In seventeenth-century Europe, tea was a practical product. With most water unfit to drink, those who wanted to avoid disease had two choices: boiled water, or beer that was strong enough to kill bacteria.
In Britain, where ale was a common breakfast drink, tea became a welcomed alternative. Here, at last, was a thirst quencher that refreshed and invigorated, was full of flavour, and above all was safe to drink.
The opponents of tea formed a powerful lobby - and they had influence in Parliament. Within a few years, tea duties reached an all-time high of 119%. And put tea-drinking way beyond the reach of ordinary people.
History of Tea
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Tea was clearly a drink with great market potential which made the nation's brewers nervous. The brewers launched a crusade against tea, which quickly gathered the support of the Church, denouncing tea as a sinful drink; doctors claimed it was unhealthy.