Beer and History, More Meetings Needed

Over at Mental Floss, there's a post entitled "10 Things Created Over a Couple of Beers."

After a few beers at the bar, even the most ridiculous ideas start to seem like The One That Will Make Millions. Sometimes, though, those ideas actually pan out. Here are a few reasons to take your next tipsy brainstorming session a little more seriously.

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
In 1966, lawyer Herb Kelleher’s client, Rollin King, owned a small commuter air service in San Antonio. King and his banker had been discussing the idea of running a quick commuter service between San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. They pitched the idea to Kelleher, and the triangular flight route was sketched out on a cocktail napkin. Since then, Southwest has expanded to a few more cities. 

2. PET ROCK
It totally makes sense that the Pet Rock was conceived of after a few rounds, doesn’t it? After a bar conversation about what a commitment pets can be, Gary Dahl spent two weeks writing The Pet Rock Training Manual and started selling the low-maintenance pal for $3.95 not long after.

Read the whole thing...

The article goes on to list other interesting circumstances that supposedly came to be over beer. Whether or not beer contributed or not could be a topic of debate, but it's a thought-provoking article.

Absent from the list is any mention of the early talk and planning that led to America's independence from a tyrannical government which took place in colonial taverns, undoubtably over more than few pints. Perhaps it's time for Americans to once again spend more time meeting in their neighborhood pubs.