In the past few weeks, I’ve started preparing (gulp) for my oldest daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. How does this relate to drinking, you ask? Well, sometimes wisdom comes from unexpected sources. I was reading a book called “Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah,” by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, when I came upon the following passage, in a section on the ethics of Jewish celebration, which I felt was illuminating:

“The Czech-born German author Max Brod taught that there were essentially three religious ways of viewing the world: paganism, Christianity, and Judaism. Christianity—particularly early Christianity—believed that man should behave as an angel: Reject good food, fine wine, and possessions. Enter a monastery to be ascetically sealed away from the temptations of the world. Paganism believed that man was an animal: Seek pleasure, good food, fine wine, and possessions.

Early Christianity still has a voice in our world. It is the voice of abstinence. We heard it in the Prohibition movement, and we still hear it in certain quarters…Paganism also shapes our world. We find it in beer commercials, in Food and Wine magazine, in the Playboy ethic, on tabloid television, in the consumerism of American society that proclaims ‘whoever dies with the most toys, wins.’

Judaism’s great contribution to the moral vocabulary of the world was that it produced a middle way between those extremes, the way of mitzvah and kedushah. God made us a little lower than the angels, but much higher than the animals. Judaism advises that we neither reject nor hoard pleasure. We sanctify pleasure. We sanctify what we eat through kashrut (dietary laws), what we own through tzedakah (holy giving), what we drink by kiddush (blessing the wine), and by drinking moderately on Shabbat and on Pesach and other holidays and somewhat immoderately on Purim. We touch a drop of wine to the lips of a newborn baby. We remember the exhortation that goes with the lifted cup—‘Lechayim—To life!’ Wine may sweeten our life, but should not be used to the point that it becomes addictive.”

–From “Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah” by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin (pp.84-85)

I was struck by how much this reminded me of one of my favorite books, “Siddhartha,” by Herman Hesse, and how much Judaism, in this respect, resembles Buddhism’s Middle Way. I realize that this doesn’t apply to those who have already crossed the line into addiction, but it seems instructive for those of us who do drink, and those of us who are raising or mentoring future drinkers or non drinkers.

And P.S. if you’re interested in the similarities between Judaism, Christianity & other religions, my father, Meyer Odze, a documentary filmmaker, has explored, and continues to explore, the subject.

One of the most fascinating elements of traveling to a new place is learning, exploring, and tasting what is indigenous to a particular culture. As a passionate traveler, I have had the good fortune of tasting Prosecco in Italy, tequila in Mexico, sherry in Spain, cachaca in Brazil, slivovitz (plum brandy) in Romania, and locally-made rose wine in Morocco. Just to name a few.

So it was with great interest that I read Daisann McLane’s recent piece in National Geographic Traveler, “’Cheers!’ to Local Libations,” in which she describes the taste experience and how connections deepen when drinks–both alcoholic and not–are shared in certain cultures.

A few years ago, my husband and I were sitting in a small trattoria in Cortona, Italy, and the waiter served us—and every other table in the tiny restaurant—a green alcoholic drink that was fragrant and earthy at the same time. My husband, an avid gardener and son of a former liquor storeowner, racked his brain to come up with the main ingredient of the liquid served in the narrow, clear glass. After nearly a dozen guesses, the waiter/restaurant proprietor finally revealed that it was a basil liqueur—a secret, family recipe. A homebrew made with pride.

We still talk about that evening, and the homemade liqueur that we have since never seen. I’d be interested to know if any of you have come across interesting libations during any of your travels—either home or abroad…

Photo Source 1

Photo Source 2

Photo Source 3

Psych 101, Freshman Comp., Intro. to Shakespeare, and now–Wine 101?

Ah, the French.

A report commissioned by Valérie Pécresse, the Minister for Higher Education, recommends that French university cafeterias hold wine-tasting sessions to teach students the virtues of moderate consumption.”Why is there sexual education and not viticultural education? You can learn wine too,” said Jean-Pierre Coffe, who co-wrote the report. “Drinking is not drinking a bottle. Wine is pleasure. It’s like love. It’s the same.”

Some believe lunchtime tastings would provide a good opportunity for students to learn a sense of responsibility. After all, wine is part of the French national heritage.

