Cheap drunk? Do you have any idea how much it costed to ship goods back then overland? To ship wine no less, which is bulky in the vast quantities our ancestors drank it.

People made alcohol with what they had, every household made their own usually, they didn't buy it. That's why the north drank beer and ale, and the south wine. That's why so many apple trees were planted in the north as well, the only other northern fruit (idk about elderberries,) that has enough sugar to ferment to an appreciable degree, (it's less than grapes, I think 5% hard cider is about average, or at least mine was that.

Furthermore, I bet I like the taste and smell of elderberries, they don't grow here that I'm aware. So I don't agree it's a good insult, but thank for describing it, because I always thought that was an odd one.