It’s plastered on pint glasses, brewery walls, and t-shirts around the world: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

This endlessly-quotable quote, often attributed to statesman, inventor, and “air bath” enthusiast Benjamin Franklin, has made its rounds in the beer world despite one hiccup… Ben never said it.

What Franklin did write (in a letter to Andre Morellet in 1779) was a fairly similar sentiment—but in reference to wine, not beer.

The letter, translated from French, reads: “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.”

This misquoting is a classic case of the telephone game before the telephone was even invented. It’s likely that someone, trying to remember what he said, paraphrased it, and the rest is history (literally).

But even if Ben didn’t say this—and he didn’t—beer does hold a very special place in America’s history. And to prove it, here are some famous American quotes about beer that were actually said—and the context behind them.

George Washington

As the U.S. said back in 1789, “let’s start with George Washington.”

Our first President was also one of our biggest advocates of “Made in America” products. In a letter to Marquis de Lafayette, he wrote:

“I use no porter or cheese in my family, but such as is made in America.”

Translation: No fancy foreign beers or European fromage for George. It’s like he was rooting for local breweries before it was cool!

Abraham Lincoln

Our tallest President, Abraham Lincoln, also recognized the power of beer. He once said, “If given the truth, [the people] can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts—and beer.”

It seems Honest Abe believed that beer (along with honesty, resolve, malice toward none, etc.) was key to navigating national crises.

The relationship between the White House and beer sure didn’t end there. Fast forward to the Prohibition era, and we’ll find notorious F.D.R. himself pushing for the legalization of beer…

Franklin Roosevelt

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, the country was slogging through both the Great Depression and Prohibition. Following his advocacy, beer became increasingly “legal,” marking the beginning of the end for Prohibition.

Shortly after signing the Cullen-Harrison Act—which legalized sale of beer with an alcohol content of 3.2% (that’s alcohol by weight, not alcohol by volume)—F.D.R. uttered what would go on to become his most famous and infamous quote: “I think this would be a good time for beer.”

*OK—maybe that didn’t go on to be his most famous quote, but he really did say it.

The revival of beer was instrumental in shifting the country’s psyche during some of its darkest hours. Famed historian Jonathan Alter went as far as to say in his book on Roosevelt that the legalization of beer was “one of the least appreciated elements of how F.D.R. changed the country’s psyche” during his first 100 days in office.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

You may know him as Ike, or as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. Either way, the guy had some gravitas, right? Everyone liked Ike. Setting the stage for Raymond to come on the scene many years later, some historians say Eisenhower walked so Ray Barone could run.

But beneath his bald, military-minded exterior, Dwight D. Eisenhower had an opinion or two about the gastronomical preferences of the average Joe and Jane. In a speech in New York in 1948, he suggested that Americans should be more inclined towards beer and hot dogs than champagne and caviar.

In fact, his exact words were: “Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs.”

One to always keep it real, Eisenhower was hinting at a core tenet of the American spirit: we’re unpretentious, we’re down to earth.

Why fuss over expensive caviars and champagnes when a nice, cold beer and a frank can bring the same joy, if not more?

That’s some food for thought (and a pint for thought) this 4th of July. So as you watch the fireworks paint the night sky this year, raise that American lager high. And while you probably won’t find these quotes in any history textbook any time soon, take that moment to think about the story of the American beer in your hand.

And remember: in the wise, extremely paraphrased words of founding father Ben Franklin, beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.