City in a Glass: Boston (PasteMagazine.com)

Alcohol has been an integral part of life for Boston residents since Boston was founded in the 1600s. Back then, gritty New England settlers—including children!—drank distilled spirits instead of water, which was often contaminated with parasites. Today the water is cleaner and the legal drinking age is higher, but the rebellious drinking culture lives on through the city’s notorious Irish pubs and revolutionary cocktail bars.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/city-in-a-glass-boston.html