Others are concerned because binge drinking is a fairly new problem in France, where children grow up drinking watered-down wine. In November, the Paris city hall launched a campaign aimed at 15-25-year-olds, warning of the dangers of “le binge drinking,” which increased by about 10% between 2005 and 2008.

Alain Rigaud, president of the National Association for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction, was shocked by the proposal, calling it naive. He said it was “marketing for the wine industry.”

Seems to me such a course is in the same vein as the parenting courses some have suggested in the U.S.. Also in the U.S., an organization called Choose Responsibility has advocated that we teach responsible drinking to kids, instead of raising the drinking age.

Why not learn practical and life skills in college?

Other questions: Do you think moderation can be taught? Or are wine tastings just adding more fuel to the college binge-drinking fire?

Photo Source

Do African American adults drink less than people of other ethnic backgrounds? A fascinating new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), says yes. Over 25,000 African American adults participated in the survey on drug use and health.

The current alcohol use rate for African Americans aged 18 and older is significantly lower than the national adult average (44.3 percent versus 55.2 percent) according to the new study. The study also reveals that African American adults have a lower rate of binge drinking than the national adult average (21.7 percent versus 24.5 percent). Young African American adults (aged 18 -25) are less likely to engage in binge drinking than young adults in the general population (25.3 percent versus 41.6 percent).

One notable exception to the generally lower levels of alcohol use among African American adults:  the rate of binge drinking among pregnant women aged 18 to 44, which is higher than the national average for pregnant women in the age group (8.1 percent versus 3.6 percent).

At the same time the study reveals that African American adults have a higher rate of illicit drug use than the national average (9.5 percent versus 7.9 percent). The difference in rates of current illicit drug use tends to be more pronounced among African American males aged 26 and older.

To read more about the topic, Chaney Allen’s I’m Black and I’m Sober is a classic on an African American woman’s experience of alcoholism. Anyone else know any great books (fiction, nonfiction or memoir?) that touch on the subject of African Americans and drinking?

Photo Source

As temporary home to the Olympics, Vancouver has been crowded with throngs of tourists for the past two weeks. With the excitement and thrills come lots of celebrations in the city’s bars, many of which have been spilling out into the streets.

So it’s only fitting that drinking should also make its way onto the art scene. In a recent article in the New York Times, Charles McGrath describes a new exhibit at Vancouver’s Playwrights Theater Center on Granville Island (the artsy area of town), which looks at the fine line between drinking and “drinking” and between the “bar as mere watering hole and as self-activating performance space.”

The installation, created by British neo-conceptualist Theo Sims, is set in a 12-by-20 foot plywood box, and recreates the Candahar, an Irish pub in Belfast, fully equipped with beer taps, a brass rail, and a TV tuned to Irish horseracing. The bar is tended by two Irish men wearing fedoras and thick Irish sweater—two real bar men (and brothers) who are also scripted performers for the exhibit.

“The purpose of the installation,” said the artist in the Times piece, “is to stimulate social interaction, encourage people to re-examine their preconceptions and start cross cultural conversations.”

It all sounds so civilized when you look at it this way. And it makes me think about the purpose of bars and the community gathering that must’ve been so integral for communicating and sharing events years ago. Now with Facebook and Twitter, people can “gather” virtually and video chat while sipping ale in their pajamas. Not quite the same.

*Photo source: Kim Stallknecht for the NY Times

If you played a drinking game where everyone had to take a swig every time the word “drink” was mentioned in a J.D. Salinger novel or story, you’d be loaded by the end of certain stories.

Like many people, I’ve been thinking about J.D. Salinger and what I love about his work, which made me start thinking about drinking. In Salinger’s short stories & novels, everyone drinks–men, women, teens–and mostly, in keeping with the times, they drink cocktails, Mad Men-style.

You could do an entire analysis of drinking as social lubricant and facilitator of secret-spilling in just one of his stories, “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut,” from the collection, Nine Stories. For those of you who haven’t yet read it, read it. The gist of the story is this: Mary Jane and Eloise,  former college roommates, have a cocktail-soaked lunch sans food (”the whole damn lunch was burned”) at Eloise’s house. They start out with small talk and gossip, but over the course of a few hours, they peel away the layers of conversation until  hard-as-nails Eloise uncovers a secret from her past and sobs to Mary Jane. Turns out she isn’t so icy, after all, and the drinking uncovers her vulnerability.

