Now then on the subject of alcohol. It was derived -very-, and I mean very early. It was recorded by Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, it goes back to the 5th Millennium BC. Beer can be fermented by any cereal crop. Essentially alcohol is real easy to make, and during many periods of history was -safer- than bacteria ridden water...

Also as for what information he gains from inanimate objects, that depends on the object. Dave the Table is quite nice and he plays board games with him. The board game talks to Fu about the weather usually. Trees hate him, and usually scream at him. Various things really.