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Economic Botany BEVERAGES, TEA, COFFEE T. R. Sahu Department of Botany Dr. Hari Singh Gour University Sagar Saugor (M.P.) 470003 CONTENTS: Beverage Plants And Beverages Non-Alcoholic Beverages Tea Coffee Cocoa Cola Mate Guarana Khat Alcoholic Beverages Fermented Beverages Wine Beer Distilled Beverages Whisky Rum Brandy Gin Fenny  BEVERAGE PLANTS AND BEVERAGES Beverages are considered to be an essential items of human diet because of their stimulating and refreshing nature and liquid content. They are used all over the world. Since the earliest time man has looked for some palatable drinks which have refreshing qualities. Man’s earliest beverage was probably the juice squeezed from fruits, but the civilized man found a vast array of refreshing and stimulating beverages for his enjoyment. Fresh juices (unfermented) of sweet orange, sourlime, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, apple, mango etc. are considered as soft drink as they do not contain alcohol. Out of these, orange squash is the most popular of all. Fruit juices are useful for their vitamins and potassium content. Present day bottled fruit juices (Soft drinks) are essentially synthetic fruit juices, compound of sugar, fruit acids and other flavouring substances. Such juices are not only an alternative to water in hot weather but also contain useful amount of vitamins and contribute some calories through their sugar content. Our daily requirement of water is in the form of coffee, tea, fruit juices, beer, wines or other liquids. These are taken more for their taste and zest than for their nutritional value. Coffee and tea have no nutritive value but may be a vehicle for large intakes of sugar, milk or lemon. The alcohol in beer and wines is a source of energy up to some extent Of the large number of plant species used for this purpose, only a few have become commercially important. Beverages can be grouped in to two following groups :- NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Non-alcoholic beverages which in