In contemporary Western society, the ritual and spiritual dimension of the act of drinking is often reduced to mere material consumption or, at best, hedonism. And yet, our human history is peppered with deeply symbolic acts associated with drinking and beverages. In Christianity, wine represents the transubstantiation of the blood of Christ during the Eucharistic celebration. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day,” Christ said during the Last Supper, the ultimate symbol of the Christian covenant.

In Hinduism, the quest for a connection with the divine is achieved through the Vedic soma, a drink widely praised in the Ṛgveda, the collection of sacred texts of the Arya. While not clearly identified from a botanical perspective, it is presumed to have been a psychoactive drink made from Amanita muscaria or mushrooms containing psilocybin, or from Ephedra gerardiana, still used today in Ayurveda. In Greece, at Eleusis, a mysterious drink known as kykeon was consumed instead: the initiates were bound to silence regarding its effects, punishable by death, but it was obvious that the drink brought one closer to the Mystery, given that, according to archaeologists, it contained ergot alkaloids, a psychoactive agent derived from Claviceps purpurea (the ergot fungus). The Egyptians, to celebrate the gods, and Ra in particular, for having saved them from the wrath of Hathor, would once a year drink themselves into a state of total intoxication, consuming beer brewed by women.

For thousands of years we have been quenching our thirst and intoxicating ourselves with beverages that are far more than mere products; they are part of a profound, bonding ritual capable of revealing aspects of our soul and psyche that would otherwise be difficult to access.
The difference between drinking mindlessly and drinking to celebrate life, friendship, and love on this earth, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus (that is, indulging in wild delight, as Horace put it), is the same as that between those who consume without awareness (of the product, its impacts, or the unsustainability of its production) and those who seek to drink or produce circular, mindful, low-impact beverages.

In economic terms, this is a sector with a global value of more than 2,000 billion dollars (data from Mordor Intelligence). Far from being a minor sector, it has a significant impact on packaging, particularly in the mineral water sector, where consumption growth shows no sign of abating. But if mineral water is a superfluous and dispensable product (safe, drinkable tap water is a universal right, let's not forget that), the sectors of functional beverages, fermented drinks, juices, spirits, wine and beer must aim to reduce their environmental and social impacts, seeking new standards of quality and forging a new alliance with the regenerative, organic and biodynamic agricultural sectors. That is why, in this issue, we have looked at how major producers are seeking to reduce emissions and waste through a circular approach, examining how water usage in production is measured and rationed; exploring a myriad of circular bioeconomy solutions for waste and process innovations to utilise every by-product; and providing a comprehensive overview of packaging, seeking to understand which types are most suitable and when to use them.

Our thanks, as always, to our partnership with the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, established by the irreplaceable Carlin Petrini, who passed away on 21 May this year. Carlin, as he loved to be called by everyone, reminded us that “Those who sow utopia reap reality”, celebrating the value of authentic food and drink and reminding us that every sip and every bite is pure politics, in opposition to the compulsive consumerism of “an agricultural and food system that must change”. Dear Carlin, we hope that this issue of Renewable Matter, which we are dedicating to you, may contribute to a reflection on the immense, profound world of beverages.

DOWLOAD AND READ ISSUE #63 OF RENEWABLE MATTER: BEVERAGE

Cover: Jean Fouquet, The Enthroned Madonna of the Milk with the Child, 1450 -1455