Life in Medieval Europe was Fueled by Alcohol

You've heard that people in olden times drank wine all the time because their water wasn't safe. While the water supply wasn't quite as safe as what we drink now, people always drank water, but only when they couldn't afford beer. In Medieval Europe, beer, wine, and/or cider were always available. Hard liquor wasn't a thing, and the beer and wine weren't as strong as it is today, but that just meant you had to drink more of it. Beer was used to hire workers, feed them through the day, and to to pay them for their labor. It was used to hydrate, celebrate, and medicate. People gathered in drinking establishments according to the price of beer, which segregated them by social status. It was part of all life's stages, from weddings to childbirth to funerals, and children indulged, too. Alcohol was even used for church fundraisers! Yes, people sometimes got very drunk, but mostly it was a case of getting through a difficult life with a constant light buzz.