It quenches our thirst, particularly on a hot summer day. Our tea glasses tend to be quart sized or larger, and we like plenty of ice. Now beer is something else. It can quench thirst too. But that is not the only function of beer.
Beer is a symbol.
It means I have arrived. Beer is a declaration of independence. I can hop over the boundaries when I drink beer. Beer loosens me up, gets me talking, gives me a buzz, makes me feel better. Or so it seems.