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'''Alcohol''' generally refers to beverages consumed for their alcoholic content.  Alcohol is a mild [[poison]] (and disinfectant) and has a deleterious effect on the human body.  In small or moderate amounts, this deleterious effect is enjoyable and produces a mildly euphoric state, commonly referred to as a ''buzz''.  In larger
amounts, alcohol produces a state known as [[drunk|drunkeness]], in which speech is slurred, movement increasingly uncoordinated, inhibitions lowered, and judgement imparied.  In excessive amounts, alcohol poisoning can result in severe [[illness]] or [[death]].

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) in [[Canada]] officially defines a single [[drink]] as one [[ounce]] of liquor, four ounces of [[wine]] or eight ounces of [[beer]].

== Alcohol in Period ==
In period, many alcoholic beverages were common, particularly [[beer]], [[cider]] [[mead]] and [[wine]].  Alcohol was greatly preferred over [[water]] or [[milk]] owing to the poor quality of one and the reletive expense of the other.  For higher-status people in [[period]], a cup of wine or small beer immediately after waking
would have been no different than a modern cup of [[coffee]].

Mildly alcoholic beverages such as [[beer|small beer]] and [[wine|watered wine]] were safer than plain water, as the alcohol would kill many of the pathogens, parasites and bacteria which typcally lived in the [[medieval]] water supply. [[Medieval]] people might not have understood disease theory, but given enough experience, they could recognize its practical effects. 

It is interesting to note that, because of this preference, when we say one ''drinks'' or ''has been drinking'', we immediately assume that alcohol is being consumed. A ''drink'' is assumed to be alcoholic, which is why the term [[soft drink]] has been developed to specifically refer to a non-alcoholic beverage.

Distilled [[liquor]] was uncommon in the early medieval period, but became increasingly common toward the end.  

== Alcohol in the SCA ==
[[Fighter]]s are specifically forbidden by the [[Rules of the List]] to be under the influence of alcohol (or other [[drug|subtances]]) while fighting.

When advertising most [[SCA]] [[event]]s, the [[autocrat]] will list whether or not alcohol is permitted on site.  A [[dry site]] will have no alcohol available, and drinking is not permitted.  A [[wet site]] allows alcohol.  Certain sites are listed as [[damp site|damp]], meaning beverages with lesser alcoholic content, such as beer,
cider and wine are permitted, but distilled liquor or [[mixed drink]]s are not.

Often, a site's rating will change depending on the time of day.  A dry site might become damp or even wet during [[feast]] or afterwards.

On rare occasions, certain events are listed as [[very wet|very wet site]]: these are typically held on private property, and carry the expectation that heavy drinking is going to happen.

Many [[SCAdian]]s engage in home [[beer|brewing]] and [[wine|wine-making]], but it is important to note that, in most countries including the [[United States]], [[Canada]] and [[Australia]], distilling [[liquor]] without a license is a serious
criminal offence, because improperly distilled alcohol can be poisonous.  It should also be noted that many types of alcohol used in commercial, medical and industrial applications are lethal poisons, and should never be consumed as beverages.


==See also==
* [[Drinking]]
* [[Brewing]]
* [[Drunk]]
* [[Mead]]

[[Category:Alcohol:Brewing]]