What the pagan Lithuanians got right
I’ve always admired the Greeks — one must admire a culture that has a god for drinking and partying — but now the Lithuanians of old have risen in my affections. The Baltic pagans 
had not one but three deities devoted to beer and beer production: Raugutis, the god of beer; Raugutiene, Ragutis’s consort who is also the goddess of beer; and Raugupatis, the very important god of fermentation. Holy trinity, indeed.
So now that winter has passed and summer is on its way, which for me is the beer-drinking season, let us resolve to hoist a glass in honor of the pagan Lithuanians.
Should you like to verify for yourself that the tradition continues, Wikitravel’s Lithuania page has a section devoted to beer and drink. And here is a list of other important beer-related deities.
