Editing Drink (section)

==Type==

===Non-alcoholic drinks===
[[File:Ice water with lemon.jpg|thumb|upright|Ice water with a slice of [[lemon]]]]

A [[non-alcoholic drink]] is one that contains little or no [[Ethanol|alcohol]]. This category includes [[low-alcohol beer]], non-alcoholic [[wine]], and [[apple cider]] if they contain a sufficiently low concentration of [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV). The exact definition of what is "non-alcoholic" and what is not depends on local laws: in the [[United Kingdom]], "alcohol-free beer" is under 0.05% ABV, "de-alcoholised beer" is under 0.5%, while "low-alcohol beer" can contain no more than 1.2% ABV.<ref>{{cite web |title=Differences between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers |url=https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/alcoholic-drinks-units/alcoholic-and-non-alcoholic-beers/ |website=www.drinkaware.co.uk |access-date=19 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The term "soft drink" specifies the absence of alcohol in contrast to "hard drink" and "drink". The term "drink" is theoretically neutral, but often is used in a way that suggests alcoholic content. Drinks such as soda pop, [[sparkling water]], [[iced tea]], [[lemonade]], [[root beer]], [[fruit punch]], [[milk]], [[hot chocolate]], [[tea]], [[coffee]], [[milkshake]]s, [[tap water]], [[bottled water]], [[juice]], and [[energy drink]]s are all soft drinks.

====Water====
{{See also|Drinking water|Water resources}}

Water is the world's most consumed drink,<ref name="Griffiths">{{cite book|last=Griffiths|first=John|title=Tea: The Drink That Changed the World|publisher=Andre Deutsch|year=2007|isbn=978-0-233-00212-5}}</ref> however, 97% of water on Earth is non-drinkable salt water.<ref name="USGS dist">{{cite web|url=http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterdistribution.html|title=Earth's water distribution|publisher=United States Geological Survey|access-date=2009-05-13}}</ref> Fresh water is found in rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater, and frozen glaciers.<ref>[http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html Where is Earth's water?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214091601/http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html |date=2013-12-14 }}, [[United States Geological Survey]].</ref> Less than 1% of the Earth's fresh water supplies are accessible through surface water and underground sources which are cost effective to retrieve.<ref>{{cite book|last=Van Ginkel|first=J. A.|title=Human Development and the Environment: Challenges for the United Nations in the New Millennium|publisher=United Nations University Press|year=2002|pages=198–199|isbn=978-92-808-1069-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uvv89FTDlboC}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In western cultures, water is often drunk cold. In the Chinese culture, it is typically drunk hot.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Liu|first1=Nicole|title=China's go-to beverage? Hot water. Really.|url=http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-china-hot-water-20160313-story.html|access-date=14 March 2016|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=12 March 2016}}</ref>

====Milk====
[[Milk]] is regarded as one of the "original" drinks;<ref>{{cite journal|last=Richards|first=Edgar|date=5 September 1890|title=Beverages|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|volume=16|issue=396|pages=127–131|jstor=1766104|doi=10.1126/science.ns-16.396.127 |pmid=17782638|bibcode=1890Sci....16..127R|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1448319}}</ref> milk is the primary source of nutrition for babies. In many cultures of the world, especially the Western world, humans continue to consume dairy milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other animals (especially [[cattle]], [[Goat milk|goat]]s and [[sheep milk|sheep]]) as a drink.

====Carbonated drinks====
{{See also|Carbonation|Soft drink}}

Carbonated drinks refer to drinks which have carbon dioxide dissolved into them. This can happen naturally through fermenting and in natural water spas or artificially by the dissolution of carbon dioxide under pressure. The first commercially available artificially carbonated drink is believed to have been produced by Thomas Henry in the late 1770s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Steen|first=David|author2=Ashhurst, Philip.|title=Carbonated Soft Drinks: Formulation and Manufacture |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2008|pages=1–2|isbn=978-1-4051-7170-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LfphGPaZtzwC}}</ref>
Cola, orange, various roots, ginger, and lemon/lime are commonly used to create non-alcoholic carbonated drinks; sugars and preservatives may be added later.<ref name="SIVASANKAR">{{cite book|last=Sivasankar|first=B.|title=FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION|publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.|year=2002|pages=314|chapter=24|isbn=978-81-203-2086-4|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbxGHBUY0BcC}}</ref>

