Many plants are used for drinks, both with and without alcohol. In general four categories can be distinguished:

Fruit juices are prepared from various fruits and contain vitamins, minerals and sugars. Of large economic importance is orange juice (from Citrus sinensis), most of which is exported as a concentrate by the producing countries, just like apple juice (from Malus pumila). Also grape juice (from Vitis vinifera) and tomato juice (from Lycopersicon esculentum) are economically important. Locally sugar cane, Saccharum officinarum, is squeezed to produce a cheap sweet drink (Beverage plants 2).

Stimulating drinks contain alkaloids:e.g.:
- tea, Camellia sinensis;
- coffee, Coffea arabica (Beverage plants 1);
- cacao, Theobroma cacao;
- khat, Catha edulis;
- kola, Cola nitida;
- maté, Ilex paraguariensis.
Tea, coffee, and cacao are known world wide, while kola, khat and maté have only regional importance, respectively in West Africa, Arabia, and South-America. See also Stimulants.

Alcoholic drinks are the result of fermentation of plant sugars, resulting in wines and beers. In the Western world most of the wine is made from grapes, Vitis vinifera, while in tropical areas palm wine or toddy is very popular. This product is obtained by fermentation of tapped juice from palm inflorescences. Palm species used for this purpose are: cocos palm, Cocos nucifera; oil palm, Elaeis guineensis; date palm, Phoenix dactylifera; and African fan palm, Borassus aethiopicum.
In Japan sake is the national drink, which is obtained from fermented rice, Oryza sativa.

Spirits are obtained by distillation of alcoholic drinks and juices; e.g. cognac is the result of double distillation of wine, whiskey of distillation of malted grain or fermented potatoes, Solanum tuberosum. Flavours are added for the specific taste, e.g. caraway ,Carum carvi, in aquavit. Jenever is distilled from barley, Hordeum vulgare, or rye, Secale cereale, with berries from the juniper, Juniperus communis (Beverage plants 3), for the aroma. Rum is distilled from fermented juice from sugar cane, Saccharum officinarum.
Fruit based brandies like slibovitz and calvados are obtained by distillation of respectively fermented plums, Prunus domestica, and apples, Malus pumila.
Mescal and tequila are distillation products of the fermented juice of sisal leaves, Agave sisilana; arak is distilled from palm wine. Raki or ouzo is made from grapes and flavoured with anise seeds, Pimpinella anisum.
Finally, liquors are extra sweet distillates with special herbs like absinth with wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, see Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium. Vermouth is wine, sweetened and flavoured, and strengthened with extra alcohol.