Healing Liquor

How funny that being a bartender has changed my view of alcohol for the better. I used to walk around with my bottle of Guilty Pleasure tucked inside my overcoat. As I learn more, however, I see a history of drink as healer, reviver, and important social symbol, and I am proud to be a lover of liquor.
Our society sees alcohol as Bad. You will really be looked down upon for drinking during the day, for example. Drinking around kids? Terrible influence. Drink everyday? Alcoholic. Yet, it has not always been this way. There was a time when people went to monks for their healing "waters": beers, liqeurs, and wines, and when a day without wine was considered unhealthy. Does the modern sorority girl think about health as she does her shot of Jagermeister? Probably not, but when taken appropriately (apertifs before meal, digestifs after, restoratives when the energy sags)alcohol plays a very key part in human health. Sure, a big part of this is not drinking to excess, but, oh well.