There is no better time than the onset of the weekend to talk about alcohol. Personally, my Friday night is never complete without a plate of delicious food, a glass of wine and a book in my hands. When my grandfather saw that this is my Friday ritual, he mentioned that he was the same. Being a government officer, he used to cook country chicken kassa every weekend and enjoy it with a glass of alcohol along with chatting with his other officer friends. This made me think about the fact- how old alcoholic drinks used to be and how long they had been a part of our party culture. Now, this brings us to today’s ride to the past to scrounge through the pages of history to find out about the oldest alcohol in the world.
Legend has it that Mead or Honey Wine is the oldest alcoholic drink in the world. It was produced in ancient Europe, Asia and Africa and is considered the oldest alcoholic drink humankind has seen. This drink is known as Soma in Rigveda- one of the ancient books of Vedic times. It is also called nectar or ambrosia by the Greeks and is believed to be the drink of the gods.
The archaeological evidence states that the production of Mead goes back to 7000 BC. Residues of alcoholic beverages were also found in a pottery jar that is found in Jiahu, in Henan province, northern China. The jards are believed to be 9000-years old. This drink was made by diluting honey with water leaving it to ferment by the airborne yeast in some clay or wooden vessels. In the present times, the drink is made by mixing honey, lemon, water and fresh yeast. The drink is kept for at least a year before consumption. Some people also add some spices to the drink to add nutritional content to the drink.
Now that you know the oldest alcoholic drink in the world, are you excited enough to taste it? Do let us know and don’t forget to try these cocktails for your Friday night fun.
