History of Alcohol
	Throughout its history, it has been used socially for many diverse purposes, such as calming feuds, giving courage in battle, sealing pacts, celebrating festivals, and seducing lovers. In medieval Europe, its more practical roles were as a folk medicine and preservative. Its place in modern culture remains as a universal leveler and stress-release.  No one knows when the history of alcohol began.  It's therefore pretty reasonable to assume early Man has drank through out his evolution from ape to human. We may not have evolved much over time but alcohol has come along way from being the juice from a moldy old bit of fruit. Sugars' fermenting into alcohol occurs regularly in nature through contact with airborne yeasts. A bit random and lacking in quality control. Historians speculate that prehistoric nomads may have made beer from grain & water before learning to make bread, but there is nothing to substantiate these claims, so lets ignore them. Alcohol production could not begin in earnest until the dawn of agriculture.  With agriculture came regular and larger supplies of the raw materials required for fermentation and distilling. There are many Old Testament references (Noah's provisions included beer on the Ark.), and wine is an important part of early Jewish rituals. Roman Catholics (a division of Christianity) still drink wine as part of their worship. Some religions, Judaism and Christianity being among them, because of alcohol's ceremonial importance, decreed that overindulgence was sinful and alcohol should only be drunk in moderation. The prophet Mohammed stated his followers should not drink alcohol, and alcohol remains prohibited by Muslim nations. Buddhists also abstain, as do Hindu Brahmins. Before the Middle Ages brewing was left to women to make since it was considered a food.  It was not until the Renaissance, as with so many things, that distilling and brewing became an art. As technology advanced it became possible to distill spirits and produce alcohol at much purer and higher strength. The making of alcoholic spirits like gin, brandy and sambuca only started some one thousand or so years ago. Germany, Belgium, and Britain soon evolved as distinct brewing cultures. Countries developed national spirits, which were identified, and gave identity to these countries. Russian Vodka, Scottish Whisky, Mexican Tequila, the Greeks have Ouzo and the Italians Strega and Sambuca, and there are hundreds more, you'll find it near impossible to visit another country without discovering its national drink.
				Pages-1-2-3-4