As Fae biology verged further away from the baseline from which all humanoid beings arose, their biology changed enough that they became either immune to the effects of various intoxicants or able to shake off the effects with a little willpower

  Depending on the maturity (physical and/or psychological and/or emotional) of the Fae who discovered this development, it was either a matter of some sorrow and complaining, or a great relief -- depending on how much or little self-control those individuals displayed when joining in human celebrations, and how close they came to being caught when conscious control over illusion spells slipped and the humans around them realized what they saw, usually ears changing colors or giving off sparks or burping fluorescent clouds of various colors that changed as they dissipated, depending on the alcohol that had just been imbibed beyond sensible limits. Granted, by the time a careless Fae grew drunk enough to lose control, he or she had already drunk most of the humans around them under the table.

  Side note: For some time, until the Ministry of Invisibility to Humans started instituting mandatory protective spells for those who left the enclaves to venture into the human world, this tactic of drinking humans into insensibility became a favored tactic for determining the presence of those with magic in their blood who had not yet discovered that magic. Far too many young adventurers and, quite frankly, wannabe rakes, used this as an excuse to throw wild parties and invite all the neighbors. They passed off their riotous style of living as a tactic for finding and rescuing those who had Fae blood and emerging talents, before they got into trouble.

  Side Note: For quite a few centuries, no matter what culture a Fae explorer or academic or trader found him or herself in, they quite often took up the trade of tavernkeeper. Alcohol thinned cultural and societal walls and inhibitions, allowing for greater ease in studying and in time, influencing the movers and shakers and even the rebels in the various villages and towns and cities where Fae came to live. Having control over the available alcohol was a good defensive tactic, and often taverns became the anchor points for the dimensional doorways to travel between one realm and another. People were, quite frankly, more prone to dismiss odd sightings of people and creatures and events around a place where alcohol flowed freely. What was odd, though, was how many people shrugged off clear sightings of wings and pointed ears and magical color shifts and the appearance and disappearance of people and magical creatures even when the person who saw them hadn't touched alcohol yet that day, or for the last few days or weeks beforehand.

  Through the centuries, as humans developed talents for creating new intoxicants, their activities and recipes were closely observed by Fae in the medical profession as well as those conducting scientific studies, and those in the Ministry for Invisibility to Humans. The more refined and complicated the process of creating intoxicants, the longer it took for Fae to develop an immunity to the intoxicant, or the stronger a force of will was required to shake off the effects. Just about the time Administrative Queen Hasmodianna IV decided to be alarmed at the increasing amounts of synthetic ingredients in intoxicants, and how much more effort was needed to resist the effects, artificial sweeteners were discovered. Such a seemingly harmless and somewhat questionable benefit offered by the chemicals even before concerns about cancer arose.

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  Barely any time at all, in Fae perceptions, even taking into account the time variations between the Fae Realms and Human realms passed before someone discovered the intoxicating effects of a beverage known as diet cherry cola.

  Other diet colas did not have the intoxicating effect. The combination of artificial sweeteners and artificial flavorings for cola and cherry hit that "sweet spot," so to speak. The Fae had finally found, whether anyone had been looking for it or not, the totally addicting substance that very few hardy souls through the ages have been able to resist. The news of the discovery was greeted with some skepticism, and then, as more Fae sampled the beverage, and the variations in recipes offered by different manufacturers were compared, an odd sense of delight and elitism emerged. Finally, an intoxicant that had no impact on humans had been found. The Fae had a dangerously addictive substance all to themselves.

  Yes, they were able to shake off the effects of the intoxicant with only a moderate amount of willpower. That had no impact on the delighted and perhaps even relieved sense of welcome that greeted the increasing stream of shipments of diet cherry cola through the realm doorways. No festivity was complete without enormous tubs full of iced bottles of diet cherry cola. The various manufacturers had their devotees, and skirmishes and even duels were fought over the years, trying to prove which recipe was the best. Some of the great families and most prominent bloodlines became so passionate about their chosen brand that long-standing alliances were destroyed by the disagreement over what was, in the end, simply a matter of taste. Fae fortunes were won and lost by those who invested in the manufacture of the original diet cherry cola and all the wannabe rivals, many of whom failed and closed up shop.

  Prohibition made an appearance across the Fae realms, in response to the bitter arguments and feuds, as well as the skyrocketing numbers of smuggling incidents. The Ministry for Monitoring Interdimensional Traffic and Trade was formed in response to the battles and raids between numerous groups intent on gaining a monopoly on importing diet cherry cola and dominating the market. Eventually, cooler heads did prevail and regulations were toned down, removing the thrill that came with smuggling. When anyone could bring crates of bottles and cans of diet cherry cola home across the dimensional barriers without paying tariffs or import fees, what was the use of making the effort?

  Import regulations remained in effect, mostly to prevent the importing of watered-down diet cherry cola, or product that used the wrong types of artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors, and thereby did not produce the sweet, heady intoxicating effect. Some synthetics combined in such a way that, while they had no impact on human biology, caused nasty side effects in the Fae blood chemistry. These regulations and the experience gained by the technicians who regularly tested the crates and cartloads of imported beverages came in handy when the dangers of carob mixed into chocolate were brought to the public knowledge, after the death-by-chocolate of Administrative Queen Mellisande. The cure-all of dark chocolate had been tainted and the glory days of diet cherry cola and dark chocolate, working in tandem to delight and soothe and cure all Fae-kind had come to an end.