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That’s some very D-grade, armchair history work here. Straight out of the D&D handbook, perhaps. Around the D&D table is where I most heard the myth that people
by klodolph 3y ago
That’s some very D-grade, armchair history work here. Straight out of the D&D handbook, perhaps. Around the D&D table is where I most heard the myth that people, historically, drank beer because it was cleaner than water.
Here’s a competing theory—people liked beer, and drank a lot of it. If we want to get past armchair history, we need something more than a patchwork of unfounded speculation. We want something that would lead us to believe that one explanation was better than the other, or perhaps both are good, or neither.
- defrost 3y agoOhhhhhh, you're putting the stress on because. There's no need to be a tosser (see HN guidelines), it's an argument that comes straight out of Medieaval recipe books for make beers and ales, straight from the time of the great miasma, and from the mouths of many UK historians.
- klodolph 3y agoCan you provide some clues or hints so I can find these UK historians that make these claims? It’s frustrating, because I’ve been told off for asking for evidence, even though I didn’t ask for evidence. Every time I try get an answer, all the resources I find contradict the claims here. Water was the most common drink. Communities were built around wells or other water sources. The Romans built massive systems of aqueducts so they could have more water. I did a Google search and found a page full of results directly contradicting the claim that people drank beer because it was cleaner.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- ffhhttt 3y agoIf boiling is enough what’s the point of “wasting” grain if your only goal is to make the water safe to drink? Also medieval authorities to great effort to keep water sources unpolluted with outright draconian punishments for those who did that. Of course they didn’t always succeed.. but still.
- defrost 3y ago> if your only goal is to make the water safe to drink? The point of medieval beer and ale making exercises was to make beer and ale, (which required boiling water as part of the common recipes of the day).. which very likely created a notable difference between those drinking mostly large amounts of low alcohol beer | ale made from boiled water compared to those that mostly drank unboiled liquids.
- ffhhttt 3y agoYou’re implying that it wasn’t common knowledge that boiling water made it somewhat safer to drink? > which very likely created a notable difference between those drinking Well I suppose they were somewhat more drunk most of the time and also more well off since they could afford it? Also again, you can make assumptions but I’m not aware that there is substantial evidence that this was the case.
- code_duck 3y agoIt also turns the water and grain into a something nourishing. Beer has carbs and vitamins.