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Drinks, Cocktails And Smoothies

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A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain water, milk, juices, coffee, tea and soft drinks. In addition, alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, and liquor, which contain the drug ethanol, have been part of human culture and development for 8,000 years.


When the human body becomes dehydrated it experiences the sensation of thirst. This craving of fluids results in an instinctive need to drink. Thirst is regulated by the hypothalamus in response to subtle changes in the body's electrolyte levels, and also as a result of changes in the volume of blood circulating. The complete elimination of drinks, i.e. water, from the body will result in death faster than the removal of any other substance. Water and milk have been basic drinks throughout history. As water is essential for life, it has also been the carrier of many diseases.

As mankind evolved, new techniques were discovered to create drinks from the plants that were native to their areas. The earliest archaeological evidence of wine production yet found has been at sites in Georgia (c. 6000 BCE) and Iran (c. 5000 BCE). Beer may have been known in Neolithic Europe as far back as 3000 BCE, and was mainly brewed on a domestic scale. The invention of beer (and bread) has been argued to be responsible for humanity's ability to develop technology and build civilization. Tea likely originated in Yunnan, China during the Shang Dynasty (1500 BCE–1046 BCE) as a medicinal drink.

Drinking has been a large part of socialising throughout the centuries. In Ancient Greece, a social gathering for the purpose of drinking was known as a symposium, where watered down wine would be drunk. The purpose of these gatherings could be anything from serious discussions to direct indulgence. InAncient Rome, a similar concept of a convivium took place regularly.

Many early societies considered alcohol a gift from the gods, leading to thecreation of gods such as Dionysus. Other religions forbid, discourage, or restrict the drinking of alcoholic drinks for various reasons. In some regions with a dominant religion the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic drinks is forbidden to everybody, regardless of religion.

Toasting is a method of honouring a person or wishing good will by taking a drink. Another tradition is that of the loving cup, at weddings or othercelebrations such as sports victories a group will share a drink in a large receptacle, shared by everyone until empty.

A cocktail is a mixed drink containing two or more components. Originally a combination of distilled spirits, sugar, water and bitters, the word has gradually come to mean almost any mixed drink containing alcohol. A cocktail these days usually consists of one or more sorts of liquor and one or more mixers, such as bitters, fruit juice, fruit, soda, ice, sugar, honey, milk, cream or herbs.

A smoothie is usually a blended, chilled, occasionally sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit or vegetables and in special cases can contain chocolate. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or frozen yogurt, although some smoothies are 100% fruit. They've got a milkshake-like consistency that is thicker than slush drinks. Unlike milkshakes, they usually do not contain ice cream, but can contain milk. Smoothies are marketed to health-conscious people and many restaurants offer add-ins such as soy milk, whey powder, green tea, herbalsupplements or nutritional supplement mixes. Smoothies became available in the United States in the late 1960’s when ice cream vendors and health food stores started selling them. By the 1990’s and 2000’s, smoothies started to be available at mainstream cafés and coffee shops, along with pre-bottled versions at supermarkets.