A History of the World in Six Glasses

Standage begins his epilogue by arguing that the “drink of the future” is the same drink that humans consumed before they knew how to brew anything at all: water. For centuries, beverages like beer or wine were welcome alternatives to water because they carried no deadly diseases. Now, however, water purification has become so sophisticated that water can be consumed safely.

Across the world, bottled water is being sold in record quantities. The popularity of bottled water in part reflects the mistaken belief that distilled water is healthier than tap water. In actuality, tap water is just as healthy as bottled water in developed nations. Most people can’t tell the difference between tap and bottled water. In fact, bottled water sometimes is just tap water, albeit with a few minerals added.

Although water is taken for granted across much of the globe, in the developing world clean water is still a luxury. There are millions of cases of diarrhea and diphtheria every year, most of them brought on by drinking infected water. The United Nations has prioritized the goal of providing potable water to all the peoples of the world.

Already, the absence of potable water across the planet has had enormous geopolitical effects. During the Six Day War of 1967, Israel occupied Sinai, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights. It’s often thought that the true catalyst for this war was Syria’s attempt to divert a water canal from the Jordan River in 1964. The Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, argued that Syria’s canal project diverted potable water from Israel—thus, Israel’s occupation of Sinai and the West Bank were not merely political moves, but also attempts to regain drinking water for its citizens. Since the 60s, potable drinking water has become increasingly precious, prompting many to believe that the next important military clashes in the Middle East will be triggered by the need for drinkable water.

Although water has prompted some military conflicts, it can also cause hostile nations to work together for the common betterment of its citizens. For example, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia cooperated to ensure its peoples’ access to water from the Mekong River, in spite of the military clashes between these countries.

Standage concludes by reiterating that ordinary drinks like beer and Coke “tell stories” about history. Although drinking a coffee or a glass of wine is an ordinary act, this act was made possible by the ingenuity of thousands of people across many centuries.