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10,000 BCE
Gathering of wild grains becomes widespread
After the last ice age the uplands of the fertile crescent became ideal land for hunter-gatherers to gather food. Cereal grains were a boring but reliable source of food. and could be stored for long periods of time. Beer comes from the fermentation of these grains. -
10,000 BCE
Permanent settlements formed
Families who gathered large amounts of grain began to stay in one place to guard it but continued hunting and gathering. Humans discovered that grain soaked in water sprouted and tasted sweet from storing it in non watertight pits. It was also discovered that gruel left around a few days turned into beer. Both of these discoveries were made because of permanent settlements -
9000 BCE
Food surplueses occured
Civilization emerged when some members of society were freed from farming and they began to specialize in specific trades. This happened first in the Fertile Crescent when people began cultivating barley and wheat. -
7000 BCE
Farming spread throughout Fertile Crescent
More plants and animals became domesticated and new irrigation techniques emerged. Storehouses first emerged, holding surplus food and sacred objects. -
6000 BCE
Pottery emerged
Wine and mead we now able to be stored and were could be made in large quantities. -
3400 BCE
Writing emerges
Writing emerges as a way to keep track of taxes, rations and eventually as an abstract art form. This writing was generally on tablets that could fit in the palm of ones hand. The mark "Beer and Bread for one day" was written on many tablets. -
3150 BCE
King Scorpion I buried
King Scorpion I was buried with 700 jars of wine imported from southern Levant. A large wine producing display. -
3000 BCE
Vineyards planted at Nile Delta.
One of the Pharaohs developed a taste for wine and limited production began at the Nile delta. -
870 BCE
Greatest feast in history
A feast given by King Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria, hosted 69,574 people. Among his large display of wealth was 10,000 skins of wine. This was impressive because it needed to be shipped down from the north east. -
424 BCE
Acanthus vineyards saved
During the war between Athens and Sparta, troops from Sparta arrived just before harvest at Acanthus. Scared for the grapes, the locals held a ballot and switched allegiances to save the harvest. -
780
First tax on tea
The Tang Dynasty's love of tea was shown when they taxed tea. Soon books about the cultivation, preparation and serving of tea came out and were extremely detailed -
1300
Instructions for distilling wine was produced
Arnald of Villanova produced instructions for distilling wine. He called it aqua vitae. He claimed it prolonged life and had many medical benefits. -
1478
First printed book on distilation came out
The book was so popular that by 1500 14 editions of the book existed. Michael Puff von Schick (the author) made claims like 1 spoon of aqua vitae every morning could prevent sickness. -
1496
Personally distillarys banned
People distilling wine in their own houses became such a problem that it was banned In the city of Nuremberg. A local doctor observed that people needed to drink according to ones capacities. -
First commercial consignment of tea to Europe
Green tea was brought to Europe from china and was extremely expensive. -
Rum was given it's name
A traveler visiting Barbados named the drink rum, from the word rumbullion. Rumbullion is a slang word that means a brawl. The drink had been given that name because of the outcome when people over indulged in it. -
Londonds first coffee house
Opened by Pasqua Rosee. It introduced London to Coffee and started a chain of coffee houses to open up. Eventually Rosee was forced out of the country by local tavern keepers that competed with him. -
First french coffee house
Coffee was attacked by wine sellers calling it worthless. Soon however, coffee-houses were all across the country. -
Coffee-houses banned
The king declared that the establishments have produced evil and dangers. The open setting lead to disloyal messages being spread about the government. -
Discussion on gravity
Hooke, Halley, and Wren at a coffee house talked about the theory of gravity. Halley wondered aloud whether elliptical shapes of planets orbits were because of gravity. When Halley brought up this discussion with Isaac Newton. Newton then published "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" discussing this very theory. -
South Sea Bubble
A fraudulent investment scheme ruined 100s of investors. The scheme took place in many different coffee houses -
Rum was the main trade on the coast of Africa
On the slave coast of Africa, rum was the "chief barter" even over gold. Rum also replaced brandy as the currency in which canoe men and guards were paid. -
First carbonated drink
Joseph Priestley experimented with fixed gas and discovered he could dissolve the gas in water. This paved the way for the first carbonated beverages. -
Boston Tea Party
Protesters from American colonies dropped 342 chests of tea into the water protesting taxation of tea without proper representation. -
Opium wars
The British illegally sold opium to the Chinese to get silver to pay for tea. When the Chinese stopped trade with the British war erupted. Britain quickly won the war with superior and modern weapons. -
Prohibited sale of alchohol
The ban on alcohol caused Pemberton to need to recreate his remedy without alcohol. This lead to the invention of the drink Coca-Cola. -
India becomes Britains main supplier of tea
India, because of its more convenient location over through China as Britain's main supply of tea. -
Rights to bottle Coca-Cola
Candler gave the rights to Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead to bottle Coca-Cola. Bottling was a major success and mad Coca-Cola what it is today. -
Coca-cola operations in Russia
When Coca-Cola set up operations in Russia during the cold war, there was immediate backlash. Soon the company abandoned its plans of moving into Russia. Shortly after Pepsi moved into Russia and set up operations. This continued to place Coca-Cola as Americas soft drink. -
Iraq war and soft drinks
During the Iraq war, Muslim kids poured Coca-Cola on the ground in protest. Zam Zam Cola became popular in enemy countries to protest against American products. This further identified Coca-Cola as an American drink.