Most people enjoy drinking. It is fun, makes us more sociable and helps us connect with friends and family. Yet health authorities’ stark warnings that no amount of alcohol is truly safe are changing views about booze. I wanted to tackle what the future of drinking might look like by exploring humanity’s long relationship with the stuff, and explore where it has arrived at today. Civilisation was built on alcohol, from foraging primates drawn to fermenting fruit to farmers whose feasts helped bind early cities together.

Yet this 10-million-year love affair is starting to look rocky. New forces are reshaping our habits: longevity influencers, injectable weight-loss drugs that blunt the appeal of booze, a boom in no‑ and low‑alcohol options, and “functional” drinks made of herbal ingredients that promise a gentler buzz. The old idea that a daily tipple is good for you looks shaky, but alcohol’s power to strengthen social bonds may still matter. If you want to know whether the world has passed “peak booze”—and what might replace it—this story is for you.