Throughout the entire story, drinking is a heavy subtext, so much so that the glass of booze becomes almost another character in the story:

“Twenty minutes later they were finishing their first highball in the living room and were talking in the manner peculiar, probably limited, to former college roommates.”

“‘Marvellous,’ she said, coming back into drinking position.”

“‘Gimme your glass,’ Eloise said, swinging her stockinged feet to the floor and standing up.”

“‘This is positively the last one for me!’ Mary Jane called after her.”

“Like hell it is.”

“With little or no wherewithal for being left alone in a room, Mary Jane stood up and walked over to the window.”

“It’s getting so icy out…Didn’t you put any soda in them?”

“Eloise came forward with the drinks. She placed Mary Jane’s insecurely into its coaster but kept her own in hand.”

“‘This is my last. And I mean it,’ Mary Jane said, picking up her drink.”

“Oh, God! Look what I did. I’m terribly sorry, El.” (Mary Jane spills her drink)

“‘Oh, what a pretty dress!’ She set down her drink.”

“‘I don’t get it,’ Mary Jane said to Eloise, who was finishing her drink.”

“Call up and say you were killed. Let go of that damn glass.”

“‘I mean, you didn’t really know Walt,’ said Eloise at a quarter of five, lying on her back on the floor, a drink balanced upright on her small-breasted chest. ‘He was the only boy I ever knew that could make me laugh. I mean really laugh.’”

“Mary Jane giggled. She was lying on her stomach on the couch…her drink was on the floor, within reach.”

“Eloise raised her head, liftend her drink from her chest, and drank from it.”

“Eloise paused to drink from her glass and to think.”

“Eloise finished her drink and replaced the empty glass upright on her chest.”

“Eloise began to cry. She put her hand around the empty glass on her chest to steady it.”

“Let’s have another drink.”

“You go get the drinks, huh. And bring the bottle…”

“At the window seat, she poured what was left in the bottle of Scotch into her glass. It made about a finger. She drank if off, shivered, and sat down.”

On a side note, women today might more likely be sharing a bottle of wine, but no one in Salinger’s stories drank wine (Head on over to “Dear Dara” to read Dara’s blog post about the absence of wine in Salinger’s novels & short stories).  Can you think of a time in your life when a secret was spilled or something was confided because someone had a few too many?

I don’t know about you, but I drank like a fish in college. Part of the reason was that alcohol was everywhere: free and cheap. The “campus pub” across the commons from my dorm (yes, the drinking age was lower then) offered one dollar kamikaze shots in little plastic shot glasses, so we’d line em up on the bar. Fraternity parties lured unsuspecting freshmen girls with free beer (even if it did taste like water).

So–does free and cheap booze lead to binge drinking? Which came first–the chicken (in this case, the eager freshmen) or the egg?

The UK is dealing with this problem in a big way, especially since the statistics about rising alcohol use are sobering. According to the Economist: “In the past 50 years Britons’ consumption of alcohol has more than doubled, though it remains somewhat lower than it was at the start of the 20th century. British livers are feeling the strain: cases of cirrhosis are on the increase, just as they are declining elsewhere in Europe. The national binge has at least in part been caused by low prices: although booze has got more expensive in real terms over the past 30 years, it has become a lot cheaper relative to earnings, and is about 70% more affordable now than it was in 1980.”

In some supermarkets in Great Britain (Sainsbury’s and Tesco, for example), beer is cheaper than bottled water. At Sainsbury’s, a two litre plastic bottle of alcoholic “cider” costs the equivalent of $1.94, according to the Economist. Also on the shelves: an even stronger variety of cider, with the incentive that the more you buy, the deeper the discount will be.

Does dirt-cheap alcohol cause people to drink more than they normally would? Supporters of a growing temperance movement in the UK, along with health experts, are saying it does, and they are seeking to end the sale of cheap booze. A compelling parliamentary report released in December detailed Britain’s growing alcohol problems, but the government has yet to approve minimum pricing laws.

Instead, on Tuesday, according to the Huffington Post, the government said it would ban “irresponsible promotions and boozy contests such as the “dentist’s chair”–where alcohol is poured directly into customers’ mouths – in an effort to tackle Britain’s binge-drinking problem.”

