Jack Maxwell hosts "Booze Traveler"

Whether it's a glass of wine with dinner or a cool cocktail on the beach, alcohol is deeply ingrained in our culture and cultures all around the world. It seems that every region has its own local pick-me-up, distilled spirit or mixed drink, and for adventurous culinary travelers, trying out the local booze is often just as fun as sampling the local foods.

Actor Jack Maxwell ("Reconciliation," 2009) knows a thing or two about inebriating beverages, and in Travel Channel's "Booze Traveler," currently airing Monday evenings, he jaunts around the world to explore the customs, the cultures and the people behind some of the planet's most fascinating specialty drinks.

Of course, there are plenty of people who don't enjoy a glass of Pinot noir with dinner or a margarita on the beach, but don't worry, that doesn't bother our charming host. Whether or not someone chooses to consume the stuff, the exploration of the cultural quirks that go hand-in-hand with a region's beverages is fascinating.

A new episode of "Booze Traveler" airs Monday, Jan. 23, and in it, Maxwell sets out on a trip that follows in Mark Twain's footsteps up the Mississippi River. First, he's in New Orleans for Mardi Gras: a fabulous festival for anyone who loves a good drink. Upriver in Missouri, he really lives in Twain's shadow when he tries out a cocktail that was created by the famous author himself.

Finally, near the river's headwaters in Minnesota, he visits the state's legendary Beer Dabbler festival, featuring hundreds of beers, dozens upon dozens of breweries and home-brewing competitions for the do-it-yourselfers.

Maxwell grew up in South Boston surrounded by pubs and gin mills, where he learned about alcohol's remarkable socializing effect at an early age from watching the adults around him. Now that he's all grown up, he travels all over the country and beyond to try out homegrown drinks with local people wherever he finds himself.

A new episode of "Booze Traveler" airs Monday, Jan. 23, on Travel Channel.