How an Unwitting Chimpanzee Discovered Alcohol

In an intoxicating Ted-Ed lesson written by Professor Rod Phillips and animated by Anton Bogaty, narrator Addison Anderson explains the evolution of alcohol over the centuries. This history starts off with an unwitting chimpanzee consuming overripe plums and discovering the benefits of alcohol that humans will discover shortly after.

This chimpanzee stumbles across a windfall of overripe plums. Many of them have split open, drawing him to their intoxicating fruity odor. He gorges himself and begins to experience some strange effects. This unwitting ape has stumbled on a process that humans will eventually harness to create beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.