The most consumed carbonated soft drinks are produced by three major global brands: [[Coca-Cola]], [[PepsiCo]] and the [[Dr Pepper Snapple Group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reportlinker.com/ci02018/Soft-Drink.html|title=Soft Drink Industry: Market Research Reports, Statistics and Analysis|publisher=Report Linker|access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref>

====Hot drinks{{anchor|Hot drink}}====
These drinks are often served warm or hot.

=====Coffee=====
[[File:A small cup of coffee.JPG|thumb|A cup of black [[coffee]]]]

[[Coffee]] is a [[Drip brew|brewed]] drink prepared from the roasted seeds of several species of an [[evergreen]] [[shrub]] of the [[genus]] ''[[Coffea]]''. The two most common sources of coffee beans are the highly regarded ''[[Coffea arabica]]'', and the "robusta" form of the hardier ''[[Coffea canephora]]''. Coffee plants are cultivated in [[List of countries by coffee production|more than 70 countries]]. Once ripe, coffee [[epigynous berries|"berries"]] are picked, processed, and dried to yield the seeds inside. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor, before being ground and brewed to create coffee.

Coffee is slightly [[acidic]] (pH 5.0–5.1<ref>[http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/7health.html#coffeeacidic Coffee and Health]. Thecoffeefaq.com (2005-02-16). Retrieved on 2013-01-22.</ref>) and can have a stimulating effect on humans because of its [[caffeine]] content. It is one of the most popular drinks in the world.<ref name="Villanueva">{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ijc.21587 |title=Total and specific fluid consumption as determinants of bladder cancer risk |year=2006 |last1=Villanueva |first1=Cristina M. |last2=Cantor |first2=Kenneth P. |last3=King |first3=Will D. |last4=Jaakkola |first4=Jouni J.K. |last5=Cordier |first5=Sylvaine |last6=Lynch |first6=Charles F. |last7=Porru |first7=Stefano |last8=Kogevinas |first8=Manolis |journal=International Journal of Cancer |volume=118 |issue=8 |pages=2040–7 |pmid=16284957|s2cid=27175168 |doi-access=free }}</ref> {{Failed verification|date=October 2022}} It can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways. The effect of coffee on human health has been a subject of many studies; however, results have varied in terms of coffee's relative benefit.<ref name="kummer2003p160">{{harvnb |Kummer|2003|pages=160–5}}</ref>

Coffee cultivation first took place in southern [[Arabia]];<ref name="Wein34" /> the earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century in the [[Sufism|Sufi]] shrines of [[Yemen]].<ref name="Wein34">{{cite book |last1=Weinberg |first1=Bennett Alan |last2=Bealer |first2=Bonnie K. |title=The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-415-92722-2 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/worldofcaffeines00benn |url-access=registration |access-date=November 18, 2015|pages=[https://archive.org/details/worldofcaffeines00benn/page/n380 3]–4}}</ref>

Coffee may have been used socially in the [[Renaissance|renaissance period]] of the [[17th century]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Outram|first=Dorinda|title=The Enlightenment|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1995}}</ref> The increasing trades between [[Europe]] and [[North Africa]] regions made coffee more widely available to Europeans gathering at social locations that served coffee, possibly contributing to the growth of [[coffeehouse]]s.<ref name=":0"/>

=====Hot chocolate=====
[[Hot chocolate]], also known as drinking chocolate or cocoa, is a heated drink consisting of shaved [[chocolate]], melted chocolate or [[Cocoa solids|cocoa powder]], heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. Hot chocolate may be topped with whipped cream. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Chocolate: history, culture, and heritage |last1=Grivetti |first1=Louis E. |first2=Howard-Yana |last2=Shapiro |author-link2=Howard-Yana Shapiro |year=2009 |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |isbn=978-0-470-12165-8 |page=345 }}</ref>

