this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2024
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wtf do people like this imagine is in beer?
Are you asking why beer instead of water?
I believe the gist is that back in ye olden times when everybody was just throwing their sewage into the river, that beer was less likely to kill you because it's boiled before it's fermented. I don't think they made the connection to boiling, but rather knew beer was a safer drink.
I'm spouting this off from memory without looking it up, so no guarantee I'm correct.
My understanding is people drank beer because it was tasty and not because it was cleaner.
Edit: here's a reference. https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/05/medieval-europe-why-was-water-the-most-popular-drink.html
This medievalist says it was an important part of the caloric intake.
In the case of sailors, where water was needed for extended voyages, transporting water in casks was impossible as it developed algae and would spoil quickly, becoming a health hazard. They added alcohol to make it not only more palatable but to prevent spoilage.
That's the definition of drinking alcohol because it's cleaner.
The OP wasn't talking about sailors. Peasants had access to plenty of fresh water and not casked water.