Citation needed for "drinking was prohibited in the culture".
Local varieties of alcohol are plentiful across the country, and not limited to just palm wine. There are more than enough references to alcohol in ancient literature, not all of them condemnatory in nature.
Much of the prohibition movement happened around the time of the struggle for Independence from British Rule. For example, search for "kallu kadai mariyal" (Tamil, literally, blockading a toddy shop).
In the Mahabharata, Shukracharya due to his alcoholism caused Kacha to be killed, ground up and mixed in his alcohol by the Asuras. After going through an ordeal of having to teach Kacha the secret Sanjivani knowledge, Shukracharya came to his senses, and pronounced these sayings on drinking:
यो ब्राह्मणो अद्य प्रभृतीह कश्चिन्मोहात्सुरां पास्यति मन्दबुद्धिः।
अपेतधर्मो ब्रह्महा चैव स स्यादस्मिँल्लोके गर्हितः स्यात्परे च ॥
“Whoever foolish brahmana henceforth drinks alcohol out of delusion, he should be considered as devoid of dharma, a killer of brahmanas, and should be forever despised in this world and the next.”
This is as far as Brahmins are concerned. However, since Vedic times there have been special yajnas for Kshatriyas where drinking is done in a restricted way so as to allow them to indulge in their vices but in a controlled way. I believe the yajna in which drinking is allowed is either Rajasuya or Sautramani.
The Dharma shastras (law books) by default condemn alcoholism for any person regardless of occupation. However, in consideration of physical exertion and exhaustion of Kshatriyas and Shudras, alcohol is allowed for them to bring some relaxation and relief of pain.
Local varieties of alcohol are plentiful across the country, and not limited to just palm wine. There are more than enough references to alcohol in ancient literature, not all of them condemnatory in nature.
Much of the prohibition movement happened around the time of the struggle for Independence from British Rule. For example, search for "kallu kadai mariyal" (Tamil, literally, blockading a toddy shop).