The first chocolate drink is believed to have been created by the [[Maya civilization|Mayans]] around 2,500-3,000 years ago, and a cocoa drink was an essential part of [[Aztec]] culture by 1400 AD, by which they referred to as xocōlātl.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/6194447/Aztecs-and-cacao-the-bittersweet-past-of-chocolate.html |work=Telegraph |title=Aztecs and cacao: the bittersweet past of chocolate|author=Bee Wilson|date=15 Sep 2009}}</ref><ref name="Trivedi">{{cite magazine|last1=Trivedi|first1=Bijal|title=Ancient Chocolate Found in Maya "Teapot"|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0717_020717_TVchocolate.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020720150636/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0717_020717_TVchocolate.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 20, 2002|magazine=National Geographic|access-date=July 15, 2017|date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> The drink became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the [[New World]] and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was even used medicinally to treat ailments such as liver and stomach diseases.

Hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations, including the spiced ''chocolate para mesa'' of Latin America, the very thick ''cioccolata calda'' served in Italy and ''chocolate a la taza'' served in Spain, and the thinner hot cocoa consumed in the United States. Prepared hot chocolate can be purchased from a range of establishments, including [[cafeteria]]s, [[fast food restaurant]]s, [[coffeehouse]]s and [[teahouse]]s. Powdered hot chocolate mixes, which can be added to boiling water or hot milk to make the drink at home, are sold at [[grocery store]]s and [[online]].

=====Tea=====
{{Main|Tea}}
[[File:Tea leaves steeping in a zhong čaj 05.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Oolong]] tea]]

Tea, the second most consumed drink in the world, is produced from infusing dried leaves of the ''Camellia sinensis'' shrub, in boiling water.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DJ2j_bX6WTUC|title=Tea: The Drink that Changed the World |author= Martin, Laura C. |publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2007|pages=7–8|ref=Martin|isbn=978-0-8048-3724-8}}</ref> There are many ways in which tea is prepared for consumption: lemon or milk and sugar are among the most common additives worldwide. Other additions include butter and salt in [[Bhutan]], [[Nepal]], and [[Tibet]]; [[bubble tea]] in [[Taiwan]]; fresh ginger in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; mint in North Africa and [[Senegalese tea culture|Senegal]]; cardamom in Central Asia; rum to make [[Jagertee]] in Central Europe; and coffee to make [[yuanyang (drink)|yuanyang]] in Hong Kong. Tea is also served differently from country to country: in [[China]], [[Japan]] and [[South Korea]] tiny cups are used to serve tea; in Thailand and the United States tea is often served cold (as "[[iced tea]]") or with a lot of sweetener; Indians boil tea with milk and a blend of spices as [[masala chai]]; tea is brewed with a [[samovar]] in Iran, [[Kashmir]], Russia and Turkey; and in the Australian [[Outback]] it is traditionally brewed in a [[billycan]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Saberi|first=Helen|title=Tea: A Global History|publisher=Reaktion Books|year=2010|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781861897763/page/7 7]|isbn=978-1-86189-892-0|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781861897763|url-access=registration}}</ref>
Tea leaves can be processed in different ways resulting in a drink which appears and tastes different. Chinese yellow and green tea are steamed, roasted and dried; Oolong tea is semi-oxidised and appears green-black and black teas are fully oxidised.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=E.L.|author2=Rycroft, J.A.|others=Watson, R.; Martin, C.|title=Psychological and Physiological Consequences of Drinking Tea ''in Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition''|editor=Victor R. Preedy|publisher=Springer|year=2011|pages=621–623|chapter=41|isbn=978-0-387-92271-3|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KuAEPOPbW6MC}}</ref>

=====Herbal tea=====
{{Main|Tisane}}
[[File:Mint-tea.jpg|thumb|Mint tea is a popular tisane.]]

