History of alcoholic drinks 2100 BC. The Hebrew Bible recommends giving alcoholic drinks to those who are dying or depressed, so that they can forget their misery (Proverbs 31:6-7). Wine was consumed in Classical Greece at breakfast or at symposia, and in the 1st century BC it was part of the diet of most Roman citizens. Both the Greeks and the Romans generally drank diluted wine (the strength varying from 1 part wine and 1 part water, to 1 part wine and 4 parts water). In Europe during the Middle Ages, beer, often of very low strength, was an everyday drink for all classes
Realgar wine Realgar wine Realgar wine or xionghuang wine (Chinese: , "xiónghuángjiǔ") is a Chinese alcoholic drink that consists of Chinese cereal wine ("huangjiu", "yellow wine") dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral (AsS). It is traditionally consumed as part of the Dragon Boat Festival at the height of summer. A pesticide and insecticide used (particularly) against mosquitoes, realgar was considered to be a universal antidote against poison by traditional Chinese medicine, which therefore advocated its use for protection against disease, snakes, and evil spirits. The Dragon Boat Festival coincides with what Chinese astronomy considers the height of summer and