It seems as if a whole mess of folks were up in arms over the Samuel Adams decision to omit the word “God” from its recent Independence Day advertisements. More specifically, they omitted the phrase “by their Creator” from a script quoting the Declaration of Independence. Of course, there’s been a bit of brew-ha-ha (zing) over the whole affair, with conservative talk shows threatening boycotts of the brand etc. However, had they decided to take a few moments to do a bit of homework, they would find that Samuel Adams was acting in accordance with advertising guidelines adhered to by the Beer Institute’s Advertising Code, which states:

‘Beer advertising and marketing materials should not include religion or religious themes.’

In a response from the company, a spokesperson issued a statement saying, “While we understand your objection to the omission of the phrase “by our Creator” in other circumstances (after all, they occur in the Declaration of Independence which Samuel Adams signed and helped author) we believe it would be outside our industry guidelines to invoke those religious words in a beer commercial.”

So everyone: crack open a can and calm down. [CBS Boston]

Elsewhere in beer-related news, HuffPo breaks down data from a recent Beer Institute report to find out which states are consuming the most beer. Surprisingly, North Dakotans are packing it away faster than any other state in the nation, with an average of 45.8 gallons consumed per person. This would also explain why North Dakota also enjoys a 78% rate of its alcohol-impaired driving fatalities involving high BAC drivers, and 80% of percent of its drivers in fatal crashes featuring repeat offenders. [Huffington Post]

Looking for a last-minute summer vacation getaway? CNN profiles some extremely posh, high-end luxury beer vacations. Folks can enjoy four-star accommodations such as day spas, restaurants, gastropub cooking, and other amenities while enjoying the microbreweries attached to them. A curious mixture of suds and highbrow lifestyle, but nice for those who carry the coin and can afford such adventures. Beats another trip to Six Flags, we suppose. [CNN]

The Spirits Business has announced its annual brand champions list for 2013. Although the year is only a wee bit over half way complete, we’re assuming the site is going by the fiscal calendar for their selections. The overall winner? Captain Morgan rum, which shipped over 10 million cases this year. Beam’s Sauza tequila also showed strong market gain, which gave them the nod for runner up. The site also gives a thorough breakdown by spirit category as well, with some results being quite surprising. [The Spirits Business]

And finally today, Headline News runs a spotlight on one of our favorite past times: celebrity branding. We’ve been ahead of this story for almost a year now, but it’s nice to see Nancy Grace’s home network catching up on this most excellent phenomenon. [Headline News]

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