[Spivak]

And yet we've been dissatisfied with and flavoring our water for longer than we have recorded history.

[ygjb]

For most of recorded history that was because we didn't have access to food, clean water. The process of preparing alcohol, tea, coffee, and other beverages was part of making water safe to deinkt. Alot of the world still doesn't have access to reliable, clean water.

Now it's because of advertising telling us to drink anything but water (or if we drink water to buy it in a bottle).