Do Beer and Religion Mix?

Christmas is less than three weeks away and it's a religious holiday for many. For others, it's a time to get together with family and friends to have some fun and enjoy a couple of drinks.

That brings up the question: Do Religion and Beer mix? I've heard that some hymns were actually written to drinking songs. Some people think of me as a religious guy. I consider myself more of a Christ Follower, but that that can be a conversation for another time.

Drinking and religion may not exactly mix but beer and religion do have some things in common.

1. Beer brewing goes back at least to the ancient Sumerians. They recorded a recipe for beer on a clay tablet that's almost 4,000 years old. This would have been at least a few centuries before the time of Moses.

2. Back in the 1700s, the Paulaner monks of Germany brewed their own beer to help them get through a 40-day fast during Lent. They called it 'Doppelbock'.

It's still around today. The beer was so heavy and malty that the monks could live on it for the whole fast.

3. People think Benjamin Franklin was a beer lover because he said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

But that's actually a misquote. The quote goes back to a saying of Franklin's that was originally about wine.

4. Arthur Guinness was a devout Christian, and he created Guinness because he wanted to stop people from getting drunk on hard liquor.

5. The Greenbelt Festival in London is a Christian music and arts festival, and they have a tent where people go to drink beer while they sing traditional hymns.

I used to host karaoke shows and at the end of the night, I would play "Amazing Grace" and I'd say that there was, "nothing like a Bible song at a bar." I was amazed at how many people would sing along to the song and thank me for playing it.

Speaking of beer and celebrating, how about getting tickets to 6th annual Binghamton On Tap event at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Binghamton on Saturday, February 8th from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

We'll have more than 100 craft beers from over 50 breweries with two tasting sessions including a VIP session. You'll get a souvenir sampling glass and enjoy live music, vendors, and food available for purchase.

What a great gift to give this Christmas season to the lover of beer in your life. Get your tickets below.

[via Bridgewater Church/NPR.org/Binghamton on Tap]