Cup Tales: Legends Brewed in a Glass
Cupid Creates Wine
In Greek mythology, Cupid, the god of love, had always been fond of winemaking. One day, he had a sudden inspiration and shot his golden arrow into a vineyard. The grapevines struck by the golden arrow instantly bore plump and juicy grapes. Cupid made wine from these grapes. When his mother, Venus, tasted it, she was immediately conquered by its wonderful taste. Since then, wine has become a symbol of love and beauty and has occupied an important position in the lives of the ancient Greeks. People would drink wine during weddings and in sacrifices to the god of love, hoping to receive the blessings of the god and make their love sweeter.
The Legend of Whiskey’s Origin
It is said that in the 5th century AD, a group of Irish monks brought distillation technology back from the Mediterranean region. Initially, they used this technology to make medicine, believing that the distilled liquid had miraculous healing effects and was called “uisce beatha” (water of life). Over time, people found that this “water of life” had a mellow taste and charming aroma, and gradually it was used as a drink. Later, “uisce beatha” evolved into “whisky” in Scottish. Whiskey gradually spread from Ireland to Scotland and other places and became a popular spirit.
Marie Antoinette and Whiskey
Marie Antoinette, the wife of the famous French king Louis XVI, was the daughter of a wine farmer in É pernay, Champagne. In 1770, at the age of 18, Marie was chosen by Louis XVI as queen. É pernay’s wine farmer built a triumphal arch for Marie, and on the day she left home, the whole town went out to bid her farewell.
Mary, carrying champagne to Paris, excitedly opened a bottle of champagne and sprinkled it onto the joyful crowd. However, Queen Mary’s good times did not last long. In 1789, the French Revolution broke out and Queen Mary fled hastily. When she fled to the Arc de Triomphe in her hometown, she was caught by revolutionaries. Tears streamed down her face as she faced the Arc de Triomphe. Queen Mary was moved by the sight and opened the champagne again, only to hear a sigh from Queen Mary.
Later, in memory of Queen Mary, for over two hundred years from 1789 to the present, the Champagne farmers did not make any noise when opening champagne, except for grand celebrations. When the wine farmers unscrew the bottle cap and let out a sizzling sound, they will say that this is the sigh of the woman Queen Mary.