Etymology of the word Alewife

Etymology of the word Alewife

Alewife is an important station in the Boston metro network (the MBTA).

After reading / hearing the word ‘salt-wife’ in Game of Thrones, I was curious to know about the meaning of the word ‘alewife’.

This entry on Wikipedia provided the info:

Alewife, also brewess[1] or brewster,[2] is a historical term for a woman who brewed ale for commercial sale.

The Wikipedia piece is definitely eye-opening. Take the following sentence for example:

Drinking alcohol daily was a common practice between 1300–1700. At this time, the quality of water was so poor that alcohol was preferred for taste.

Read the article here.