Over the course of human history, alcohol has played a role in religion, economics, sex, politics, and many other aspects of societies around the world. Its role has varied from culture to culture, and has also changed over time within cultures. A complex array of customs, attitudes, beliefs, and values surround the use—or avoidance—of alcohol.

The way people feel about their alcohol consumption may have little to do with its actual impact on the human body. In much of France and Italy, for example, people think of wine as a food. Many Scandinavians and Germans think of beer in much the same way. In the United States many people who regularly drink beer in large quantities do not think of themselves as using alcohol. The following brief review of the history of drinking looks at the various roles that alcohol...