Drink

A drink, or beverage, is a kind of liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. There are many types for drinks. They can be divided into various groups such as plain water, alcohol, non alcoholic drinks, soft drinks (carbonated drinks), fruit or vegetable juices and hot drinks. In addition to fulfilling a basic need, drinks form part of the culture of human society.

Alcohol

An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol, commonly known as alcohol (although in chemistry the definition of "alcohol" includes many other compounds). Beer has been a part of human culture for 8,000 years. In many countries, drinking alcoholic beverages in a local bar or pub is a cultural tradition. Asian countries produce several varieties of alcoholic beverages (e.g. rice wine, Tongba a millet brew).

Non-alcoholic drinks

The term "soft drink" specifies the absence of alcohol in contrast to "hard drink" and "drink". The term "drink" is neutral but often denotes alcoholic content. Beverages such as soda pop, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, root beer, and fruit punch are the most common soft drinks. Milk, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milkshakes, and tap water are not considered to be soft drinks. Some carbonated soft drinks are available in versions that are sweetened with a sugar substitute.

Fruit juice

Fruit juice is a natural product that contains few or no additives. Citrus products such asorange juice and tangerine juice are familiar breakfast drinks. 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 and their juices mixed with water and sometimes sweetened. Raspberry, blackberry and currants are popular juices drinks but the percentage of water also determines their nutritive value. Juices were probably the earliest drinks besides water. Grape juice allowed to ferment produces wine. Orange juice and coconut water remain by far the most highly consumed juices.

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. 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.