With nearly 2,200 citations, this bibliography covers every aspect of the history of alcohol in the British Isles from types of beverages and industries to medicine, politics, and critics. Sources cited range from a 1770 study to 1996 titles and include works written by historians, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, and archaeologists. In addition to books and articles, the volume lists unpublished manuscripts, essays in edited works, Ph.D. dissertations, and M.A. theses. Annotations provide information about a work's thesis or theme, use of primary materials, relationship to other studies, and also give a critical evaluation and the location of rare materials. Though scholarly studies form the core of the book, works that use some primary sources such as autobiographies, diaries and memoirs are also included.

The material is arranged topically. Initial chapters are devoted to specific beverages, including beer, wine, whisky, and cider, and the malt and hops industries. Chapters then cover key subjects such as advertising, consumption trends, science and technology, politics, drinking establishments, regulation, crime, medicine, tokens, inn signs, temperance, and guilds. The final chapter identifies works on or by key figures, starting with biographies.