International Beer Day
This Friday, August 7, marks International Beer Day. According to lore (Wikipedia), this celebration was first founded by a group of beer-lovers in Santa Cruz back in 2007. Thanks to social media, the event caught on quickly and spread around the world. Now, bars and venues in cities spread over 50 different countries celebrate the love of beer. And more than a love beer, the holiday also offers a chance to explore the beers of other nations, and indulge in a pleasure shared all over the world.
According to the original manifesto, International Beer Day is a chance to share a beer with friends, express gratitude to our bartenders and brewers, and take a moment to explore beers from a different culture.
How to Celebrate
Top beer-producing countries in 2011
Host a Tasting
International Brews
One of the easiest ways to celebrate International Beer Day is by hosting an international tasting party. Pick a few countries—or assign them to friends—and choose a beer or two made in that region. The most common imports (and so easiest to find) would include German brews like Celebrator or Paulaner, Canada’s Unibroue series, and Samuel Smith from Great Britain. You can find even more obscure beers at bottle shops.
Hybrids
If imports are hard to find, or if you’re just looking for something different, host a tasting featuring international-inspired beers. As craft beer brewers look for more ways to innovate, they have incorporated the traditional styles of other countries into their U.S. brews. Some examples would include milk stouts (from England), saisons (from Belgium), and pilsners (from the city of Pilsen, in the Czech Republic). Many U.S brewers are experimenting with blending traditional flavors to create new hybrids—and tasty results.
Honey Amber Rose–from an old European recipe.
Mendocino’s own White Hawk IPA, which won an award at the San Diego International Beer Festival this year, is made using a blend of West Coast Cascade hops and the traditionally English Fuggle hop. And, if you’re lucky enough to visit the tap room, be sure to try Mendo’s Honey Amber Rose. Inspired by a European recipe from the 1830s, this special brew is flavored with rose hips, clover honey and three types of hops.
Attend (or Arrange) an Event
In recent years, bars and venues all over the world have hosted tastings, talks and other beer-related events for International Beer Day. A few have already starting posting their events online, and more will follow as the day nears. However, the official site for International Beer Day is currently down, and finding a celebration nearby may be harder than usual. Now is the time to advocate!
If you can’t find any Beer Day events nearby, approach your favorite bar or brewery about them hosting one of their own. Red tape can be tangly, and it’s not always easy for a bar to hold an event at the last minute, but expressing interest could help spur the idea for next year. Some events have included drink specials on Internationally-influenced beer, trivia night, educational speakers and beer tours.
How are you celebrating International Beer Day this year? Give us—and everyone else—some ideas, and raise a toast to brewers all around the world.