Ah sorry, I didn't mean non-pasteurized, just meant "liquid milk with nothing in it" (as opposed to, say, a milkshake).

I'm French and it seems very uncommon here, but not related to lactose intolerance since most people eat cheese. It's probably a cultural thing.

Maybe it has something to do with temperature and ancient methods of conservation? Milk goes bad very fast, whereas some cheese can be kept for a very long time.

In the US, milk is usually seen as a beverage for children. Adults will consume it with breakfast cereal, but an adult ordering a glass of plain milk to drink would be seen as a bit silly.

It stems from the early 20th century nutrition efforts, where children were thought to need to be convinced to eat enough. (Sounds bizarre here in the 21st century. I believe it has to do with failure of some children to thrive, often due to things like gluten intolerance or other disorders.) Milk was portrayed (by its producers) as absolutely critical to children's health, leading us to subsidize its production.

I can't speak to other countries; I don't know how much milk is consumed in Europe or elsewhere. But Americans grow up drinking milk, and don't think of anything wrong with that. Adults tend to consume it with something else (coffee, cereal), but it's still seen as a major source of calcium, especially for women.

(It's not necessary; plenty of cultures survive without it. But it's good for you, despite obnoxious propaganda to the contrary. I'm a supporter of veganism and think we should all consume less animal products, but I think that's made harder by PETA telling outright lies.)

Raw milk should almost never be drunk in today’s reality, regardless if you know where it came from. There is enough asymptomatic bacteria in cows that is really bad for you. Somehow raw milk became a religion in the US, but it’s really really unhealthy.