It is not universal, but it is a common component of mainstream culture across China, India, Russia, USA, Canada, most European countries, most Central and South American countries, most African countries, Australia, Japan, and others - encompassing a majority of the human population.
"Society" isn't really a unit. Plenty of people would happily make alcohol illegal if they had power. It's not ethically acceptable to drink in a lot of communities (even in the U.S.). Some countries prohibit alcohol present day.
My point is that the status of alcohol as "ethically acceptable" is far from universal.