I once read that, due to the perennial problem of drinking water safety / sanitation wherever large numbers of people congregate (cities), virtually all civilizations were characterized by their use of either boiled water (e.g. tea) or alcoholic drinks.
It’s a health and safety thing.
Considerable research supports this. It also explains why alcohol tolerance is low in populations, such as Native Americans in the United States, that did not develop large, fixed settlements.