Brits are genetically disposed to binge drinking, according to beer and wine expert Jane Peyton.
Speaking at Publican Live, the Beer Academy tutor and writer said we liked excessive alcohol consumption because of our Viking heritage.
She said: "The Saxons and Vikings brought beer with them to this country and it was very similar to how we drink now. They were binge drinkers.
"That's why the government can't legislate against binge drinking - we've got the DNA of Vikings in us."
Peyton also likened the gin palaces of the 19th century to modern-day Wetherspoon pubs and said the early ale houses - where boys were paid to loosen the cravats of drunks slumped on the floor - showed Brits were "binge drinkers all the way through".
The expert's comments came as part of a presentation on the history of alcohol on the second day of Publican Live at London's Olympia.
She gave the audience a quick-fire account of Britain's drinking past, from the earliest evidence of alcohol in 10,000 BC to the effect of women's liberation on pubs in the late 20th century.