Wine and strong alcoholic drinks were not created without a purpose. Despite the dangers and pitfalls associated with them, they serve a clear role in the world for those experiencing deep distress. The primary approach among commentators is that there is no absolute objection to drinking alcohol. Instead, its proper use is defined as a natural medicine meant to bring joy, ease worries, and help miserable people forget their suffering and hard work [שטיינזלץ, עמנואל הרומי, אמרי דעת].
Commentators offer different perspectives on exactly who this drink is meant for. Many explain that it is intended for a poor person who is lacking everything and so miserable that they feel they are wasting away and failing in every aspect of life [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, אלשיך, עמנואל הרומי]. On a spiritual level, however, others suggest this refers to wicked people destined for ruin, who are given their rewards and pleasures entirely in this world [רש״י, אלשיך]. Furthermore, the drink is meant for those who are bitter from harsh labor and extreme exhaustion [מצודת דוד]. It also serves people overwhelmed by sadness and mourning over their poverty or the loss of loved ones, as wine was originally intended to comfort mourners [רש״י, אלשיך].
An interesting distinction is made between the types of beverages based on a person's condition [מלבי״ם]. Strong drink, which is meant to cause heavy intoxication, is reserved for the person who is completely perishing, such as someone facing execution. The goal is to entirely cloud their mind and make them forget their final, grim reality. Wine, on the other hand, naturally gladdens the heart and is therefore better suited for those who are simply bitter, helping them forget their daily struggles.
On a deeper level, the permission to drink and become intoxicated is sometimes seen as directed at people who lack wisdom. Such individuals are compared to animals, which are not bound by commandments or moral restrictions [אמרי דעת]. Ultimately, the simple and main goal of providing alcohol to people in pain is to ensure that while the drink is in their system, they no longer feel their troubles. The more constant the drinking, the more thoroughly they can forget their poverty and exhausting labor [עמנואל הרומי].