Let's review a few things here:
1. Many things were different in the 18th century, compared to the 21st. More than will ever be discussed on the Internet. Although by the 18th century Americans had already developed the myth that they were somehow special and qualitatively "different" than Europeans, they imported most of the habits of Europe, good and bad.
One of the bad ones was to turn surface water, and ground water in the urban areas, into open sewers. Beer wasn't just many people's choice, it was safe. Even small beer (think of something like a lambic, no more than a percent or two of alcohol, maybe less) had been boiled, so it was safe, too.
2. Beer was different, too, although it was basically the heavenly malted beverage we so love. Previous posts have covered this topic pretty well. Think of beer being WAY more variable, even from batch to batch, not the predictable homogeneous product we buy today. Think of two kegs of Budweiser, one tasting like beer, the next like monkey spunk. (Maybe not the best example.....)
3. Although there has been some good information given in this thread, the best was the book. If you're interested in beer in colonial times, you'll find that your time will be well repaid by reading up on the subject.
4. Samuel Adams was the cousin of John Adams, who WAS wealthy, and who was one of the Founding Fathers, and went on to become the 2nd president. These two have been confused in the past, and will be in the future.
