The tax aspect is also referenced in the article, the dimensions are quite impressive.

>When reconstructing consumption from taxes there is also the matter of personal production not captured by taxation, beer being a major product of consumption was consuming 12.5% of people’s salaries and was subsequently contributing around a 1/3 of government revenue in England and a 1/4 of government revenue in Holland, an amount equivalent to the contribution of Spanish silver to the revenue of Spain in the mid 17th century.