.
The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened (1669) is an extraordinary culinary and medicinal text blending recipes with a glimpse into 17th-century life. Compiled posthumously, it reflects Digby's diverse interests, from herbalism to cookery. The book features detailed recipes for meads, possets, and dishes ranging from the rustic to the refined, alongside instructions for preserving health with elixirs and tonics. Often compared to later works like Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845), Digby’s book reveals the evolution of domestic culinary arts. While Acton refined recipes for a growing middle-class audience, Digby’s text captures a gentleman’s experimental spirit, merging alchemy and gastronomy. It remains a fascinating artifact of historical food culture and early scientific inquiry.
