Credit to Matthew Deller MW for highlighting this study in his LinkedIn article, which first brought these findings to my attention.
The Chimpanzees’ Boozy Bonding Ritual
Researchers from the University of Exeter and Oxford Brookes University recently published something remarkable. Wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau were captured on motion-activated cameras sharing fermented fruit from the African breadnut tree.
The footage, recorded in 2022 in Cantanhez National Park, documented multiple instances of this rare behaviour. The fruit had naturally fermented, reaching up to 0.61% ABV—not exactly strong, but alcoholic enough to register. What made it significant was the sharing. Chimpanzees rarely share food, yet here they were, calmly passing around boozy fruit.
The findings were published in Current Biology in April 2025 under the title:
“Wild chimpanzees share fermented fruit: insights into the evolution of alcohol use and social bonding”
(Read the paper)
The Drunken Monkey Hypothesis: Our Ancient Wiring
This study adds weight to the “drunken monkey hypothesis,” an evolutionary theory suggesting our attraction to alcohol has deep roots. Our primate ancestors relied on fermenting fruit for survival—the smell of ethanol signalled high-calorie food. Over millennia, this has hardwired a biological preference for alcohol’s scent and effects.
While 0.61% ABV seems negligible today (wine averages 12-15%), for primates unaccustomed to alcohol, even trace amounts could have eased social bonding, much like the chimps demonstrated. Notably, it exceeds the 0.5% benchmark that many countries use to classify “alcoholic” drinks.
From Survival to Social Ritual: Alcohol’s Human Journey
At Alcohol Reset Coach, we talk about drinking with intent, not guilt or habit, but clarity. Modern life has distorted alcohol’s role. Where it was once a rare communal tool, today it’s often a solitary coping mechanism.
Take one of our clients, Sarah, a retired teacher who used to drink wine nightly with dinner. It was automatic, joyless. When she shifted to only drinking with friends, everything changed:
- Better sleep and anxiety management
- Rediscovered connection (“I realised I’d been drinking to check out, not tune in”)
- Reclaimed control (“Now every glass feels like a choice”)
For over 2,000 years, alcohol has been woven into human rituals – sealing treaties, celebrating harvests, marking rites of passage. Those chimps weren’t drinking to escape; they were drinking to bond.
Rethinking Your Relationship with Alcohol
This isn’t about willpower. It’s about rewiring habits to align with what matters to you. When we “reset” drinking, we:
- Anchor it in intention (“Am I reaching for this glass out of habit or joy?”)
- Prioritise quality over quantity (Drinking less often, but more meaningfully)
- Reclaim its social roots (Using alcohol to connect, not isolate)
What would it look like for you to drink with intent this week? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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