The sacrifice human was supposed to guarantee the continued fertility of the Earth. "next year harvest will be good"
So it was some kind of "insurance policy" for continued prosperity.
Also the "ScapeGoat" is the entity which holds the sins and crimes of the group - The group "projects" from their collective unconscious, all kind of evil on the scapegoat.
Or conversely, since the sacrificial victim will die, they give him or her a great send off; "Last meal" "coronation as King/ Queen"
They supposedly did that every year.
You see the reflection / echo of that in the Burning of Heman at Purim of the Jews (Spring) and Guy Falkes burning at the stake, every year (Fall)
As I see it, it was a way, for the Emperor or Priest class or leader to terrorize the population? into obedience, And to cleanse the collective guilt feelings (for whatever transgressions, done consciously or unconsciously.
The whiskey is the ancient "circuses"
distraction for the "masses" so they can bear their lives and maybe to feed the parasites within them, to keep them weak?
The "Bread" is what you feed them
"Bread and Circuses"
The human sacrifice, overt, became performed symbolically in the burning of the effigies "Burning Man" , etc.,?