I'm thinking of Estella in Great Expectations and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol as he was a Bah Humbug?
2007-01-22 02:18:06 · 8 answers · asked by brainlady 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Gin i would say. It was way cheaper than beer.
2007-01-22 02:24:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
People drank a great deal in Dicken's time, if you read the books they are always making "punch" with gin or brandy, lemons, sugar and hot water, or drinking pots of ale. Ale was the standard drink for farm labourers, of course the "big houses" always had a stillroom and made their own.
Among the working classes wine was for illness or celebration, but the rich did get through a couple of bottles apiece per day, some per meal! Port was considered to be "good for you" if you were convalescing. So you see binge-drinking is well rooted in British culture, it's just gotten more public and extreme.
Scrooge was too cheap to drink more than "small beer"-- probably nettle beer or similar.
2007-01-22 10:32:04 · answer #2 · answered by anna 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they did, generally the water available was too poluted to drink in most cases so the lower working classes made do with weak beer. To escape the pains of poverty and depression caused buy hopelessness they drank gin (very cheap) and a lot of other stuff to blot out reality.
2007-01-22 10:28:14 · answer #3 · answered by David M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most people drank small beer instead of water as the water was unsafe. Working class people (especially "working girls") used to drink geneva (gin) at 2d per pint. The upperclasses would drink fine wines, sherry and port. Drunkenness was rife among the poor
2007-01-22 10:27:52 · answer #4 · answered by bloblynda 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think either Estella or Scrooge ever "drank a lot".
2007-01-22 10:20:42 · answer #5 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The water wasn't safe to drink in those days so alcohol was a safer option.
2007-01-22 10:21:19 · answer #6 · answered by SilverSurfer 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes plenty of port
2007-01-22 10:28:42 · answer #7 · answered by john k 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
only if they could afford it
2007-01-22 10:20:32 · answer #8 · answered by barn owl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