Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·35 of 348
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. — Benjamin Franklin"
They never said that.
What people say
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. — Benjamin Franklin"
What was actually said
"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy." Benjamin Franklin — Letter to André Morellet, July 1779
Why it stuck
Franklin was talking about wine, not beer. The beer version is a 20th-century American substitution — possibly brewery-marketing. Franklin's actual letter praises the wine-making process and the Christian God's approval of it.
The misquote is on T-shirts and tap handles across American breweries. The original is in a French cultural letter about viticulture.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.