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10,000 BCE
The discovery of beer
As the gathering of grains in the fertile crescent became more widespread beer was discovered. After the ice age the region became dense with wheat and barley. Grains were gathered and made into beer. In this area was where humans first started to farm and develop large settlements. People started farming instead of hunting and gathering for the first time. The grains they farmed were used not only for food but for making beer. -
9000 BCE
Discovery of wine
Wine was discovered between 9000-4000 BCE. It was produced in the Zargos Mountains in modern day Iraq. This area provided the Eurasian grape vine, a large amount of cereal grains, and pottery. This was perfect for making wine. Wine is made from the fermentation of crushed grapes. Once they made the wine it was stored in pottery. -
9000 BCE
Beer and farming
Farming was the more modern version of hunting and gathering which made getting food supply easier. People started to domesticating wheat and barley instead of gathering and storing it. Beer played a role in the adoption of farming. It supplied the people with a drink that was safer than water. Along with domestication new irrigation techniques were discovered. Beer helped make a more modern world. -
3400 BCE
Beers origins
The first written things about beer show up around 3400 BCE. These show rises in beer were due to domesticating cereal grains. People started farming and domesticating different things. This change in lifestyle from hunting and gathering to farming led to the creation of beer. People domesticated grains which they then used to make beer. Pictograms from the time show people drinking beer through straws in a large pot. Beer is related to the change in lifestyle at that time. -
3150 BCE
Wine in Egypt
Wine eventually spread west into Egypt. In 3150 BCE one of Egypt's earliest rulers got buried with many jars of wine. This wine was imported from the southern Levant. When pharaohs started to like wine they made their own vineyards in the Nile Delta. The wine was only given to elites at the time, while others drank beer. Those who were rich enough to afford wine would receive it in their tombs to have for the after life. -
2350 BCE
Money and beer
Documents from the reign of Sargon talk about how beer is a payment made by a grooms family to the brides family at a wedding. Beer was first used as payment here. Beer was then more popularly used as a form of payment. Slaves of war even received monthly beer rations. Police, scribes, and soldiers received beer on special occasions. These payments were written down on cuneiform tablets by accountants in Mesopotamia. In Egypt workers who built pyramids were paid in beer. -
2350 BCE
Beer in Egypt
Beer was important to Egypt. Many different types of beer are written about in "Pyramid Texts". It was discovered that during the Fifth dynasty beer was written about more than any other food. Beer in Egypt is thought to have mythological and ancient origins because it is written about in prayers, myths, and even legends. They believed beer as a drink given by god. Beer was a staple food in Egypt,it was consumed by everyone. -
2100 BCE
Medicine and beer
In both Mesopotamia and Egypt beer was used medicinally as well around 2100 BCE. Cuneiform tablets show different medical procedures based on beer. Beer was used as a natural sedative. Many herbal remedies contained beer. Beer cured indigestion and labor pains. A common belief was that their after life depended on having enough bread and beer. -
870 BCE
Wine in Mesopotamia
During the inauguration of King Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria, one of the greatest feasts was given. It was hosted in the middle of the city in a large palace. The design of the palace was very complex. The feast lasted 10 days and was visited by 69,574 people. It was to show the kings power and wealth. He chose wine as the drink at the feast. It was drunken through a straw in a large bowl. Wine was a display of his wealth. It was very expensive to ship down from the mountains. -
618 BCE
Tea in China
Tea spread to China and became important during the Tang dynasty(618-907CE). This time was a golden age in China. China was the largest, most populated, and wealthiest country at this time. Trade was spread along the silk road. Tea became widespread and many people were drinking it. It was safer than other previous drinks, and it could be prepared easily. Due to the flourishing tea trade paper money was developed to pay. Tea bricks were also a form of currency at the time. -
424 BCE
Wine in Greece
Wine production was established on islands in Greece. Wine was so important to the economy it even showed up on coins. Since wine trade was so important it also meant vineyards were targets during the Peloponnesian war. In Acanthus, Spartan troops came before harvest time. The locals held a ballot which caused them to switch allegiances. Their harvest was then safe. -
146 BCE
Wine prodction
The Italian peninsula became a big area for the production of wine. Many aspects of Greek culture were spread, including wine making techniques. Different vines were taken from Greece and moved to places to increase production. Winemakers then went from Greece to Italy which became a large center for trade. There were abut 80 wines worldwide and 2/3 of them were made in Italy. -
1430
Recreational spirits
During the 15th century aqua vitae became recreational instead of medicinal. A book about distillation was published in 1478. It was very popular and 14 other editions came out before 1500. Aqua vitae was appealing to people because it could intoxicate you quickly. In 1496 in Nuremberg Germany aqua vitae was explicitly banned because so many got in the habit of drinking it. -
1494
Distilled drinks
Distilled drinks played a big role in the trading of slaves to the new world. Europeans could trade the drinks for slaves that they would send to work in the new world. The waste products from the sugar production process led to the creation of rum. They could trade rum and a variety of drinks to get slaves. -
1550
Tea reaches Europe
Tea was first mentioned in Europe in the 1550s. However it was only small amounts. The first commercial shipment was in 1610. The first tea they had was green tea and black tea. Tea had less of an impact of the 17th century than coffee because it was very expensive. It started as a luxury medicinal drink. In around 1660 milk was a popular thing to be added to tea. After a book was written saying everyone should have tea multiple times a day it began to happen. Tea became a staple in Britain. -
