Free Your Mind And The Thoughts Will Follow

In the Yakima Valley we grow wine grapes and hops for beer better than almost anyone.  For some folks, alcohol is considered to be “liquid courage” but maybe a better description would be “liquid creativity”.

A new study out of Austria shows alcohol relaxes areas in the brain that allows for greater creativity and it may take a little as one small glass.

The study was published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition but other studies have also found a link between creativity and alcohol, such as a study at the University of Illinois which found that drinkers who were brainstorming ideas outperformed non-drinkers 4 to 1 when given creative tasks.

Researchers from Northwestern University found that thinking too hard blocks the creative process, but when creators were relaxed, they were more likely to have an "aha" moment.

One reason is a boost of booze may give your mind the freedom to explore alternate ways of solving a problem. Another possibility is that alcohol allows consumers to access their unconscious minds to find alternative solutions...with a twist of lime.