Humans may be evolutionarily primed to enjoy alcohol

Forsyth opens with a provocative biological question: why do humans, almost uniquely among primates, metabolize ethanol so efficiently? He walks through the idea, sometimes called the drunken monkey hypothesis, that our fruit-eating ancestors regularly encountered naturally fermenting, overripe fruit on the forest floor. Individuals who could tolerate a bit of alcohol without getting sick or disoriented had an advantage, since fermented fruit signaled a reliable calorie source and mild intoxication may have made foraging groups more cohesive rather than more reckless. This doesn't mean evolution "wanted" us to get drunk, but it suggests our taste for alcohol has deep roots rather than being a recent cultural accident. Forsyth is careful to present this as a compelling hypothesis rather than settled science, since testing ancient dietary behavior is inherently difficult. Takeaway: our attraction to alcohol likely predates agriculture, religion, and even the invention of cups.