Tea got it's start
The marriage of Charles II to Catherine of Braganza in 1662 made tea fashionable. Catherine loved tea and brought that tradition with her from over seas. The British East India company also traded tea. This company over time was very powerful than any other. The trade of tea had made them very successful. Tea first started out very expensive, only people with money could get it. However over time the prices became more reasonable and everyone could enjoy tea. -
Introduction of coffee
During the 17th century coffee became the common drink of the time. Coffee, like beer was also made from boiled water, and was safer than drinking regular water. Those who drank it became alert. Coffee became know as something to sober you rather than intoxicate you. It heightens your senses. Coffee was the drink of the Age of Reason. -
Astronomy and Coffeehouses
Robert Hooke wrote in his diary about how he showed a form of an astronomical quadrant at The Royal Society, and he later repeated this a different coffee houses. The coffee houses had a good atmosphere to discuss different ideas. Many people discussed philosophy. Coffeehouses allowed people to express there ideas in a "safe place". -
Coffeehouses
Coffeehouses were quite important in London between 1680-1730. In London more coffee was drunken than anywhere else. Many people of the time have written about the significance of coffeehouses. Coffeehouses were used to talk to friends, negotiate, and even do science experiments. They also spread news and gossip, it is said coffee houses were "the internet" of The Age of Reason. Learning, speculation, and innovation, all occurred in coffeehouses. -
Rum
Rum was made by combining many materials together. It was consumed by both Europeans and their slaves. Rum wouldn't be around without the slave trade. Sugar was taken to the new world by Columbus, and it's waste products mixed to form rum. I was discovered during the Age of Exploration. Rum showed both good and parts of the first era of globalization. -
Coffee exports
The first coffee exports to France began in 1730. There was so much France began shipping excess coffee from Marseilles to Levant. In 1746 Louis XV was recognized for his achievement with this trade. He liked coffee more than others before him. Near that time the Dutch also brought coffee to Suriname in South America for the first time. Coffee was widespread and popular. -
The Molasses Act
English distillers imported molasses from French sugar islands. France had banned the production of rum so they sold molasses for cheap to the English. British sugar producers were loosing out to the French in the sugar company. The British government got involved and made the Molasses Act. It made the molasses sixpence per gallon. The British however didn't have enough molasses to supply the rum industry. The French were superior. -
The Boston Tea Party
After the Tea Act of 1773 was put into place Americans started boycotting British goods. They refused to pay taxes to the government in London. When the company's ships arrived in America they didn't allow them to unload. A group of protesters dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships in the Boston Harbor. For the next few hours they dumped all of the tea into the harbor. Many other similar events occurred after this. Eventually leading to the Revolutionary War in 1775. -
The tea act of 1773
In the early 1770s the smuggling of tea into Britain became popular because the didn't want to pay taxes and this way they didn't have to. The sales of legal tea were reduced and the company had to pay import duty on the tea even if it wasn't being sold. The company owed the government a lot of money. The government made the tea act of 1773. The company was given a loan to pay of their debts, and they were also able to ship directly from China to America.They no longer had to pay the tax. -
The Revolutionary War
Rum was an important asset in the Revolutionary War. Even Paul Revere stopped for rum on his famous ride from Boston to Lexington. Rum was the preferred drink of the soldiers during the war. In a note from Henry Knox to George Washington he talks about the importance of rum during that time. Rum was th drink of the Revolutionary War. -
The French Revolution
Coffeehouses were a place of discussion. At this time the assembly of notables failed to fix the financial crisis in France. King Louis XVI had to discuss with the States-General. The meeting at Versailles just caused confusion. At the Cafe de Foy a lawyer named Camille Desmoulins put the French Revolution into effect. Many people talked about what he was saying and supported this new revolution. It all started in a cafe. -
Discovery of Coca-Cola
In May of 1886 John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola. He was an experienced pharmacist. He had made medicinal things before. Coca-Cola was first made as a remedy. Over time he refined his formula to make it better and made it so it wasn't a remedy, but a drink you could enjoy. By 1886 he was satisfied with his formula. He then made a name and got a logo for his drink. It was a soda drink with the coca plant and the cola nut. This drink soon became popular. -
The popularity of Coca-Cola
By 1895 Coca-Cola was so popular it was being sold in every state in the U.S. Over 76,000 gallons were sold. It was successful because the company only sold the syrup and not the finished product. In July 1899 Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead started to bottle and sell Coca-Cola. The bottles were very successful and helped the business. The distinctive Coca-Cola bottle was made in 1916. -
Santa and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola started advertising with Santa on their bottles to appeal to more people. The colors of both Coca-Cola and Santa clause match. The drink started to appeal to children and was associated with fun. The company created the modern looking version of Santa. Many posters of Santa with Coca-Cola were posted around. Some people however disagreed about how it was targeted toward children because of it's caffeine content. -
Coca-Cola embodied the values of the U.S.
During the 1930s Coca-Cola came to embody the values of the United States. Coca-Cola was even given to soldiers during WW1 and WW2. It was a classic American drink. It gained popularity as the United States was first being seen as a superpower. This dink was also sold during the depression, showing both good and bad times of the U.S. It cam to how to democracy and consumerism of the Untied States.