Beer has always been considered “liquid bread” since the beginning. The main ingredients; water, grain, and yeast are the building blocks of any advanced society and its local variant of bread.
Furthermore, that the alcohol content pretty much guaranteed that it contained few if any harmful bacteria when water supplies of the day were a stew of them was a happy side benefit.
Cheers,
knewshound
Gentlemen (and Lady), your services are required.
On or off the homebrewers ping list, let me know.
Cheers,
knewshound