Why did children in colonial time drink beer?

Answer 1

Children in colonial times drank beer for a variety of reasons, primarily that it was easily available and it was safe. Our modern minds find that "safe" idea hard to imagine, but they did not have water purifiers or other ways to be sure their water sources were uncontaminated. So for most of human history, the safest way to drink possibly unsafe water has been fermented beverages, like beer and wine. While probably still having the same basic taste as modern beverages, these drinks were much weaker in their alcohol content, so someone would have to drink a huge amount to feel any effect, and thus they were safe, even for children. In some modern cultures, children still have beer or wine in small amounts at dinner, since small amounts of alcohol are safe, and are even shown to have health benefits. Children who grow up in environments where self-control and moderation are admired and practiced tend not to abuse alcohol and can enjoy it responsibly for a lifetime. In colonial times, being drunk was seen as a terrible character flaw and a serious sin, so people would have learned from an early age how to drink enough to not be thirsty, but not to be drunk.