Around the world, people refer to other herbal infusions as "teas"; it is also argued that these were popular long before the ''Camellia sinensis'' shrub was used for tea making.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mars|first=Brigitte|title=Healing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious, Healthful Beverages|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|year=2009|pages=vi|isbn=978-1-4429-6955-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iFvyKltCvngC}}</ref> Leaves, flowers, roots or bark can be used to make a herbal infusion and can be bought fresh, dried or powdered.<ref>{{cite book|last=Safi|first=Tammy|title=Healthy Teas: Green, Black, Herbal, Fruit|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2001|edition=Illustrated|pages=16|isbn=978-0-7946-5004-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyTGfrmSbXYC}}</ref>

====Juice and plant drinks====
[[File:Oranges and orange juice.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Orange (fruit)|Orange]] [[juice]] is usually served cold.]]

[[Juice|Fruit juice]] is a natural product that contains few or no additives. Citrus products such as [[orange juice]] and [[tangerine]] juice are familiar breakfast drinks, while [[grapefruit juice]], pineapple, apple, grape, lime, and lemon juice are also common. [[Coconut water]] is a highly nutritious and refreshing juice. Many kinds of berries are crushed; their juices are mixed with water and sometimes sweetened. Raspberry, blackberry and [[Ribes|currants]] are popular juices drinks but the percentage of water also determines their nutritive value. Grape juice allowed to ferment produces [[wine]].

Fruits are highly perishable so the ability to extract juices and store them was of significant value. Some fruits are highly acidic and mixing them with water and sugars or honey was often necessary to make them palatable. Fruits can also be blended with ice and other ingredients to make a [[smoothie]]. Early storage of fruit juices was labor-intensive, requiring the crushing of the fruits and the mixing of the resulting pure juices with sugars before bottling.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of fruit drink <ref name="Food Science">{{cite book|last=Srilakshmi|first=B.|title=Food Science|publisher=New Age International|year=2003|edition=3rd|pages=269|isbn=978-81-224-1481-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_pRVkS6nUPEC}}</ref> !! Percentage of fruit needed in drink !! Description
|-
| Fruit juice || 100%<ref name=Ashurst>{{cite book|last=Ashurst|first=Philip R.|title=Production and Packaging of Non-Carbonated Fruit Juices and Fruit Beverages|publisher=Springer|year=1994|edition=2nd|pages=360–362|isbn=978-0-8342-1289-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ocZhAHR5Ne0C}}</ref> || Largely regulated throughout the world; 'juice' is often protected to be used for only 100% fruit.<ref name=Ashurst />
|-
| Fruit juice concentrate || 100%<ref name="Food Science" /> || Water removed from fruit juice by heating or freezing.<ref name="SIVASANKAR" />
|-
| Fruit nectar<ref name="Chandrasekaran">{{cite book|last=Chandrasekaran|first=M.|title=Valorization of Food Processing By-Products|publisher=CRC Press|year=2012|series=Fermented foods and drinks series|pages=595|isbn=978-1-4398-4885-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OthTmvtweg4C}}</ref> || 30%<ref name="Chandrasekaran" /> || Mixture of fruit pulp, sugar and water which is consumed as 'one shot'.<ref name="Chandrasekaran" />
|-
| Fruit punch || 25%<ref name="Food Science" /> || A mixture of fruit juices. Contains around 65% sugar.<ref name="Food Science" />
|-
| Fruit squash || 25%<ref name="Food Science" /> || Produced using strained fruit juice, 45% sugar and preservatives.<ref name="Food Science" />
|-
| Fruit drink || 10%<ref name="SIVASANKAR" /><ref name="Food Science" /> || Fruit is liquefied and water added.<ref name="Food Science" />
|-
| Fruit cordial || 0%<ref name=Cooper>{{cite book|last=Cooper|first=Derek|title=The Beverage Report|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.|location=London|year=1970|pages=55|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faI9AAAAIAAJ}}</ref> || All 'suspended matter' is eliminated by filtration or clarification.<ref name="Food Science" /> and therefore appears clear<ref name="SIVASANKAR" /> This type of drink, if described as 'flavoured,' may not have any amount of fruit.<ref name=Cooper />
|-
| Carbonated fruit drink || - || Carbon dioxide added to fruit drink.<ref name="Food Science" />
|-
| Fruit sherbet<ref name=Desai>{{cite book|last=Desai|title=Handbook of Nutrition and Diet|publisher=CRC Press|year=2000|series=Food Science and Technology|pages=231|isbn=978-1-4200-0161-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NrCkt1-UWikC}}</ref> || - || Cooled drink of sweetened diluted fruit juice.<ref name=Desai />
|-
| Fruit syrup || - || 1 fruit crushed into puree and left to ferment. Is then heated with sugar to create syrup.<ref name="SIVASANKAR" /><ref name="Food Science" />
|}

