h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just wondering.. what kind of a human being invented the beer mats?

Well, I'm not so sure about the beer mats that have been referenced thus far, most likely someone who gets irritated when he/she picks up their beer only to find a napkins stuck and crumpled to the bottom of the glass. In the US, beer mats are ore commonly known as the rubber strips that reside in a trough below beer taps, such that the excess beer poured by the bartender doesn't ruin the wood of the bar. These rubber mats allow the bartender to spill an amazing amount of draft without soaking the bar (it also is the only way to abide by Health Department sanitary regulations here so that your bar(pub) doesn't get closed down)