Traditional and Alcoholic Beverages

TRADITIONAL BEVERAGES

Nera :

Nera is a sweet drink from the fresh sap of palm.

Tender Coconut Water :

This is a refreshing drink obtained from coconut. Potassium, ascorbic acid and many vitamins of the B group are present in coconut water. Apart from this, the water also contains traces of calcium, phosphorus and iron.

Sugarcane juice :

Sugarcane juice extracted from sugarcane contains 12 - 15 percent sugar. The cane juice is acidic and in addition to sugar contain minerals and vitamins such as the B - group.

Panakam :

Panakam is a traditional drink prepared using jaggery, ginger and cardamom.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Beer, ale, toddy, wine, whisky, gin and brandy are some of the commonly used alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages are obtained by the enzymatic fermentation of yeast which converts glucose to alcohol.

Beer :

Beer is made by fermenting barley malt extract with yeast while ale is the same product with more stimulation.

Wine :

Wine  is  prepared  by  the  fermentation  of  grapes  with

yeast.

Toddy :

This is prepared by fermenting the sap of palm, coconut, palymra or date palm.

Whisky :

It  is  an  alcoholic  distillate  from a  fermented  mash of

grains.

Gin :

It is an artificial drink from diluted pure ethyl alcohol.

Brandy :

This is made by fermenting fruit juices like grapes and

apples.

Alcohol is a narcotic, a drug and sedative. It is very rapidly absorbed in the body. Excessive consumption of alcohol causes damage to the liver, stomach and blood vessels.

It also leads to diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and gastric ulcers.