Once upon a time at basic training.  I was folding underwear with another guy whom our TI noted was adept at folding things.  He made an interesting comment:

”Do you think they put something in the water here?  Can they put dope the water for trainees to keep them from getting a boner?  I haven’t got a boner in three weeks.”

My reply didn’t help.

”You are required to drink 1/2 to 3/4 a canteen each hour not to exceed six canteens per day….”

This is my review of Castle Hot Springs Lithium Lager:

Obviously, they didn’t put anything in the water at basic, it is likely too difficult to create separate water supplies for two separate populations on Lackland AFB.  There is plenty of evidence however, they add fluoride to the water or at least once did.  It has been the source for a lot of entertaining conspiracy theories, like this episode of Squidbillies, and especially this guy.

Even more recently, scientists advocated putting something else water:  lithium.  (TW: Vice). There is some evidence lithium does  have a psychoactive effect for people with depression as a drug.  Even low levels of lithium occurring naturally in a water supply are said to have a similar effect.  It should be noted how often people selling water from “magical” springs are really just selling water with trace amounts of lithium naturally in the aquifer.

The problem of course is this is explicitly being sold as a way to manipulate brain chemistry. They are already paranoid over fluoride to prevent the population’s teeth from rotting…I can’t wait to hear from the Infowars crowd ever get around to dumping lithium in the water.

Which brings me to the day at Whole Foods I found this beer.  Its a supermarket filled with screwball products so I wasn’t surprised at it being there.  The water used to make this beer just happens to be from a natural hot spring outside Phoenix, and the resort they built around it happens to claim the magical qualities around the spring as part of a sales pitch.  Its a Czech Pilsner, done reasonably well.  I am happy to report I am no more or less likely to take my own life after drinking these.

They’d probably have better luck if they gave it a better name like SaNiTy PiLs (H/T:  Swiss). Castle Hot Springs Lithium Lager: 3/5.