The obvious cliche to describe this book is ‘light and frothy’. The beer connotation is more apt than the sparkle of champagne conjured up in the title.

Alan Renouf traces in more or less anecdotal fashion his career as an Australian diplomat. There are very readable, if almost glib, passages about his experiences at overseas postings and at home in the public service. These are interspersed with commentaries on the exasperating job of running the Foreign Service Department, the long list of duties and responsibilities entrusted to diplomats, and the declining state of the Australian Foreign Service. Some of this is highly interesting, but the book’s uneven pace and the abortive attempt at sparkling wit do little to enhance the author’s distinguished reputation.