How did they not die of severe alcoholism? Or did they?
hi! you'll find lots of info on this in the FAQ here
I recently read a couple of book on the subject, "The travelers guide to Medieval England" and "Beer in the middle ages". It was not the sort of beer we know today but ale, a soft mildly alcoholic drink that was produced in the house hold, even modest ones, and would have a short life before it decayed.
So, at least in England, it was a popular drink at home and part of the home production for self maintenance, interestingly the beverage seems to have had nutritive properties becoming part of the daily calories intake.
Interesting stuff here from a previous similar post.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/the-beerhive/9601548/Ales-history-trail