Alcohol is a product that has provided a variety of functions for people throughout all history. From the earliest times to the present, alcohol has played an important role in religion and worship. Historically, alcoholic beverages have served as sources of needed nutrients and have been widely used for their medicinal, antiseptic, and analgesic properties. The role of such beverages as thirst quenchers is obvious and they play an important role in enhancing the enjoyment and quality of life. They can be a social lubricant, can facilitate relaxation, can provide pharmacological pleasure, and can increase the pleasure of eating. As the origins of alcohol have been lost in the mists of prehistory, it is impossible to determine the exact date of its first discovery. However, it is thought t...more >>hat alcohol was discovered by chance. This is because fermentation, the process by which alcohol is produced, can occur in any substance that contains sugar and which is exposed to warm air. Prehistoric man probably came across some rotting fruit, sampled it and enjoyed both its taste and effect! This enjoyment led man to the deliberate production of alcohol. The effects of alcohol were so much appreciated that the majority of early people were able to transform "the fruits of the earth" into alcohol of some form. By 3500BC the Egyptians were masters at brewing their own wine. Beer has also been produced for thousands of years, however it wasn't until the 11th century that spirits were first distilled. It was in fact the Arabs who first distilled spirits and it is from them that the word alcohol originated - "alkuhl" meaning "all things very fine".