An alcoholic beverage is a drink and psychoactive drug containing ethyl alcohol which is commonly referred to as ethanol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes for taxation and regulation of production: beers, wines, and spirits (or distilled beverage). They are legally consumed in most countries with over 100 countries having laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption. Alcoholic beverages have been consumed by humans since the Neolithic; the earliest evidence of alcohol was discovered in Jiahu dating from 7000–6600 BCE. The production and consumption of alcohol occurs in most cultures of the world, from hunter-gatherer peoples to nation-states. Alcohol is widely available, with beer being the third most popular drink overall in the world, after water and tea.
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Famous quotes containing the word alcoholic:
“An alcoholic has been lightly defined as a man who drinks more than his own doctor.”
—Alvan L. Barach (1895–1977)