England has a bit of a world reputation for enjoying their alcohol. All of the United Kingdom is known for their pub and bar culture. In fact, there is perhaps no other culture in the world where it is more acceptable to spend excessive time in a pub or bar. This is not a result of widespread addiction and alcoholism, although those things are certainly present in England’s culture as well. England’s culture of drinking spans many centuries, even millenniums, back, and is present in the modern way they approach alcohol.

Arguably, the people who the British descended from could have been drinking alcohol as long as 12,000 years ago. Unearthed, ancient jugs that were meant for holding beer indicate this to us. Beer made from grains was the alcohol of choice for several millenia, and was associated with excessive binge drinking. In the 1st century AD, the Roman Invasion influenced the English popular culture toward moderation in drinking. Wine was more readily consumed lightly, with a meal, while beer was consumed for the purpose of becoming drunk. These two cultures or schools of thought have remained in England for centuries, however, England is notorious for its celebration of the “beer based thinking,” that alcohol is for binging in order to become very drunk. The weather could also play a factor, according to many mental health experts in England. For much of the year, England is very gray, promoting alcoholism as a means of coping with depression and lack of Vitamin D.

England’s history with alcohol affects the culture of its modern day residents in a number of ways. Drinking is more common and more acceptable in England than in many other regions of the world. This is a long evolved social acceptance and tolerance of drinking. Not only this, but alcoholism and alcohol tolerance can be linked to genetics. The longer alcohol consumption has been passed down genetically, the more genetically predisposed a person is to alcoholism and to alcohol cravings. As you can see, England’s relationship with alcohol has been many years in the making.