Drinking wine in southern europe with every meal, and drinking beer in northern europe with every meal, has been embedded in culture for thousands of years.
So much so that even 4 year old kids were given wine or beer with each meal during the last thousands of years.
Reason?
Water was almost always contaminated with pathogens. Water has been safe to drink only since the 1960s.
The side-effect of this: European people can “handle” alcohol somewhat better than Asian people, due to evolution.
Nowadays there is no reason to give your kids any alcohol. Or for yourself to drink alcohol while working. But there is a reason why Columbus stocked hectolitres of Port wine on board when he set sail to discover America.