Beverages

Libations are the cornerstone of any civilization, and especially in time periods where drinking the water is not always safe or possible.

In the Industrial age, beer was the drink of choices for Americans, and that's still largely true in Medieval America, where there's enough wheat and barley surplus enough for fermentation. Grain beers are specialized enough in the midwest that they actually make beer, where in most of the country, grains are used quickly and haphazardly made into ale.

Wine: Wine is by far the most popular drink on the west coast, with the rich Nappa Valley the home of countless vineyards, to the point it's more common to drink wine in the grain-growing parts of the Pacific Northwest. There's also vineyards in the Great Lakes region, where the lake effects creates its own distinctive wine flavor. While more or less a drink more for the upper crusts than the peasantry, a great deal of wine is exported to Catholic Quebec.

Cider: Cider was originally the drink of choice for early American colonists--apples being much easier to grow on the east coast than grain or grapes. Cider fell out of favor in the early 20th century due to prohibition, but with the localization of goods, the dependence on fermented apples ranging from Maine to North Carolina saw them make a comeback. It's also a more popular rustic drink in Columbia.

Rum: In the deep south, where warm beers are less palatable, and wine has never really caught on, the denizens tend to drink spirits, especially rum, as it's versatile and easy to come by as a byproduct of sugar cane. It's very common to mix rum with citrus fruits and creams

The Mormons of Deseret are not allowed alcoholic beverages, so they tend to drink tea, which is made from boiled water. In general, Mormons don't have to worry about the perils of unhygienic water, it's much drinking water actually comes from wells and aqueducts from the mountains.