Why Europeans drank beer, Asians tea

There's fascinating story on the NY Times food blog today about research into why Europeans pioneered beer as a water-purifying product, but Asians developed tea.

As population density and travel increased, fermented beverages such as beer became a way to transport a nutritional food stuff as well as a source of safe liquid refreshment. There was an old adage “…the water can kill you but the beer won’t.” People in the West did not realize that boiling water could purify it.

But what about people in Asia?

They save money by getting tipsy after two drinks. Apparently.