How Shower Beers Are Good For You, According To Science

Any beer lover will tell you that beer definitely has benefits — especially when enjoying one at the end of a work day and feeling the stress drain away with every sip. And because there are so many styles available, there's a beer out there for everyone: Splendid Table breaks beer into seven categories including hoppy, fruity, and smoky, with dozens of variations in each. But it's all just a guilty pleasure, right? Beer can't actually be good for you? 

Great news: Neurosurgeons say that beer can be good for you, according to Fatherly, and it doesn't matter whether you prefer a light Mexican beer, a chewy oatmeal stout, or a hazy IPA. Where you drink your beer is the key to this benefit — specifically, in the shower. University of California neurology professor Jennifer Mitchell shares with Fatherly that drinking a beer can make us happy, thanks to endorphins released in the brain. And Dr. Christopher Hollingsworth of New York City Surgical Associates takes this one step further: Enjoying that beer in the shower is even better because a relaxing shower also releases pleasure hormones. Hollingsworth says the shower-beer combination is "a great way to improve productivity and creativity."

Whether for the benefits of productivity and creative thinking, or just because it feels rebellious to bring a beverage into the bathroom, beer lovers are embracing the shower beer movement. According to Fatherly, the Swedish brewery Pang Pang is so fascinated with the idea that they created a brew specifically for the shower. Their double IPA has the on-the-nose name of "Shower Beer," and Pang Pang jokes that the beer can "double as a hair conditioner." There are also holders made specifically to hold a can of beer in the shower with suction cups to keep the drink firmly in place. Hop Culture shares that there are even shower beer "golden rules" for maximum enjoyment, like choosing cans over glass bottles and positioning the beer where soap and water won't get inside. 

Of course, the benefits of shower beers will be overshadowed by negative consequences if not enjoyed responsibly and in moderation. And to be clear, no one is suggesting that beer be a part of your morning shower — your boss isn't likely to be swayed by promises of extra creativity by drinking before work. It may be best to save that shower beer to celebrate after work instead.