Legislation
First and foremost, a number of laws were in place at the time that allowed consumption amongst the masses that were once discouraged in the country. These doctrines are a main reason for the popularity of the drink since they simply had to be in place for the people to even have the opportunity to consume alcohol. Well, not only did a number of these laws allow consumption to take place, they encouraged it and helped make alcohol not only an important part of England's social landscape, but an integral component of it's economic status as well. And during times when wages were up and liquor prices were down, the economic climate of the country certainly provided many Englanders with ample reason to go for a drink (42).
Prior to the Gin Act of 1751 there was a time in London during the early Seventeen-Thirties known as the "gin period". This time was one where higher wages combined with the low price of alcohol altered the regular pattern of alcohol consumption greatly. Hence, while drinking had always been somewhat of a staple to the upper classes, these lower prices helped increase the consumption of the lower classes ten-fold. In spite of the Gin Act of 1751, which limited the amount of gin that could be produced, drinking continued to be a factor in the daily lives of the lower and upper classes in England (43).