Simpler times

That was before advanced technology, medicine, equal rights, health awareness, and education were popular as well.

Beer used to play quite a large part in the diets of people through the ages especially if you were doing manual work and you need the carbohydrates. Of course the alcohol content used to be slightly lower than some commercially brewed beers available now because the alcohol was a preservative for the drink rather than something to get you drunk. Nothing stopping you from having a beer at breakfast in your own home as long as (a) you don't have to be driving anywhere, (b) you can burn off those extra calories and (c) you don't mind that your liver will be shot in a few decades if you drink everyday without giving it a break.

Meh, I'd rather have coffee.

Then your liver will be shit in a few years.