Some feel that it’s unfair to take away cheap booze during a recession, and they argue that if minimum pricing is enforced, responsible drinkers will be unfairly penalized. I say: As much as I love my ice cream and my wine, those are luxuries, so I don’t mind if they’re priced a bit higher. And I don’t really need a stockpile of cheap ice cream or wine in my fridge to tempt me.

So what do you think? Do you think cheap booze encourages drinking? Do you mind paying a bit more for your luxuries?  Can you imagine if stores did 2 for 1’s and promos on fresh fruits and vegetables instead of junk food and cheap liquor? I’m just saying..

You can take away our meals out, you can take away our fancy clothes, you can even take away our fancy coffee, but please don’t take away our booze. At least that’s what the world–and especially America–seems to be saying.

According to new research, as reported on emailwire.com, wine consumption hasn’t really gone down in the recession. If anything, it’s gone slightly up. Although there was a slight drop in sales when the financial crisis first hit, wine sales increased by 3% in 2009, and are expected to increase, according to the U.S. Wine Market Forecast to 2012, a report put out by RNCOS, a market research company.

The report also says that, although the U.S. is one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world, developing countries like Russia, China, Australia and India aren’t too far behind.

The recession may not have impacted how much we drink, but it’s certainly affected how and where we drink. According to the forecast, “while restaurant volume declined, the U.S. food store wine volume increased,” which means more people are saving money by buying their own wine and drinking it at home.

But is wine really the cheapest alcoholic beverage? Anyone interested in drinking on the cheap might want to check out Cheap Booze: A Guide to Drinking Through the Recession by Christine Sismondo on the blog, Gremolata.

Has the recession changed your drinking habits at all? If so, how? If not, why not? These days, I’m not enough of a drinker to switch over to cheaper wine, so when I go out, I still like to have a decent glass or two…but I’m sure I’d feel differently if I were 20 and just starting out in the world. How about you?

Recently, there has been a spate of novels, short stories, memoirs and non-fiction books published that touch on the topic of women and alcohol–Here is just a sampling:

MOMMY DOESN’T DRINK HERE ANYMORE by Rachel Brownell (memoir)

IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor (personal essays written before the popular blogger/memoirist announced she was quitting drinking)

BLAME by Michelle Huneven (novel)

LIT by Mary Karr (memoir, see excerpt in Drinking Diaries)

“Intervention” a short story in Jill McCorkle’s collection GOING AWAY SHOES

TROUBLE by Kate Christensen (novel w/ lots of unapologetic drinking)

ONCE WAS LOST by Sara Zarr (young adult novel with alcoholic mother)

And for those of you interested in poetry, there’s FLAWED LIGHT: American Women Poets and Alcohol, a non-fiction book about women poets and alcohol.

Some of my personal, perennial favorites:

SMASHED by Koren Zailckas (memoir)

ROSIE by Anne Lamott (novel, featuring a woman struggling with her relationship to alcohol)

AT HOME IN THE WORLD by Joyce Maynard (memoir, & she’s the daughter of an alcoholic)

What are your favorite books that touch on the subject of women and alcohol? Favorite movies? Poems? Please share!

Think 20-somethings are the biggest boozers? Think again. A new study of Danish and English women found that women with high incomes and good jobs drink more often and more heavily than almost any other group of women. According to the researchers, society’s preoccupation with teen and college-age drinking has led them to overlook another group of heavy drinkers: professional, middle-aged women.

Why the discrepancy? Researchers says it’s because middle-aged drinking is seen as civilized, compared to the drinking-fueled antics of 20-somethings. Middle-aged drinking is simply not as sexy and visible (Is there a “Gossip Girl” or “Sex in the City” for 40 and 50-somethings?) Picture a 20-something drinker and you picture a gaggle of women hitting the bars, socializing. Older women, with serious jobs, relationships and perhaps, families, tend to do more of their drinking in private, at home. But just because they’re not jumping up on bars or hooking up with random men doesn’t mean they’re consuming less.

Over the holidays, I couldn’t resist going to the latest chick flick, IT’S COMPLICATED, a middle-aged woman’s wet dream, whereby Meryl Streep looks amazing and gets romanced by not one, but two, suitors. I don’t know about you, but most of my friends’ moms who were divorced waited years till they found someone else, while their exes seemed to hook up right away. I’m sure that’s not always the case, but let’s face it: IT’S COMPLICATED is total fantasy-land, people, including the drinking.

