alcohol is part of society simply because having low levels of it in stored water killed pathogens. as well as preventing your entire medieval village of dying

alcohol is part of society simply because having low levels of it in stored water killed pathogens. as well as preventing your entire medieval village of dying of cholera, this technology also permitted long ocean voyages (it's said that the Pilgrims only landed at Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer). now it's entrenched and not going anywhere.