Now a new study has proved that their assertions are not just wishful drinking.
Downing a pint of beer for men, or around 350ml for women, boosted test scores in 132 men and women who were given a range of creative tasks. In one word association test, alcohol increased test scores by around 40 per cent.
In the test participants were given three words and asked them to think of a word that can be connected to each - for example, the word "pit" can be attached to "peach", "arm" and "tar".
Researchers from the University of Graz, in Austria, believe that alcohol helps remove the parameters which surround a problem, allowing more creative thought, and helping drinkers to think outside of the box.
The study suggests enjoying a glass of wine, or beer, could be the key to unlocking the mental alacrity need to complete a cryptic crossword or write a witty best-man’s speech.