I forwarded some of the postings on this thread to some friends of mine in the Society for Creative Anachronism...Thought some of them might have more information on medieval/Roman drinking habits.  Here's what I got back.  Hope it will help somebody.  :)
    Regards,
    Leslie King
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sunday, April 15, 2001 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: [shadowedstars] Fw: Alcohol


In a message dated 4/15/01 9:43:39 PM US Eastern Standard Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:


>> One possible exception to this is the ale of
>> >>medieval
>> >>>England, which could have been quite weak in comparison to modern
>beer
>> >>and
>> >>>beer from the seventeenth century. The main reason why I think that
>the
>> >>>brew was not piss weak is the widespread reports of drunkenness.
>> >>>
>> >>>

Ok all!,
        this is what I know about beer in the middle ages. There is two or 
more types of basic beer. There was beer that was brewed on a daily basis
for 
consumption with in a day or two. This is where we get the term 'Alewife" 
these were woman that did the brewing. Ale like this would have a very low 
alcohol content. It was the drink of choice for all members of the family. 
just enough alcohol to kill the bad stuff in the local water.
       The second would have brewed for longer and had been mostly for the 
rich or made by merchants as they had space to waste on the barrels. I
would 
suggest that this would have a much higher alcohol content. 
Beer than was more like food. The grains would/might have been free
floating 
and a high calorie drink. I have seen period glass wear with tangs in the 
glass to stir the grain in the beer.
    As to Romans drinking. There was the general social view that to drink 
straight wine was uncouth. it was diluted 10 to one for a proper drink. 
However remember it was often of a very poor quality compared to modern
wine. 
That did not mean it prevented anyone from abuseing it.

Aminah