This day in history: George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, was executed by drowning in a barrel of Malmsey wine on this day 1478, a death of his own choosing once he accepted he was to be killed.
The Duke of Clarence, was convicted of “crimes" against his brother, King Edward IV, and the punishment was automatically the death penalty. The method of death was left up to the King, who asked his brother, probably thru an intermediary how he wanted to die. George, the habitual drunkard, joked that he wanted to he drowned in a cask of his favorite Malmsey wine.
"Drowning was a form of execution used in Scotland until the 18th century, and some cultures were concerned about shedding royal blood." Source
I suppose there are worse ways to go, such as winemaker Bernard Rouanet back in 2017 who had his head crushed in the wine press on his vineyard.
Also, did you know that champagne corks kill more people than sharks? 24 people die annually from being hit by champagne corks, usually in the face at weddings.
See also Alcoholic & Narcotic History of the World - 60 Books on CDrom (or to download)
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