Some fermented foods and beverages were used by Aboriginal groups, often in ceremonial contexts. Distilled alcohol was introduced by early European traders along with a different tradition of alcohol consumption. Fermentation is a gradual chemical change in which, in the case of alcohol, sugar or starch is broken down into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
Distillation separates out the ethanol so that it becomes more concentrated.
The type of alcohol found in beer, wine and spirits is ethyl alcohol. This type of alcohol is extremely poisonous and can cause sickness, blindness and death. The isopropyl alcohol used in rubbing alcohol is also dangerous. Alcohol is a drug. Initially, it causes dizziness, weakness in the muscles and loss of emotional control.