Alcohol has been part of human culture for thousands of years. Its discovery is believed to have occurred accidentally through natural fermentation, when yeasts in the air acted on sugar-rich foods like grapes, grains, and honey. Early peoples noticed the intoxicating effects of these naturally fermented substances and eventually learned to produce alcoholic drinks intentionally.

Beer and wine became integral to many societies—not just for their effects, but also for religious and social ceremonies. Customs and regulations around alcohol reflected its importance in early cultures.

The term “spirits” for distilled alcoholic drinks comes from the distillation process. When fermented liquids like wine or beer are heated, the alcohol vaporizes before water. Early distillers considered this vapor the “spirit”—the pure essence of the drink. In the Middle Ages, it was called aqua vitae, or “water of life,” prized as both medicine and intoxicant.

Distilled spirits—whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and vodka—contain higher alcohol concentrations than beer or wine, because distillation concentrates ethanol. Today, the word “spirits” still reflects this origin: alcohol as the distilled essence, or soul, of the beverage.