Beverages are mixtures of liquids and flavoring material and may be classified as acid, albuminous, starchy, and stimulating. Acid beverages are lemonade, orangeade, grapejuice, and fruit punch. Albuminous beverages are liquids to which is added egg albumin, egg yolk, or milk. Starchy beverages are cereals cooked in a large quantity of water, as a gruel strained and cooked. Stimulating beverages are tea, coffee, cocoa, cocoa shells, and chocolate.

Food value of beverages. Acid beverages are valuable because of organic acids and mineral matter ("ash constituents") present. Also because of sugar which is naturally contained as well as that usually added, the stimulation of peristaltic action, the diuretic action, and lastly the appetizing odor and taste.

Stimulating beverages are valuable because of the food value of cream or milk and sugar usually served with them. Also because various food products, as bread, rolls, toast, cookies, crullers, cake, often accompany the beverage.

The stimulant of tea, coffee, or chocolate when taken in strict moderation is usually not harmful to adults, but is often refreshing and not followed by the depression which follows the stimulating effect of alcohol.

For description of beverages and standards of purity see Sherman's Food Products, pages 436-438 and 465-469.

Methods of serving beverages. Beverages to be served cold should be cooled in the refrigerator or ice cream freezer but should not have ice put in them.

Beverages to be served hot should be served fresh from the fire and should not be reheated. Where boiling water is to be used, it should be fresh water boiled and not reboiled water. Tea and coffee should be made in a receptacle which can be tightly covered, as it is the aroma which we wish to preserve.

Fruit beverages may be served with the grated rind of fruit, slices of fruit, small fruits as strawberries and cherries, whole cloves, apollinaris water, or vichy water.

Stimulating beverages may be served hot, cold, or partly frozen.

Tea may be served with milk, sugar, slices of lemon or orange, whole cloves or lime drops.

Coffee may be served with hot milk, cream, sugar.

Chocolate may be served with milk, cream (whipped or un-whipped), sweetened chocolate grated and sprinkled on top of cream, marshmallow, stick cinnamon.

Fruit acids. The characteristic acids of fruits are as follows: lemons and oranges, citric acid; apples, malic acid; grapes, potassium acid tartrate.

The characteristic alkaloids found in stimulating beverages are for tea, theine; coffee, caffeine; chocolate, theobromine.

The theine of tea has been found identical with the caffeine of coffee. Tannin of tea influences its taste. (See experiments with tea.) Caffetannic acid influences the flavor of coffee. The flavor of both tea and coffee is doubtless also influenced by the volatile oils which they both contain but which are largely lost on long boiling.

Of tea, coffee, and chocolate, the latter has much the highest food value.