Beverage Facts

Uh-oh! The boba supply chain is the latest to dry up during the pandemic, and that's bad news for those of us fond of the delicious Taiwanese tea-based drink.

By Jeremy Glass

There's really no shortage when it comes to milk alternatives. But oat milk seems to stand out. Why is it so hot right now? And how do you make it?

By Jeremy Glass

Cronk was a mildly alcoholic beverage, popular from about 1840 to 1910, that's once more being brewed and just might become a sensation again.

By Jeremy Glass

The mint julep is as synonymous with the Kentucky Derby as big hats and seersucker suits. But how did this simple drink from the 1700s wind up at the world's most famous horse race?

By Stephanie Vermillion

You don't have to go out to have a killer cocktail if you have a killer bar setup at home. We'll tell you exactly what you need to make it happen.

By Stephanie Vermillion

The gin and tonic, that cool, fresh, citrusy summer delight, has a long and romantic history, beginning with its use as a "cure" for malaria.

By Jeremy Glass

Matcha tea has roots in Zen Buddhism and Japanese tea ceremonies. So how did this ancient tea end up on the menus of hip tea houses and even Dunkin' Donuts?

By Maria C. Hunt

Our scotch connoisseur says that what makes a whiskey 'scotch whisky' comes down to the legalities of where it's from and how it's made. Oh, and scotch whisky doesn't have an 'e' in its name.

By Jeremy Glass

A smooth, South American brandy, Pisco is experiencing an American renaissance after centuries of popularity — and disputed history — in Peru and Chile.

By Katie Carman

A lot of us use it every day, but what is actually in half-and-half and where did it come from?

By Jeremy Glass

Soju is South Korea's unofficial national drink, a rice-fermented concoction often likened to vodka, but with about half the alcohol content.

By Jeremy Glass

You might think the difference is only in the name, but it's more than that. The slight variations in recipes, aging and even geography make whiskey and bourbon two different alcohols.

By Patty Rasmussen

Cold brew coffee is coffee that's cold. And brewed. Right? Yes, but there's way more to it than that.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Once just an afterthought of the beer industry, today's nonalcoholic beer is tasty and outpacing the alcoholic stuff globally by two to one.

By Adina Solomon

Espresso, latte, macchiato. The coffee bean didn't even originate in Italy, so why do so many coffee drinks have Italian names?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

They are different, aren't they?

By Jesslyn Shields

In 2017, bottled water surpassed soda as Americans' favorite drink. How did water, something we get for free, become a multi-billion-dollar business?

By Shaun Chavis

Lemonade has a long and storied history, from its beginnings in ancient Egypt all the way to current 21st-century pop culture.

By Carrie Tatro

To begin to understand the Coffee Belt, you first have to know what makes for a tasty coffee bean.

By Jamie Allen

You know that last loaf of bread that no one wants? It could get transformed into microbrews, courtesy of an organization that's passionate about both ending food waste and making delicious beer.

By Tracy Staedter

Nondairy milk alternatives are growing in popularity, deemed healthier by many almond and soy milk drinkers. But a new study shows a nondairy milk diet may have an unintended health effect on children.

By Shelley Danzy

Fall's official beverage, as some call it, is seriously lacking in pumpkin and spices.

By Alia Hoyt

Americans tend to think of their Puritan forebears as abstemious killjoys. But the truth is, they drank far more liquor than Americans of today. What other alcohol-related fact bubbles can we burst for you?

By Patrick J. Kiger

We're used to looking at the expiration date for milk but what about beer? While some brands proudly display their beers' "date of birth," others hide it with some cryptic codes. Does the date affect the taste?

By Laurie L. Dove

If beer commercials are accurate, you can knock back plenty of brewskis without worrying about weight gain. Yet the existence of beer bellies proves otherwise.

By Laurie L. Dove