[[Vegetable juice]]s are usually served warm or cold. Different types of vegetables can be used to make vegetable juice such as [[carrot]]s, tomatoes, [[cucumber]]s, [[celery]] and many more. Some vegetable juices are mixed with some fruit juice to make the vegetable juice taste better. Many popular vegetable juices, particularly ones with high tomato content, are high in sodium, and therefore consumption of them for health must be carefully considered. Some vegetable juices provide the same health benefits as whole vegetables in terms of reducing risks of [[cardiovascular disease]] and [[cancer]].

[[Plant milk]] is a general term for any milk-like product that is derived from a plant source. The most common varieties internationally are [[soy milk]], [[almond milk]], [[rice milk]], [[coconut milk]] and [[oat milk]].

===Sleep drinks===
A [[Nightcap (drink)|nightcap]] is a drink taken shortly before bedtime to induce sleep. For example, a small [[alcoholic drink]] or a cup of [[Sleep induction|warm milk]] can supposedly promote a good night's sleep. Today, most nightcaps and [[relaxation drink]]s are generally non-alcoholic beverages containing calming ingredients. They are considered beverages which serve to relax a person. Unlike other calming beverages, such as [[tea]], [[warm milk]] or [[milk]] with [[honey]]; relaxation drinks almost universally contain more than one active ingredient. Relaxation drinks have been known to contain other natural ingredients and are usually free of [[caffeine]] and [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] but some have claimed to contain [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]].

===Alcoholic drinks===
{{Main|Alcoholic beverage}}

A drink is considered "alcoholic" if it contains [[ethanol]], commonly known as [[Alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] (although in [[chemistry]] the definition of "alcohol" includes many other compounds). [[Beer]] has been a part of human civilisation for around 8,000 years.<ref>{{cite book |title=Origin and History of Beer and Brewing: From Prehistoric Times to the Beginning of Brewing Science and Technology |last=Arnold |first=John P |year=2005 |edition=Reprint |publisher=BeerBooks.com}}</ref>

