Drinks are liquids that can be consumed, with drinking water being the base ingredient for many of them. In addition to basic needs, drinks form part of the culture of human society. In a commercial setting, drinks, other than water, may be termed beverages.[1]
See main article: List of alcoholic drinks.
Alcoholic drink – An Alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, although in chemistry the definition of an alcohol includes many other compounds. Alcoholic drinks, such as wine, beer, and liquor have been part of human culture and development for 8,000 years. Many brands of alcoholic drinks are produced worldwide.
Beer – beer is produced by the saccharification of starch and fermentation of the resulting sugar. The starch and saccharification enzymes are often derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat.[2] Most beer is also flavoured with hops, which 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.
Cider – cider is a fermented alcoholic drink made from apple juice. Cider alcohol content varies from 1.2% ABV to 8.5% or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, cider may be called "apple wine".[3]
Distilled drinks – also known as liquor and spirits, a distilled drink is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of a mixture produced from alcoholic fermentation, such as wine. This process purifies it and removes diluting components like water, for the purpose of increasing its proportion of alcohol content (commonly known as alcohol by volume, ABV).[4] As distilled drinks contain more alcohol they are considered "harder" – in North America, the term hard liquor is used to distinguish distilled drinks from undistilled ones, which are implicitly weaker.
Cocktails – a cocktail refers to any kind of alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients. As generally understood today, a cocktail requires at least one alcoholic component - typically a distilled spirit, although beer and wine are permissible - and one sweet component; it may also contain a souring or bittering ingredient.[5]
Hard soda also known as Alcopop is a type of alcoholic drink that is manufactured in the style of a soft drink.
Wine – wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes or other fruits. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients.[6] Yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into 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.
Mixed drinks – a mixed drink is a drink in which two or more ingredients are mixed. Some mixed drinks contain liquor while others are non-alcoholic.
This section contains Non-alcoholic drinks that do not contain other psychoactive substances as well (for example, coffee). Some of the drinks in this sections is also found in the alcoholic section (for example mixed drinks).
The term non-alcoholic drinks often signifies drinks that would normally contain alcohol, such as beer and wine but are made with less than .5 percent alcohol by volume. The category includes drinks that have undergone an alcohol removal process such as non-alcoholic beers and de-alcoholized wines.
Barley-based drinks – Barley is a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain. It was one of the first cultivated grains and is now grown widely. Barley is used in various drinks and as a source of fermentable material for beer and certain distilled drinks. In a 2007 ranking of cereal crops in the world, barley was fourth both in terms of quantity produced (136 million tons) and in area of cultivation (566000km2).[7]
Cereal coffee examples:
Maize drinks
Rice drinks
Soft drinks – a soft drink is a drink that typically contains water (often, but not always, carbonated water), usually a sweetener and usually a flavoring agent. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, sugar substitutes (in the case of diet drinks) or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.
See also: Alcoholic coffee drink.
Caffeinated drinks – a caffeinated drink is a drink which contains caffeine, a stimulant which is legal and popular in most developed countries.
Notable drinks:
Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine. Chocolate is a processed, typically sweetened food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Its earliest documented use is by the Olmecs of south central Mexico around 1100 BC. The majority of Mesoamerican people made chocolate drinks, including the Mayans and Aztecs,[8] who made it into a drink known as xocolātl in Nahuatl languages pronounced as /ʃoˈkolaːt͡ɬ/, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water".
Polysubstance drinks
Drink brands and companies exist worldwide. The drink industry refers to the industry that produces drinks. Drink production can vary greatly depending on the type of drink being produced. Innovations in the drinks industry, catalyzed by requests for non-alcoholic drinks, include: drinks plants, drinks processing, and drinks packing.[9] Ready to drink packaged drinks are those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption.