Jay Brooks at the Brookston Beer Bulletin has painstakingly bothered to create a map of the USA with each state represented by a beer bottle label.  Excellent work Jay.  I think our English cousins may have a few problems but lets see who can name them all.  Yes, that is a challenge! 

Jay, you really should get out more.  This is best viewed at  USA beer map and includes a full list of labels by state.

With September the 16th just passed thoughts turn to the founding fathers and what influences they brought to our shores.  Some that perhaps still persist today.

A little piece below talks about this very thing, courtesy of Brookston Beer Bulletin. http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com

Although a little-known holiday, Mayflower Day had a big impact on making beer America’s favorite beverage of moderation.

Sunday, Sept. 16, marks the anniversary of the day the Mayflower departed from England in 1620 in search of the New World. For more than two months, the passengers and crew weathered storms, sickness and starvation without taking to land — until they ran out of beer. Beer was their primary beverage because, at that time, water could have been dangerous.

“Beer’s journey from a beverage of sustenance in colonial times to America’s alcohol beverage of choice is an integral part of our history,” said Bob Lachky, executive vice president, global industry development, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Whether an early settler or a modern adult, Americans share the same appreciation for beer. While today’s adults can enjoy complex varieties, styles and flavors, beer’s refreshment and drinkability remains tried and true.”

In early times, beer was made out of whatever ingredients adults could find, like pumpkins and molasses. Thirteen years before the pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of settlers established a colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the governor wrote a note back to England saying he needed two brewers to come over and establish a brewery in Jamestown. Beer was just that important.

Beer continues to reign supreme today. The latest Gallup Poll shows that of the 64 percent of Americans who consume alcohol, beer continues to be their beverage of choice, with 40 percent choosing it over wine and hard liquor.