An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol (commonly called alcohol). Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits.
Most nations regulate the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. In particular, laws often specify the minimum age at which a person may legally buy them, or even drink them. This minimum age ranges from 16 years for buying beer and wine in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Austria, and Switzerland — to 25 years in India. In Germany, 14-year-old persons may buy low-alcohol beverages, if their parents are present. Alcoholic beverages are part of most European cultures; children in these cultures may occasionally drink alcohol during meals with their family.
The production and consumption of alcohol occurs in most cultures and societies of the world, from hunter-gatherer peoples to nation-states. Drinking is very often an important part of social events in such societies, and it can be an important aspect of a community’s culture.
Ethanol (alcohol) is a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect. A high blood alcohol content is usually considered to be legal drunkenness because it reduces attention and slows reaction speed. Alcoholic beverages can be addictive, and the state of addiction to alcohol is known as alcoholism.
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