Why are countries like the United Kingdom, Germany & Belgium famously know for producing and drinking beer while just south of them countries like France and Italy are more know for producing and drinking wine?
The reason is the availability of ingredients.
Grapes simply don't grow well (or at all) in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. Optimal temperatures for grapes are 25 to 28 degrees Celsius and they need at least 1300 hours of sunlight per year. Not gonna happen north of France.
The official "grape belt" where grapes can be grown and do well lies between the 40th and 50th parallel, which encompasses all of Italy, Spain and France, but barely touches England at its southernmost tip.
For the countries outside of these areas it made much more sense to make alcohol from a grain like barley that grows well pretty much anywhere.