Unless home-brewed, beer had to be purchased, and like wine, there often were taxes and transportation fees involved. In the end, it would still have been more costly to drink than water. You would think that this fact would take the anxiety over when to drink a bottle. It was luscious and smoooooth But, it had an adequate alcohol content (over 12 percent), and I have a wine cellar that maintains a pretty constant temperature. Even though it was weakly brewed from barley, at the time beer was a calorie-laden beverage that pulled double-duty with workers and farmers who were thirsty and in need of energy. Most wine and by most I mean 95 of it is meant to be enjoyed, if not shortly after purchase, then within 12 to 18 months of the vintage date. Answer (1 of 7): Absolutely, I opened one this week. īeer may not have been a replacement for water, but it was viewed as a more nutritious alternative than water. Medieval people weren't stupid they didn't drink water that looked or smelled bad, and tradesmen that used water - such as tanning - faced hefty fines if they polluted the town's drinking supply. It was designed to move water from a fresh spring to a pumping house that would, in turn, make fresh water available at cisterns throughout the city. It is safe for A 13-year-old to drink alcohol My wife with an American background relates how when she was a little girl at one of the big family celebration gatherings, everyone got some wine to drink. In 1236, construction of a system of pipes began in London. In larger towns there were even infrastructures to supply water to citizens. Whether from a well or fresh stream, it was the centerpiece of villages. Sometimes water was mixed with wine or sweeteners like honey, and a 14th century monk once listed water as a beverage preferred over beer. In another story, there were telltale marks where a hermit had knelt to drink from a river. In another story, there were telltale marks where a hermit had knelt to drink from a river. Gregory also mentions a traveler in the sixth century who asked a villager for water. Gregory also mentions a traveler in the sixth century who asked a villager for water. One account by Gallo-Roman historian Saint Gregory of Tours mentions a boy so religious that he primarily drank water, (like many devout at the time). A number of records from medieval times report that water was plentiful and common. The idea that people primarily drank beer throughout the Middle Ages is widespread - and also wrong. If your old bottle has more space than it should, there’s a good chance the wine has oxidized, evaporated or seeped out through the cork.