Oh, the drinking. IT’S COMPLICATED literally made me want to drink. Everyone had such a rosy glow, and when Meryl throws back a few, then a few more, at the bar with Alec Baldwin, she laughs! She dances! She glows! And she has the time of her life. Sure–things do get “complicated,” but if complicated means great sex and lots of admirers, what’s so bad about that? Yes, Meryl Streep’s character does get sick from all the booze. But still–even the scene of her barfing into her nightstand drawer is cute and funny, rather than sad. It’s all in the lighting. Plus, in the movie, she has a fabulous career as the owner of a high-end bakery, a beautiful house, three gorgeous, well-adjusted kids, and an ex-husband who still carries a torch. Oh yeah, and a killer wardrobe.

Meryl Streep drinks with her warm and witty group of girlfriends. She drinks with her ex. She drinks with her kids, and has a ball. She even smokes pot, and makes it look fun (you’ll have to see the movie for yourself to see the Steven Martin/Meryl Streep pot-smoking party scene–hilarious).

All this is to say that the middle-aged, highly educated professional played by Meryl Streep–and all the other middle-aged and above characters in the film who have great wardrobes, big smiles and great jobs–make the twenty-somethings look tame by comparison. So what gives? Is this another part of the IT’S COMPLICATED fantasy-land, or is there some truth to the thought that established women drink just as much as twenty-somethings?

If you’re 40- 50 or 60-something plus and you’re reading this–do you drink more, less, or the same as you did in your twenties?

Right now, while raising three kids, I definitely drink less, mostly because I’m too tired at night, and I’d rather take a bath or read. But I can envision a time, down the road, when the kids are away at college (like Meryl Streep’s kids in IT’S COMPLICATED) and I start traveling, hanging out more with friends, and yes–sharing bottles of wine…Wow–that sounds like fun. (Not to be a downer, but for some women, who have struggled with alcohol-related issues, the drinking in IT’S COMPLICATED must seem like a sugar-coated fantasy–like Russian roulette, because you never know who’s going to be adversely effected).

While visiting my in-laws in Florida, I started thinking the Sunshine State should be re-nicknamed the All-You-Can-Eat-and-Drink State or The Buffet State. Last night at dinner (another buffet), I asked for a glass of chardonnay and got–a fishbowl–the entire bottle in a glass. One would think this would make me drink more, but it only made me take one sip and leave the rest. Since I’m past my drinking-to-get-drunk days, I actually prefer a small glass of decent wine to a humongous glass of Ernest and Julio Gallo.

Here in Florida–life is a smorgasbord, and while I’m thankful for all that abundance in a time of recession and widespread suffering, I started wondering what it’s like in other states and cities, which led me to this: America’s Top 10 Most Sober Cities, and America’s Booziest Cities. Not surprisingly, Florida made the top 10 three times, and just as many warm states as cold states made the list, dispelling the myth that people drink more in cold climates.

Here’s the list, courtesy of U.S. News and World Report:

America’s Top 10 Booziest Cities:

1. Reno, Nevada (Big surprise there)

2. Palm Bay-Melbourne, Florida

3. Boulder, Colorado (huh? I thought those people were obsessed with fitness. Maybe it’s all the post-workout beers)

4. Austin, Texas

5. Charleston, South Carolina

6. McAllen, Texas

7. Naples, Florida

8. Riverside, California

9. Cape Carol, Florida

10. Barnstable Town, Massachusetts

America’s Top 10 Most Sober Cities

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In an attempt to keep its citizens from drinking too many Hot Toddies and G&Ts (that’d be gin and tonics) this holiday season, the United Kingdom’s Department of Health is offering a free cell phone application for keeping track of just how many drinks those chaps are consuming.

The alcohol tracker application, which can be downloaded from the NHS Choices website (for Windows or iTunes), will display graphs tracking the drinking patterns of its user. By entering the amount of wine, beer, whiskey, or whatever they’ve consumed, the tracker will then calculate the units of alcohol imbibed, and ultimately present personalized feedback on their drinking habits.

The motive behind the new tracker is both to shrink the number of drunk-driving accidents and reduce excessive drinking, which has been linked to a range of health problems, stated a BBC report. “It is all too easy to lose track of how much you drink,” said the UK’s public health minister Gillian Merron, “ so as the festive parties build up, this innovative tool will help people keep tables on their drinking – wherever they are.”