====Beer====
[[Beer]] is an [[alcoholic drink]] produced by the [[Hydrolysis|saccharification]] of [[starch]] and [[Fermentation (food)|fermentation]] of the resulting sugar. The starch and saccharification [[enzyme]]s are often derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly [[malt]]ed barley and malted wheat.<ref name="Barth 2014">Barth, Roger. ''The Chemistry of Beer: The Science in the Suds'', Wiley 2013: {{ISBN|978-1-118-67497-0}}.</ref> Most beer is also flavoured with [[hops]], which [[bittering agent|add bitterness]] and act as a natural [[preservative]], though other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. The preparation of beer is called [[brewing]]. Beer is the world's most widely consumed [[alcoholic drink]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Volume of World Beer Production|work=European Beer Guide|url=http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm#production|access-date=17 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028165040/http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/eustats.htm|archive-date=28 October 2006 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status=live}}</ref> and is the third-most consumed drink overall, after [[Drinking water|water]] and [[tea]]. It is said to have been discovered by goddess [[Ninkasi]] around 5300 BCE, when she accidentally discovered yeast after leaving grain in jars that were later rained upon and left for several days. Women have been the chief creators of beer throughout history due to its association with domesticity and it, throughout much of history, being brewed in the home for family consumption. Only in recent history have men begun to dabble in the field.<ref>{{citation | last = Shoemaker | first = Camille | title = Women & the Beverage that Changed the World. | publisher = National Women's History Museum | date = May 2017 | url = https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/women-beverage-changed-world}}</ref><ref name="Nelson 2005">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xul0O_SI1MC&q=most+consumed+beverage&pg=PA1|title=The Barbarian's Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|location=Abingdon, Oxon|isbn=978-0-415-31121-2|page=1|access-date=21 September 2010|last= Nelson|first=Max}}</ref> It is thought by some to be the oldest [[fermented drink]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Alchemy of Culture: Intoxicants in Society|first=Richard|last=Rudgley|isbn=978-0-7141-1736-2|year=1993|page=411|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5baAAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Alchemy+of+Culture|publisher=British Museum Press|location=London|access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Origin and History of Beer and Brewing: From Prehistoric Times to the Beginning of Brewing Science and Technology|first=John P|last=Arnold|isbn=978-0-9662084-1-2|year=2005|page=411|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5CPAAAACAAJ&q=Origin+and+History+of+Beer+and+Brewing|publisher=Reprint Edition by BeerBooks|location=Cleveland, Ohio|access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref><ref>Joshua J. Mark (2011). [https://www.worldhistory.org/Beer/ Beer]. Ancient History Encyclopedia.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SHh-4M_QxEsC&q=oldest%20beverage&pg=PA10|title=World's Best Beers: One ThousandCraft Brews from Cask to Glass|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|access-date=7 August 2010|isbn=978-1-4027-6694-7|date=6 October 2009}}</ref>

Some of humanity's earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the [[Code of Hammurabi]] included laws regulating beer and beer parlours,<ref>{{cite web|title=Beer Before Bread|work=Alaska Science Forum #1039, Carla Helfferich|url=http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html|access-date=13 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509121452/http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF10/1039.html|archive-date=9 May 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "The Hymn to [[Ninkasi]]", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, served as both a prayer and as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people.<ref name="Nin-kasi">{{cite web|title=Nin-kasi: Mesopotamian Goddess of Beer|work=Matrifocus 2006, Johanna Stuckey|url=http://www.matrifocus.com/SAM06/spotlight.htm|access-date=13 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524231622/http://www.matrifocus.com/SAM06/spotlight.htm|archive-date=24 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sumer">{{cite book|author1=Black, Jeremy A. |author2=Cunningham, Graham |author3-link=Eleanor Robson |author3=Robson, Eleanor |title=The literature of ancient Sumer|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-926311-0}}</ref> Today, the brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant [[Multinational corporation|multinational companies]] and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from [[brewpubs]] to [[regional brewery|regional breweries]].

====Cider====
[[Cider]] is a [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[alcoholic drink]] made from [[fruit juice]], most commonly and traditionally [[apple juice]], but also the juice of [[peach]]es, [[pear]]s ("Perry" cider) or other fruit. Cider may be made from any variety of apple, but certain [[cultivar]]s grown solely for use in cider are known as [[cider apple]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Science of Cidermaking Part 1 – Introduction|url=http://cider.org.uk/part1.htm|first=Andrew|last=Lea|access-date=2 November 2011}}</ref> The [[United Kingdom]] has the highest per capita consumption of cider, as well as the largest cider-producing companies in the world,<ref name="cideruk">{{cite web| url = http://www.cideruk.com/ | title = National Association of Cider Makers | access-date = 2007-12-21}}</ref> {{As of|2006}}, the U.K. produces 600 million litres of cider each year (130 million imperial gallons).<ref>{{cite web | url= http://cideruk.com/media_centre/interesting_facts | publisher= National Association of Cider Makers | title= Interesting Facts | access-date= 24 February 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090214142333/http://cideruk.com/media_centre/interesting_facts | archive-date= 14 February 2009 }}</ref>

====Wine====
{{multiple image
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| image1 = White Wine Glas.jpg
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| image2 = Red Wine Glass.jpg
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| footer = [[Wine glass]]es with [[white wine]] and [[red wine]]
}}

