On 17 December 1662, the philosophical gentlemen of the Royal Society of London had their minds on drink. Christopher Merret, the physician, presented his collected observations on how best to manage wine in storage; Robert Hooke, newly appointed as the Society's Curator of Experiments, described the products of distilling common water; and Sir Robert Moray, soldier turned courtier, announced that he was preparing a study of beer-brewing in his native Scotland, which he hoped could be extended to cover ‘all sorts of ale and beer’. Abraham Hill, a wealthy young man who devoted much of his time to Society administration, suggested that a Mr Philips could help with this project, and might then receive a Fellowship. No such man was elected, however, and it seems the project was never completed.