“Grape or grain, but never the twain”
‘Never mix the grape and the grain” —that is, do not mix a grape drink (such as wine) with a grain drink (such as beer)—is a proverb that has been popular since at least the 1940s. American novelist Thomas Pynchon wrote in Mason & Dixon (1997):
“‘Grape or Grain, but ne’er the Twain,’ as me Great Uncle George observ’d to me more than once,— ‘Vine with Corn, beware the Morn.’”
“Grape or grain, but never the twain” is the popular spelling of the saying.
Google Books
Mason & Dixon:
A Novel
By Thomas Pynchon
New York, NY: Picador
1997
Pp. 17-18:
“‘Grape or Grain, but ne’er the Twain,’ as me Great Uncle George observ’d to me more than once,— ‘Vine with Corn, beware the Morn.’”
ilxor.com
Beer & Vodka
The grape or the grain, but never the twain.
Also, far superior to beer and vodka is beer and bourbon. Not only do you get the cool alliteration, but it’s also called a boilermaker, so it’s even more alliteration than that!
Also, very delicious.
― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 16 October 2005 15:30
Twitter
callisto
@callisto23
@livethelushlife Grape or grain but ne’r the twain; Vine with corn - beware the morn! T Pynchon
9:19 PM - 10 Jun 2009
Twitter
King of Pain
@MrShiteside
@Helen_b - LOL!!!!!!! No they don’t (Grape and grain, never mix the twain)
3:40 AM - 12 Sep 2009
Twitter
Emma Charlotte Smith
@WelshAlienLDN
The grape and the grain, never the twain should meet. Or to put it more simply-I just can’t drink in this town. Bad Martinis, bad…
9:09 AM - 23 Jan 2010
How-To_Learn_any_Language.com
Why is Pimsleur such crap?
Sometimes I wonder if these Pims-and-leurmonade Lotharios also drink beer and wine at spaced intervals whilst writing the dialogues? Grape or grain, but never the twain, especially if you can’t explain… 😊
Edited by Teango on 03 July 2010 at 7:08pm
BBC.com
Does mixing alcoholic drinks cause hangovers?
Many people believe that mixing wine, beer and spirits causes nasty hangovers. Are they right? Claudia Hammond studies the evidence
By Claudia Hammond
29 April 2014
“Grape or grain, but never the twain.” So runs the old folk wisdom that advises against drinking wine or beer on the same night. It is far from uncommon to hear people who have woken up feeling sick, dehydrated and with a splitting headache blaming their hangovers on having unwisely mixed their drinks.
The Times of India
For extra kick, parlours ‘discover’ new cocktails
Shyam P V,TNN | Sep 28, 2015, 11.26 AM IST
KOCHI: ‘Grape or grain, but never the twain,’ goes the old saying, advising against drinking wine and beer on the same night. But following the closure of bars, cocktails of beer mixed with red wine and ‘secret’ essences are becoming popular in parlours in the city.