Hey, it turns out we're not problem drinkers. We're intellectuals.

Matthew Holehouse, writing for the UK's Telegraph, is reporting on something we've suspected for years - that alcohol sharpens the mind. Mr. Holehouse writes that a recent study has discovered that "men who drink two pints of beer before tackling brain teasers perform better than those who attempt the riddles sober."

This study's findings couldn't have been more surprising, as they run counter to common conceptions of alcohol's effect on the cognitive process.

Scientists have long thought that alcohol was a detriment to analytical thinking but didn't realize that that suppression actually allowed for more "creative thinking," which in turn led to more imaginative problem solving.

Mr. Holehouse explains the study:

Psychologists at the University of Illinois set 40 healthy young men a series of brain teasers. They involved being given three words, such as coin, quick and spoon, and coming up with a fourth word that links the three - in this case, silver.

Half the group drank the equivalent of two pints of beer before doing the tests, while the rest carried them out sober.

The drinking group solved nearly 40 percent more problems than the others and took an average of 12 seconds compared to the 15.5 seconds needed by sober subjects.

We at American Craft Beer.com are tremendously encouraged by this research, as it reaffirms a position we've long held . . . Drinking beer just makes us better in every way! Our staff remains heartily committed and available to partake in any and all future studies should they arise.