>>Argentina is an example of that. In my case (and I was not the exception) my parents would allow me a small drip of wine or champagne in big family meetings, like Christmas, since very early age, and from around 15 years old my mother would by me a can of beer for my lunch every day. In college I drank lots of different "white beverages" having a preference for vodka, but usually limited to weekends/parties; and now, for at least the last 15 years I barely drink alcohol, so based in my limited experience, my mother's wasn't a bad idea after all.
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>Same in Serbia (and, I have to guess, in the rest of the ex-Yu). Alcohol is everywhere, and hard to avoid. You are exposed to it at early age - so it's far better to learn about it, and about how your own body reacts to it, while you aren't doing anything dangerous, like running a business or driving. You "run [your] dog" while you're young - when will you, if not then. Then it fades, unless you're in the entertainment business (or in a business, and need to entertain your business partners...). Most of decision making is lubricated around a tavern table.
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>Presently, I don't even know how much brandy I have - few tens of liters, and I'm not even touching it. I need my head for work :). Sometimes, on a weekend evening, I get a couple of beers (dark, Nikšićko) and that's it.

Well I am far off from the entertainment business, in fact I am quite boring!

But I will be sure to visit your house if I ever go to Servia so I can help you get rid of some of that Cognac.. err Brandy

Something I forgot to say is that when I was living in Argentina, some odd 12 years (or is it even?) 1 liter of beer was 0.99 pesos (at that time 1ar$ = 1 U$S and a liter of pop was one peso, so there was really no option but to buy beer for the money savvy