[[Wine]] is an [[alcoholic drink]] made from [[fermentation (wine)|fermented]] [[grape]]s or other fruits. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of [[sugar]]s, [[acid]]s, [[enzyme]]s, water, or other [[nutrient]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Vintage: The Story of Wine |last=Johnson |first=H. |year=1989 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-671-79182-7 |pages=11–6 }}</ref> [[Yeast in winemaking|Yeast consumes the sugars]] in the grapes and converts them into [[Ethanol|alcohol]] and [[carbon dioxide]]. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine. The well-known variations result from the very complex interactions between the biochemical development of the fruit, reactions involved in fermentation, [[terroir]] and subsequent [[appellation]], along with human intervention in the overall process. The final product may contain tens of thousands of chemical compounds in amounts varying from a few percent to a few parts per billion.

Wines made from produce besides grapes are usually named after the product from which they are produced (for example, [[rice wine]], [[pomegranate]] wine, [[Apfelwein|apple wine]] and [[elderberry wine]]) and are generically called [[fruit wine]]. The term "wine" can also refer to starch-fermented or fortified drinks having higher alcohol content, such as [[barley wine]], [[huangjiu]], or [[sake]].

Wine has a rich history dating back thousands of years, with the earliest production so far discovered having occurred {{c.|lk=no|6000}}&nbsp;BC in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].<ref name=archaeology96>{{cite journal |first=Mark |last=Berkowitz |title=World's Earliest Wine |url=http://www.archaeology.org/9609/newsbriefs/wine.html |publisher=Archaeological Institute of America |journal=Archaeology |volume=49 |issue=5 |year=1996 |access-date=25 June 2008}}</ref><ref name=Keys>{{cite news|first=David |last=Keys |title=Now that's what you call a real vintage: professor unearths 8,000-year-old wine |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/now-thats-what-you-call-a-real-vintage-professor-unearths-8000yearold-wine-577863.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=28 December 2003 |access-date=20 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005120059/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/now-thats-what-you-call-a-real-vintage-professor-unearths-8000yearold-wine-577863.html |archive-date=October 5, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="Cultures of The World Georgia"/> It had reached the [[Balkans]] by {{c.|lk=no|4500}}&nbsp;BC and was consumed and celebrated in ancient [[ancient Greece and wine|Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome and wine|Rome]].

[[File:Whiskey with spherical ice.jpg|thumb|211x211px|[[Whiskey]] served "[[on the rocks]]"]]

From its earliest appearance in written records, wine has also played an important role in religion. [[Red wine]] was closely associated with [[blood]] by the [[ancient Egyptians]], who, according to [[Plutarch]], avoided its free consumption as late as the 7th-century BC [[Saite dynasty]], "thinking it to be the blood of those who had once battled against the gods".<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Isis_and_Osiris*/A.html | title = Isis & Osiris | journal = Nature | volume = 146 | issue = 3695 | pages = 262–263 | publisher = University of Chicago| bibcode = 1940Natur.146U.262. | year = 1940 | doi = 10.1038/146262e0 | doi-access = free }}</ref> The [[ancient Greek religion|Greek]] [[cult of Dionysus|cult]] and [[Dionysian Mysteries|mysteries]] of [[Dionysus]], carried on by the [[ancient Romans|Romans]] in their [[Bacchanalia]], were the origins of western [[theater]]. [[Judaism]] incorporates it in the [[Kiddush]] and [[Christianity]] in its [[Eucharist]], while alcohol consumption was forbidden in [[Islam]].

====Spirits====
{{Further|List of alcoholic drinks#Distilled beverages}}

Spirits are [[distilled beverage]]s that contain no [[added sugar]] and have at least 20% [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV). Popular spirits include [[borovička]], [[brandy]], [[gin]], [[rum]], [[slivovitz]], [[tequila]], [[vodka]], and [[whisky]]. Brandy is a spirit created by distilling wine, whilst vodka may be distilled from any [[starch]]- or [[sugar]]-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from [[Cereal|grains]] such as [[sorghum]], [[maize|corn]], [[rye]], or [[wheat]].