At Colorado's Best Drinks, we believe that our Sparkling CBD sodas and Sparkling CBD waters are the best beverages on the market today (as you may have guessed). With that said, there are many other beverage varieties worthy of a little celebration. To honor the special occasion, this week’s Beverage Blog guide explores the origins of three beloved beverage varieties: beer, coffee and tea.
Coffee
Where would the world be without coffee? Probably still in bed. Historians believe that this energizing morning staple was originally cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula, with coffee's origins pre-dating the 15th century. Coffee was first popularized in the Yemeni district, and its range gradually expanded to other countries within the region including Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Persia.
As the drink became more popular, public coffee houses known as qahveh khaneh began to appear throughout the area. Fans of the beverage embraced these establishments as prime places to socialize, enjoy music, play chess and learn the latest updates about current events in their community. Coffee houses were eventually revered as “Schools of the Wise,” and coffee itself was regaled as the beloved “wine of Araby.” Centuries later, coffee and coffeeshops remain as popular as ever, with modern-day latte-lovers still praising practically identical perks as coffee’s earliest fans.
Beer
Historians have traced the origins of the world’s first alcoholic beverage to China more than 9,000 years ago. The first hard beverage was a blend of rice, fruit and honey. The Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia are credited with crafting the first barley beer roughly 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered ceramic vessels – still sticky with fermented residue – throughout the ruins of this region. Sumerians even dubbed a “goddess of beer,” Ninkasi. The “Hymn to Ninkasi,” written in her honor, describes a fermented routinely made by female priestesses as a tasty tribute. Water was frequently contaminated with waste from nearby animals in the days predating potable water and indoor plumbing, making beers and ciders a much safer alternative.
Cultures throughout history have embraced beer like virtually no other beverage. Egyptian culture incorporated beer to an almost unrivaled degree, with pharaohs and children alike chugging beer throughout their days as a dietary staple. Early beers were believed to contain additives we’d consider strange today such as olive oil and crushed dates. Artisans and Christian monks first incorporated hops into beer recipes at some point in the Middle Ages. Since the earliest forms of our favorite fermented beverage, societies around the world have diligently worked to expand and evolve a variety of recipes for beer.
Tea
While many of us associate tea with British culture, the brewed beverage got its start in China nearly 5,000 years ago. As the story goes, Chinese emperor and renowned herbalist Shen Nung was resting in the shade beneath a Camellia sinensis tree one day, while a nearby servant boiled water for the emperor to drink. A few of the tree’s leaves blew into the water as it boiled, and Shen Nung’s curiosity prompted him to try the accidental blend. Nung was allegedly delighted by its taste of the brewed beverage which would eventually be known as “tea.” No matter the accuracy of this anecdote, archaeologists have found containers of tea in tombs dating back to China’s Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.). Tea became China’s official national during the Tang Dynasty several centuries later (between 618 A.D. and 906 A.D.). Tea has remained a staple throughout Chinese culture and countless others to this day.
Coffee, Beer, Tea - and finally, CBD!
It’s comforting to know that several of our favorite beverage options continue to hit the spot thousands of years after their origins. Colorado’s Best Drinks adds a modern twist to the age-old beverage forms of sparkling waters and sodas with our delectable CBD drink flavors. There’s no need to take our word for it - visit the Sparkling Shop to order a twelve-pack or a forty-eight pack of Sparkling CBD Citrus Water, Hibiscus Water or our other delicious products today. We'll bring a case to your doorstep- ready to savor straight from the can or blend into specialty cocktail and mocktail recipes.