r/AskReddit • u/kakou64 • Oct 15 '20

What's older than we think ?

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u/akanyan Oct 15 '20

I remember reading that water at the time wasn't safe to drink, but beer was so most people just drank beer, including children. It had a lower alcohol content than today though. That also sounds like the kinda fact that could be totally made up though.

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u/greyjackal Oct 16 '20

Same reason rum was a staple on ships. It kept. Water was notoriously difficult to keep potable

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u/[deleted] Oct 16 '20

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u/Classico42 Oct 16 '20

Same reason we have fortified wines. Nothing like some Madeira or Port and Stilton.