Water (pani), of course, including spiced water like nimbu-pani (citrus-water) or jeera-pani (cumin-water). And, milk.
There were many milk-based drinks, including milk-based booze and milk mixed with cannabis-juice.
Milk and various milk products that were used include clarified butter, curdled milk, dadhi (curd), karambha (porridge), ghrta (unmelted butter), navanita (cream or fresh butter), sdnndyya (mixture of curd and milk), mixture of milk and sotna, cam (milk, curd, honey, butter etc. mixed together), sara (thickened surface of milk), etc.
Fruit juices, including fruit based booze. Honey, sugarcane-juice and palm juices, including booze made out of them.
There were many different types of fermented drinks made out of millet, barley or rice, many of them spiced/spiked to make interesting cocktails.
They even drank leaf-juices, root-juices and flower-juices. And, the king of it all - the juice of the Soma, a potent hallucinogenic beverage enjoyed, according to myths, by gods, demons and men alike.
Among leaves Aloe probably was the most popular, and among roots lotus-roots.
Soma is a long story. While it has been described extensively, especially its effects, across ancient history in most established text, the source of Soma, the Soma plant, remains unidentified.
Sarcostemma acidum, Amanita muscaria, Ephedra gerardiana, and Psilocybe cubensis has variously been proposed as the Soma Plant by different authors.
Opium and cannabis drinks have also been proposed as Soma, but that view is not endorsed by academic mainstream.
There were many milk-based drinks, including milk-based booze and milk mixed with cannabis-juice.
Milk and various milk products that were used include clarified butter, curdled milk, dadhi (curd), karambha (porridge), ghrta (unmelted butter), navanita (cream or fresh butter), sdnndyya (mixture of curd and milk), mixture of milk and sotna, cam (milk, curd, honey, butter etc. mixed together), sara (thickened surface of milk), etc.
Fruit juices, including fruit based booze. Honey, sugarcane-juice and palm juices, including booze made out of them.
There were many different types of fermented drinks made out of millet, barley or rice, many of them spiced/spiked to make interesting cocktails.
They even drank leaf-juices, root-juices and flower-juices. And, the king of it all - the juice of the Soma, a potent hallucinogenic beverage enjoyed, according to myths, by gods, demons and men alike.
Among leaves Aloe probably was the most popular, and among roots lotus-roots.
Soma is a long story. While it has been described extensively, especially its effects, across ancient history in most established text, the source of Soma, the Soma plant, remains unidentified.
Sarcostemma acidum, Amanita muscaria, Ephedra gerardiana, and Psilocybe cubensis has variously been proposed as the Soma Plant by different authors.
Opium and cannabis drinks have also been proposed as Soma, but that view is not endorsed by academic mainstream.
