Every poet and writer in history seemed to have been fuelled by alcohol in one shape or another, and previously we've all just written it off as a danger of the job.
But could alcohol actually boost creativity?
In research published last month in the journal Consciousness & Cognition, a group of Austrian scientists have demonstrated that a glass of beer (or indeed wine) can help to boost abstract thinking and improve creative problem-solving.
Led by Dr Mathias Benedek from the University of Graz, the research team tested the cognition of a group of 70 participants using blind trials. Half of the group drank non-alcoholic beer, the others full-strength, with tests administered before and after drinking.
The results showed a particular increase amongst the full-strength drinkers in a 'Remote Associations Test' - which shows the ability to creatively link three unrelated words.
Of course, there has to be a downside, and the drinkers also scored lower in 'executive control', which means that some of their organisational skills might be impaired. A price worth paying?
As Benedek explained in an interview with The Independent, this 'might well work for someone who is sitting down to do creative writing or brainstorming ideas in a boardroom.'
The study also notes that the benefits are likely to be limited to very modest amounts of alcohol. Still, it does make it even easier to justify pouring yourself a glass next time you're in need of inspiration...