• The U.S. Marines’ first recruiting station was in a bar.

• Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States, by act of Congress.

• Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S., observed that “”It has long been recognized that the problems with alcohol relate not to the use of a bad thing, but to the abuse of a good thing.””

• Tom Arnold, Sandra Bullock, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Willis are all former bartenders.

• Frederick the Great of Prussia tried to ban the consumption of coffee and demanded that the populace drink alcohol instead.

• During the reign of William III of England, a garden fountain was once used as a giant punch bowl. The recipe included 560 gallons of brandy, 1,200 pounds of sugar, 25,000 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice and five pounds of nutmeg. The bartender rowed around in a small boat, filling up guests’ punch cups.

• The Chaga people of Tanzania believe that a liar will be poisoned if he or she consumes beer mixed with the blood of a recently sacrificed goat.

• The national anthem of the U.S., “”The Star-Spangled Banner,”” was written to the tune of a drinking song.

• In the 1600s, thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury.

• As late as the mid-17th century, French winemakers did not use corks. Instead, they used oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles.

• The term “”brand name”” originated among American distillers, who branded their names and emblems on their kegs before shipment.