International Beer Day is a perfect excuse to try out new craft beers. Image: Flickr/ilovebutter
On Aug. 5, when the heat is sweltering and the days are long, it is the perfect time to celebrate International Beer Day. Started in 2007, International Beer Day seeks to celebrate beer, brewers, bartenders, bars and friends. There is a growing number of International Beer Day celebrations, or you can easily start up your own.
Celebrating International Beer Day
International Beer Day started in Santa Cruz, Calif. There is a full list of celebrations coming soon on the International Beer Day website, though it is also worth checking with your local brewery. The easiest way to celebrate the holiday is to get together with your friends and drink beer.
The variability of beer in International Beer Day
Ever since mass distribution of beer started in the United States, most of the beer consumed has been a light lager style. The recent revival of styles and microbreweries, though, has brought craft beers back to the forefront of the industry. In 2009, national beer sales declined by more than 2 percent, but small breweries and craft beers saw an increase of 10 percent in sales, according to the Brewers Association. While you could celebrate with a light lager beer, National Beer Day can be used as an excuse to try out a beer you have never had before. The Brewers Association recognizes more than 150 styles of beer, and more are brewed every day.
Try a beer pairing on International Beer Day
With as many different types, styles and flavors of beer as there are wine, beer pairing is rising in popularity. There are beer sommeliers who can help you choose exactly which beer you should pair with your meal, and serve it in a perfect glass. If you don’t feel like hunting down a beer expert, though, just keep these basic principles in mind. A well-paired beer, just like a well-paired wine, should cut, compliment and contrast your food. Beer tends to run between $2 and $8 a glass — less than one-tenth what some wine costs. So go to your local brew shop, pick up a dozen new beers, and give your palate something new to enjoy on International Beer Day.
I saw that you mentioned National Beer Day (perhaps by mistake) in your article. I just wanted make sure everyone knew that International Beer Day and National Beer Day are two very different holidays.
There are a lot of unofficial random beer drinking holidays in the US.
New Beer's Eve – April 6th
National Beer Day – April 7th
National Homebrew Day – May 7th
American Craft Beer Week – Starts on the 3rd Monday in May and goes for a week
International Beer Day – Aug. 5th
National Beer Lover's Day – Sept. 7th
National Drink a Beer Day – Sept. 28th
American Beer Day – Oct. 27th
National Beer Day (April 7th) is the only with with a historically significant date.
April 7th is National Beer Day here in the US. In 1933 during the prohibition era, the Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt on March 23rd. That law was enacted on April 7th allowing the brewing and sale of beer in the United States again as long as it was < 3.2% (4% ABV). It's said that people waited in line overnight on April 6th outside Milwaukee breweries in order to legally buy beer for the first time in over 13 years. As a result, April 7th is known as National Beer Day and April 6th is called New Beers Eve.
National Beer Days around the world –
March 1st – Iceland
April 6th – England
April 7th – USA
April 23rd – Germany