14 is plenty old enough to drink. The younger you start, the sooner you become accustomed to drinking and so the more alcohol tolerant you are when you are older.
This means that you will be able to drink more and so are likely to look really tough and cool and so are less likely to get into fights you can't win. You are also more likely to win drinking contests.
Therefore, an early introduction to drinking has both self-esteem, health and potential financial benefits.