A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to fulfilling a basic need, drinks form part of the culture of human society.

Despite the fact that all beverages contain water, water itself is not classed as a beverage. The word beverage has always been defined as not referring to water.^{[citation needed]}

An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol, commonly known as alcohol (although in chemistry the definition of "alcohol" includes many other compounds). Beer has been a part of human culture for 8,000 years. In many countries, drinking alcoholic beverages in a local bar or pub is a cultural tradition. Asian countries produce several varieties of alcoholic beverages (e.g. rice wine, palm wine, Tongba a millet brew).

A non-alcoholic drink is one that contains little or no alcohol. This category includes low-alcohol beer, non-alcoholic wine, and apple cider if they contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.

The term "soft drink" specifies the absence of alcohol in contrast to "hard drink" and "drink". The term "drink" is neutral but often denotes alcoholic content. Beverages such as soda pop, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, root beer, and fruit punch are the most common soft drinks. Milk, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milkshakes, and tap water are not considered to be soft drinks. Some carbonated soft drinks are available in versions that are sweetened with a sugar substitute.