Bring me more Beer!!!

Just a quick post today based on something I read in the papers yesterday!

It's not so long ago, that the quality of drinking water was not as it should be and until the late 19th and early 20th Century when filtration methods and the addition of Chlorine into, there were high risks if disease and illness and even death, if you drank too water that was not Potable (that means fit to drink!)

So in a lot of the "civilised" world, water was not the staple source of fluid and so fermented drinks like mead, ale (beer) and wine were the chosen alternatives. Not all of these were as alcoholic as it might seem, but the brewing process would have hopefully killed off the germs and miro organisms that would cause all of the harm.  

The crew of Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, would have survived on other means than water and the daily grog ration was a way of trying to purify the drinking water by added very strong Navy Rum. Until recently, furnace workers in Steel Mills, would be allowed to drink pints of Lager throughout the day to enable them to quench their thirst during the shift. (Not really a matter of concern in the UK now due to the distinct lack of a Steel Industry!)

So where is all this leading? Well, according to the papers yesterday, Supermarkets are now selling beer cheaper than the water they sell! Can you believe that?

Supermarkets have been accused of encouraging binge drinking by continuing to sell alcohol more cheaply than bottled water.

Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are among those selling beer at just over 5p per 100ml. This contrasts with a typical price of about 8p for 100ml of brand-name mineral water.

You can see the full article on line http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6962974.ece
 
But sounds to me that we could be reverting to medieval times, perhaps Marie Antoinette was right when she suggested "let them eat cake", perhaps Gordon Brown should be informing us to "drink more beer"
 
On a serious note, take it easy out there and imbibe sensibly! I'm off to look for a job at the nearest Steel Mill!!