What is the oldest drink?

It's impossible to say definitively which drink is the absolute oldest. However, we can make some educated guesses based on historical evidence and anthropological studies:

Strong contenders:

* Water: This is the most basic and essential drink, and it's been consumed by humans since our earliest ancestors.

* Fermented drinks: Evidence suggests that early humans discovered the process of fermentation accidentally, possibly through fruit or grains left to sit in warm conditions. This could have led to the creation of simple alcoholic drinks like mead, wine, and beer, possibly dating back to the Neolithic period (around 10,000 BC).

* Herbal infusions: Throughout history, people have used plants for medicinal purposes, and some of these preparations might have been consumed as drinks. It's likely that people were brewing teas and infusions for medicinal and possibly even pleasurable purposes for millennia.

It's important to remember:

* Limited archaeological evidence: It's very difficult to find concrete evidence of early drinks, especially non-alcoholic ones that wouldn't leave traces in the archaeological record.

* "Drink" is a broad term: While we can trace the history of specific beverages, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the concept of "drinking" itself.

In conclusion, while we may never know the absolute oldest drink, it's safe to say that humans have been consuming various beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, for a very long time.