A brief history of alcohol

Trace the 7,000 year old history of alcohol, from its first known origins in China to cultures all over the world fermenting their own drinks.

Nobody knows exactly when humans began to create fermented beverages. The earliest known evidence comes from 7,000 BC in China, where residue in clay pots has revealed that people were making an alcoholic beverage from fermented rice, millet, grapes, and honey. So how did alcohol come to fuel global trade and exploration? Rod Phillips explores the evolution of alcohol.