HISTORY152 - Alcoholic Beverages
The other day, Pat and I were talking about store-bought premixed bottled alcoholic cocktails like margaritas, Manhattans, old fashioneds, and others, that we enjoy, especially since the COVID pandemic. Somehow, that set us off on wondering when these kinds of alcoholic beverages were first offered and indeed, what was the history of standard alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, and spirits. So, that wondering led to the subject of this blog, the history of alcoholic beverages. After an introduction to the basic types of alcohol plus cocktails, I will discuss alcoholic beverage origins in prehistoric times, their development from early civilizations through Medieval times, the impact of distillation technology, and then the continued development of alcoholic beverages from the 18 th century to the present. I will also highlight the development of cocktails, the consumption of alcoholic beverages today, and trends for the future. As usual, I will li...