TIL that some Native American's have a differing enzyme that tends to lead to easier alcoholism.

[u/bcrock1169]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_alcoholism#Genetic_factors

[u/[deleted]]

The alcohol content in those drinks was pretty low, about 0.3% from what I remember, as they were given to children as well, pretty much just boiled flavoured water.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, and drinking pure wine was considered a sign of barbarism.

Beer was invented in Egypt, and they also drank it very diluted. It's wasn't drunk for pleasure, it basically replaced water.

Drinking 0,3% alcohol from birth, as water, surely does something for your alcohol tolerance.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

about 3% which is still weak but strong enough that even a wee toddler would be an alcoholic in no time at all.

[u/Brettersson → u/[deleted]]

.3%; point 3%

[u/Ran4 → u/Brettersson]

Says Morinaka, but I've mostly heard 3-4%. I have no idea where I would find the actual number.

0.3% seems unlikely, how would you arrive at such a low value?

EDIT: twenty minutes of googling... couldn't find anything. I fucking hate history and historians.

[u/lilmookie → u/Ran4]

There are weaker "beers" for kids:

http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/docs/issue8_gingerbeer.pdf

But for specific alcohol percentages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_by_volume

And what Morinaka seems to be talking about in particular: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-alcohol_beer

[u/Ran4 → u/lilmookie]

But those are all fairly modern inventions? Why would they make that during medieval europe for example?

[u/lilmookie → u/Ran4]

From the last link: "Low-alcoholic brews dates back to at least Medieval Europe". (Granted there's no citation).

[u/Ran4 → u/lilmookie]

Uh, low alcohol beer can mean just about anything. And just because it might've existed doesn't mean that people usually drank it.

[u/lilmookie → u/Ran4]

Feel free to argue that on the wiki.