alcohol

[Diamond Lil]

Can anyone tell me when alcoholic drinks were first invented/discovered ?

[beryllium]

While no one knows when beverage alcohol was first used, it was presumably the result of a fortuitous accident that occurred at least tens of thousands of years ago. However, the discovery of late Stone Age beer jugs has established the fact that intentionally fermented beverages existed at least as early as the Neolithic period (cir. 10,000 B.C.) (Patrick, 1952, pp. 12-13), and it has been suggested that beer may have preceded bread as a staple (Braidwood et al, 1953; Katz and Voigt, 1987); wine clearly appeared as a finished product in Egyptian pictographs around 4,000 B.C. (Lucia, 1963a, p. 216).

[beryllium]

Taken from this site....

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies /1114796842.html

[Diamond Lil]

Thank you so much beryllium for your answer.

[heathfield]

I'd also add that early man would have undoubtedly experienced the intoxicating effects of fomented palm juice, and experimented with the best way to improve on its efficacy!