Beer and statistics are a pairing that began in the early 1900s with Gossett and his work at Guinness brewery to develop the t-test. Fisher’s landmark book The Design of Experiments featured an innovative arrangement of beer-destined (presumably) barley in field trials at the Rothamsted station in 1927. George Box, who invented response surface methods in 1951, gained further fame by hosting Monday night beer sessions that inspired adoption of statistical methods by budding scientists. Therefore, beer is a suitable topic for a blog on statistics, particularly one that maintains a wry tone. That’s my position and I’m sticking to it.

Today Utah increased their allowance for alcohol content in beer, leaving my State of Minnesota as the last in the nation to limit grocery stores to 3.2 percent by weight (equivalent to 4% ABV—alcohol by volume—the standard measure reported by modern brewers). Minnesota did loosen up restrictions on microbreweries to allow food trucks. The State also eliminated the ban on selling liquor on Sunday. However, it’s annoying that beer (other than the 3.2 swill), wine or other alcoholic beverages cannot be bought when shopping for food.

It was a Minnesotan, Andrew Volstead, who authored the Act that enforced of the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the sale and drinking of alcohol. The Volstead Act passed on October 28, 1919 when the Senate overrided President Wilson’s veto. The Cullen-Harrison in 1933 led to the legalization of 3.2 beer on April 7th–now known as National Beer Day. Later that year the 21st Amendment repealed prohibition, but many States held on to 3.2 beer as a compromise for those like Volstead who remained committed to temperance.

I look forward to the day when Minnesota opens up the sale of “full point” beer and 3.2 becomes a relic of the last century. Nevertheless, it’s good to remain mindful of the effects of higher ABV beer on the brain, which I’m reminded of by this tableau of favorite coozie, can and bottle on my desk at home. (My granddaughter Laine taped up the warning sign.) Not finding Brain’s Bitter (Cardiff, Wales) or Skull Splitter (Orkney Islands) readily available, I am currently drinking Founder’s Mosaic Promise—a single-hop ale at 5.5% ABV brewed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s tasty! Cheers for real beers!

Excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.  In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

– Cliff Clavin, Cheers