Before recorded history, human beings discovered that grape juice, when exposed to naturally occurring yeasts, becomes wine. Scientists would eventually describe this process as fermentation, thousands of years after wine and other alcoholic beverages had become an integral part of many cultures’ meals, celebrations, and religious ceremonies.

Unfortunately, alcoholic beverages have also contributed to a considerable portion of human misery. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that excessive alcohol consumption causes more than 100,000 deaths per year in the United States alone, primarily through cirrhosis of the liver, drunk driving, and alcohol-related homicide and suicide. According to The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide, alcohol use is involved in half of all murders, accidental deaths, and suicides; half of all crimes; and almost half of all fatal automobile accidents.

The problem most often associated with heavy drinking, however, is alcoholism...