who invented alcohol

Alcohol was not invented by a single individual or civilization. Instead, it was a collective and concurrent discovery that occurred independently in various ancient cultures around the world. The earliest evidence of alcoholic beverage production dates back to Neolithic China around 7000 BC, where pottery vessels contained a mixture of fermented rice, honey, and fruit. Parallel developments occurred in the Middle East, where natural fermentation of grains likely led to the first forms of beer, and in South America, where fermented beverages were made from ingredients like corn, grapes, and apples. Alcohol played important roles in social, ceremonial, economic, and health contexts in these early societies. The history of alcohol's invention is deeply intertwined with the development of human civilization itself.