A beverage is simply a liquid prepared for human consumption intended for human use. This beverage may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic; it may contain sugar or not; and it may even have caffeine or not. In addition to their primary purpose of satisfying thirst, beverages play significant roles throughout human society. Typical popular varieties of beverages include juice, milk, water and even hot chocolate.

In United States, the term beverage is commonly used, whereas in other countries, the word food is used. Food and drink are using to indicate food preparations and beverages intended for consumption while food may also be used to refer to the meals we eat. In the United Kingdom, however, food and drink are using to indicate drinkable liquids, whereas in the United States beverage is used. In Canada, both terms are used interchangeably, except for the use of “juice” as a synonym for water. In most other countries, however, the term beverage is used to indicate all types of drinkable liquids, while food is used to indicate only certain food preparations or specific types of food.

In the world of beverage terminology, there are two main categories: fruit juice and alcoholic beverages. Both words are derived from Latin roots that mean “a suspension of dissolved matter”. Common examples of fruit juices are orange juice and grape juice. The most common type of alcoholic beverage is beer, which is derived from a German root, stein, which means “to brew”.