Catherine Xie Coach Bowler AP World History 10 Period 2 13 August 2012 A History of the World in 6 Glasses: Comparative Essay

Human history has been an object of interest for as long as anyone can remember, and it is remarkable how much history a single household object can reveal. Tom Standages A History of the World in 6 Glasses discusses six drinks that have greatly influenced human history. These six beverages-beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, cola-differ in composition, origin, use, and popularity, but all of them had a deep impact on society. The first three drinks Standage discusses-beer, wine, spirits-are all alcoholic, and the last three-tea, coffee, cola-are all caffeinated. Although both the alcoholic drinks and caffeinated beverages shaped history, the former category had a larger influence over a smaller realm while the latter group had a less pivotal impact, but influenced the world on a wider scope. The alcoholic drinks mainly affected agriculture, philosophy, and religion, while the caffeinated drinks influenced medicine, technology and commerce. Beer, wine, and spirits are all alcoholic beverages, but more importantly, they all brought about huge changes in early human history. Beer led to the adoption of farming and first written documents, wine brought about commercial farming and promoted Greek ideas, and spirits were the driving force behind the sugar and slave trade and the American Revolution. They were also the staples of everyday life. Because cereal grains were so plentiful, drinking beer became ubiquitous in Egypt and Mesopotamia and even developed as a form of currency. And although wine was first exclusively a drink for the higher class, it soon became widely available

and everyone on the social pyramid drank it. Spirits were consumed by slaves and European colonists alike, although they were mainly used for getting drunk. In addition, beer and wine were both given as offerings to the gods and contained much spiritual and religious importance. While physical laborers drank alcohol, mental workers preferred caffeine. Alcoholic drinks didnt have widespread influence until spirits arose, but caffeinated drinks affected the global community at large almost immediately. Additionally, alcoholic drinks affected peoples everyday living and served as basic needs; caffeinated beverages, on the other hand, shaped only a few aspects of peoples lives. Caffeine sharpens the mind and promotes alertness, so it makes sense that it was served in forums for academic discussion about politics, philosophy, literature and business. In fact, intellectuals exchanged ideas in coffeehouses, as Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley did. While coffee promoted innovation, philosophy, and science, tea gave a great boost in the field of industry. With its antibacterial properties, tea improved Great Britains health and stimulated commerce, allowing the nation to sail ahead of all the other countries during the industrial revolution. Similarly, Coca-Cola strengthened Americas economy. It was successful internationally and became a global product, helped the U.S. become a superpower, and promoted democracy and capitalism. Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola all continue to be consumed today, despite their differences in origins and background. While beer, wine, and spirits served as catalysts for the ancient civilizations and promoted development and expansion during the early first millennium, coffee, tea and cola helped advance countries of the modern world.