The world’s first constantly flowing (and free!) “wine fountain” opened in Abruzzo, Italy, in October, to help draw tourists and pilgrims who make the trek south from the Vatican to view the cathedral where remains of the disciple Thomas are kept. Operators said they hope the fountain will not become a home to “drunkards.” 

In September 2016, the world’s first (legal) beer pipeline opened, pumping 12,000 bottles’ worth an hour from the Halve Maan brewery in Bruges, Belgium, to its bottling plant two miles away, designed to spare visitors to the historic city the sight of tanker trucks cluttering the cobblestone streets. The pipeline was partly funded by private citizens offered “free beer for life” for their donations.