Grist is apologizing to the good people of West Virginia for at least one of the statements in their hateful post:

WV has the most casual and heavy drinkers, so it only makes sense to declare bourbon the official state beverage. [Gah! Mountain Mama is right in comments — I completely misread this chart. WV has the fewest drinkers.]

Ironically, the next paragraph in the Grist piece goes on to challenge the intelligence of West Virginians:

Manchin’s state comes in dead last in educational services and social assistance, but leads in citizens with disabilities, which suggests an official state motto: You’re On Your Own. And with the lowest number of college graduates of any state, and among the lowest adult literacy rates, WV definitely needs a short motto.

Let’s take a closer look at the link above for “lowest adult literacy rates.”

Literacy skills were measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with Level 5 reflecting the highest skills and Level 1, the lowest. Generally, those adults who score at Level 1 have difficulty performing such everyday tasks as locating an intersection on a street map, reading and comprehending a short newspaper article, or calculating total costs on an order form. “The State of Literacy in America” provides statistics on only those who scored at Level 1.
West Virginia Statistics – State Level
West Virginia ranked 33rd, tied with 3 other states, on the lowest percentage of adults at Level 1 literacy. The report estimates that 20% of West Virginia adults function at Level 1, compared to the national average of 22%. Level 1 literacy rates for all 50 states ranged from 11% (Alaska, Utah and Wyoming) to 37% (District of Columbia). Fourteen states showed a higher percentage of adults at Level 1 compared to West Virginia.

So, West Virginia actually has fewer Level 1 residents than the national average. And take a look at Alaska’s number. Go Governor Palin!

New motto for West Virginia: Our adult literacy rates are higher than writers at Grist!

Thanks to reader L.L. for the tip.