Ben Franklin and Beer

I've returned from Boston and have concluded that Bostonians enjoy their beer!  There seemed to be great pubs on every corner.  It was like being in London.  Lots of joggers around every city park too.  I got in a couple of runs with my brother Mark, had a few nice meals with all of my brothers, and we buried my mother's ashes in a very scenic cemetery in northern Boston (same place my father and little brother are buried).  Oh yeah, and we indulged in a few beers at local taverns.  Of course, if you are in Boston, you might as well hit some of the sights on the Freedom Trail that highlight the history of the American revolution.  What a great walking tour of colonial American history!  Along the trail, I checked out the Granary Burial Ground that has the grave sites of Sam Adams, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin's parents (Ben is buried in Philadelphia), the Boston massacre victims, and other notables.  Later that day I saw several t-shirt places that had a quote attributed to Ben Franklin:

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." 

There seems to be controversy about whether this is a real quote from Franklin.  He does have a documented quote about wine that is similar:

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."

I prefer the beer quote.  I'm sure Franklin enjoyed a few pints of robust ale in his day and I wouldn't be surprised if he was tossing a few back and proclaimed that beer is proof of God's love. Good enough for me.  Franklin was a good guy.  Next time you are savoring a fine beer, think of Franklin and his quote.

Hey, what's up with that Samuel Adams character?  Shouldn't he be the one talking about beer?  After all, he was a brewer in his day.  I love my Samuel Adams Boston lager.  I suppose the next time I lift a Sam Adams beer, I'll pause and think of these two leaders of the American revolution.  I'm sure they'd want us to be happy.  So, go forth and run, then drink a good beer and remember our founding fathers.