Not too difficult. Has it's origins in alchemy. Probably in Western culture, alcohol was first distilled by alchemists. The alcohol distilled from the wine was it's spirit; the spirit of the wine, here spirit having the meaning of essence or breath of the wine. So distilled alcohol became known as spirits.

Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States...

Maybe thats why we like to fight so much

i came to a realization of why they are called spirits, because they have spirit, and have the power to summon spirits(divine archetypal forces). through personal exploration of the spirits, you can notice the difference between them, and see which ones work best for you, if you chose to work with them.

your asking about the effect on native culture.....the effect of alcohol on indigenous americans was so sever because of the actual hereditary trait that causes alcohol addiction. it is an enzyme deficiency that effects the way the body processes alcohol, which causes the desire to consume each successive drink, to increase expenintaly. this trait is extremely rare outside of the asian and indigenous american cultural groups.
su
when AA says that alcoholism is a hereditary disease that can never be overcome, it is a lie. they are using the information falsely to sustain their cult of dependence.