Both the Romans and Greeks knew about other alcoholic beverages, but they didn't really consume them. Mead actually predates wine in the Mediterranean, but it's expensive to make and both Greeks and Italians thought that wine tasted better. By the historical period wine had pretty much totally replaced mead as a beverage, and mead was only used medicinally or in cultic ritual, although it experienced brief periods of popularity. Beer, while present in the Middle East since at least the Bronze Age, arrived in Greece relatively late, probably during the early Archaic Period. It never took hold in Italy and Greece, although it was relatively common in Iberia and Thrace (and was almost stereotypically Egyptian) and was fairly widespread in Gaul, Britain, and Germany where viticulture was difficult--it also gained popularity in late antiquity. Fruit wine was also known in antiquity, particularly apple, date, and pomegranate wines, although these were generally for poor people or medicinal purposes. The Roman poor also drank a drink called posca if they could not afford wine--this was basically must that had been allowed to turn sour and was mixed with water (so kinda like letting wine get all vinegary)