A drink is any liquid intended for personal consumption. It can come in many different shapes, forms and even materials. Most drinks share some common characteristics but there are also those that have their own specialties.

A drink is not a beverage made by adding a single ingredient to another liquid. Other than their primary function of satisfying thirst, most drinks also play other roles in society. Common varieties of drinks include sweetened drinking water, fruit juice, milk and soft drinks. Traditionally, warm drinks such as hot tea, coffee and hot chocolate also came packaged with fruit. In most parts of the world, one drinks fruit juice or milk on a daily basis while another drinks fruit in combination with a different drink like tea, wine or coffee.

The ingredients found in these beverages that give them their characteristic taste include sugar, carbon dioxide, water, and other additives. Carbonated drinks typically contain carbon dioxide and sometimes include other components such as lemons, lime or other citrus fruits. Non-carbonated soft drinks, on the other hand, do not contain carbon dioxide but instead use a neutral substance as its main ingredient. Popular non-carbonated soft drinks include sodas, fruit juices, and flavored waters.

Another popular type of drink is coffee. Coffee has gained worldwide popularity due to its caffeine content. It is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Although most people only consider the effects of caffeine on their blood pressure, coffee is also known to have great effects on the mind and body.

One of the most common types of alcoholic beverages is wine. Wine is basically a fermented beverage that includes grapes, alcohol, hops or other flavorings and sometimes other nutrients such as sugar or other sugars. Alcohol is the main ingredient in wine; therefore, it is responsible for the fermenting process. Other added ingredients such as yeast, sugar or other sugars make wine more pleasant and palatable.

In summary, drinking can be traced back to prehistoric times. It was believed that drinking would keep people alive in those times, thus offering them an alternative to dying of thirst and hunger. It is also responsible for the long history of organized drinking in most societies. Today, drinking is usually not viewed as an addiction since most people who regularly consume it do so for fun and health reasons. However, the social stigma against drinking does not go away and continues to exist as alcohol becomes more accessible to everyone.