Drinkaware, a “responsible drinking charity,” has backed the tracker device, and its CEO Chris Sorek comments, “Trying to stick within the daily unit guidelines will help people avoid the January slump and the long term health implications associated with drinking too much alcohol.”

I say, “Long live the Queen.”

And when do we get that app in the U.S.A.?

What do you hens think?

Seems there was a big flap over School Library Journal’s November cover. (at left). A handful of readers wrote angry letters taking issue with the cover photograph, which showed several notable children’s literature bloggers, some of whom happen to be librarians, holding alcoholic beverages (pink, Mad Men-esque cocktails). I had to admit I got a little nervous reading this snippet from one of the letters: “It certainly doesn’t fit to combine blogging with drinking.” Hmmmm.

I say: Most, if not all, readers of School Library Journal are adults, and kids viewing the cover know that many adults (legally) drink, so what’s the problem here?

I think the real issue is the coexistence of three things: Drinking, School & Library. As one letter-writer wrote: “The cover of the November issue is offensive. It does not portray an image of a school librarian with which I want to be associated.” Yikes!

For some reason, I thought of the scene in School of Rock where Jack Black takes the principal (played by nerd-girl extraordinaire Joan Cusack) out to a bar to butter her up. I remembered how squeamy it made me feel to see Cusack in her prissy teacher persona knock back a few beers and start moving and grooving to Stevie Nicks. Just like we all have to face the fact that yes, our parents have had sex, we also have to accept the reality that the people who work with our children are humans, not saints, and that some of them might occasionally enjoy a cocktail. Is that really so taboo?

And isn’t it better for teens to see responsible members of the community modeling responsible drinking, rather than some unattainable idea of Pollyanna perfection?

My favorite response to the letters was the blogger over at “Collecting Children’s Books,“ who suggested that anyone offended by the “liquored-up” cover–“Mormons, teetotalers, AA members, anyone who lives in a “dry country,” as well as old fuddy-duddies”–should send away for a “replacement alcohol-free” cover, which can be pasted over the offending illustration.”  (See below for her GOT MILK? Cover)

The Department of Health in England has identifed 9 types of heavy drinkers, in the hopes that if people identify the reasons for their drinking, they might be able to cut down.They define “heavy drinkers” as women who consume 35 units of alcohol per week, and men who consume 50, which is twice the recommended limit.  (As an example, the average small glass of wine, poured less than halfway full, contains 2 units of alcohol, so 35 units in glasses of wine would be about 17 glasses per week, or 2-3 glasses a day).

However, when it comes to the chart (which I’ve reprinted below), it seems that they’ve resorted to stereotyping women and men. For example, women, not men, are classified as “boredom drinkers” (single moms! Divorced moms!) whereas recently divorced men are characterized as “depressed drinkers,” as if men–with their busy lives–would never be bored, and boredom is the sole province of women. “Conformist” drinkers are men who go to the pub every night because that’s what’s done. What era are they living in? Because if you go to a bar (here in the U.S.) or a pub in England, you’ll see just as many groups of women drinking. And–I would argue–that women can be macho drinkers, too, wanting to impress their friends with how much they can drink at one sitting.

The bottom line is: The chart is an interesting starting point, but could you not resort to sexism and gender stereotyping when talking about drinkers, please? And my last question is: What kind of drinker are you? Anyone write their own list of the different kinds of drinkers? Please share.

On this day, when we give thanks while filling our bellies with the bounties of nature, we also think about the origins of the holiday and our forefathers (and foremothers).

In reading about Thanksgiving, I learned a great deal about the prevalence of beer and alcohol for the Pilgrims, and the drinking habits of our leaders early in our nation’s history.

Did you know that the Puritans loaded more beer than water onto the Mayflower before they cast off for the New World?

Or that Abraham Lincoln held a liquor license and operated several taverns?

And that in the 1830’s the average American aged 15 or older consumed over seven gallons of absolute alcohol (resulting from an average of 9 1/2 gallons of spirits, 1/2 gallon of wine, and 27 gallons of beer), a quantity about three times the current rate?

To learn more about the beer-drinking Pilgrims and brewmasters like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, click here. And have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!