EAT, DRINK, AND THANK EVA

There’s so much more to life than money. Sure, financial goals might get you up in the morning, but you need a passion other than profits to give your life some meaning.

Take, for example, Eva Ekeblad, born in Stockholm in 1724. Her father was a statesman, her mother was a countess, and her entire family was, well, incredibly fucking wealthy. In 1740, she married a count of equally not-so-humble beginnings (they were gifted two castles at their wedding). Together, they had seven children, owned several businesses, and socialized among Sweden’s elite. It was some Real Housewives of Old-Timey Stockholm type of shit.

But Eva wasn’t a drama-thirsty dame designed for television; she was a goal-oriented gal with scientific aspirations. In addition to managing multiple estates and being a single-ish mom while her husband was away, Eva used her spare time to pursue her passion for chemistry and new discovery. In 1746, at the age of twenty-two—six years and two kids into her marriage—she single-handedly reduced hunger in her country. How?

By making alcohol from potatoes. Yep, the best use of everybody’s most beloved versatile vegetable was all Eva’s doing. Thanks to her, potatoes can be both fries and the cause of a good night gone awry. Prior to her findings, grains were the base of alcohol creation, but Eva’s boozy breakthrough allowed these crucial items to be used for bread and other substantial foods.

This dramatically changed the Swedish diet and over the years saved thousands from famine.

In 1748, for her contributions in both reducing hunger and inducing hangovers (good thing everybody now had bread to provide a solid base before getting absolutely shitfaced), Eva became the first woman ever inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. She later went on to develop nontoxic cosmetics using potato flour, as well as a safe way to bleach fabrics using soap. Damn—booze, beauty, and bright whites? Eva was the motherfucking pioneer of self-care.

So raise a glass and let’s toast Eva’s ghost. (Get it, “toast”? Because, thanks to her, everybody was drinking AND eating bread . . . Never mind.)