When do we celebrate National and International Beer Day in 2022?

Avid beer aficionado, Justin Smith took to social media to create a facebook page to suggest that we all observe a day dedicated to beer in the U.S. National media outlets eventually got word of the effort, along with the news going viral on social media, and thus an official day was born to celebrate beer drinking. All in all its a big day for the beer industry.

Written by CraftJack | Updated 01/22/23 | 4 min read

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This is quite the drinking holiday of drinking holidays.

The History of National Beer Day in the United States

Here is a direct quote regarding NBD that has been pulled from the Congressional Record, so you know National Beer Day is legit. It was spoken by Congressman Dave Brat of Virginia.

"the Cullen-Harrison Act, named after the legislation's sponsors, went into effect and for the first time since 1920 the purchase, sale, and consumption of beer and wine with an alcohol content of 3.2 percent, was legal. Fast forward 76 years to 2009 when one of my constituents, Justin Smith, sparked the idea of celebrating National Beer Day on April 7th. In March of this year, Justin's efforts eventually lead to our Governor Terry McAuliffe recognizing National Beer Day in Virginia."

The oldest breweries in America rejoiced at the news, as they were able to sell beer again. During the Prohibition years, brewers such as Coors had to resort to making other common goods including porcelain.

When is National Beer Day in 2022?

National Beer Day was celebrated on Thursday, April 7th, 2022.

Past National Beer Day Dates

• Saturday, April 7th, 2018
• Sunday, April 7th, 2019
• Tuesday, April 7th, 2020
• Wednesday, April 7th of 2021

Future National Beer Day Dates

• Friday, April 7th, 2023
• Sunday, April 7th, 2024
• Monday, April 7th, 2025

Why is National Beer Day April 7th every year?

Beer Day is observed every year on April 7th to honor the end of prohibition in the United States. The Cullen-Harrison Act was enacted by congress on on March 23rd in 1933 and signed the next day by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Having gone 13 years (supposedly) without drinking alcoholic beverages, President Franklin Roosevelt offered up one of his more famous quotes, "I think this would be a good time for a beer."

Are we really supposed to believe that the President of the United States hadn't had a pint of beer in over a decade? We find it hard to believe that. The White House probably has a craft brewery in the basement.

Setting that aside, FDR helped repeal the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act with the introduction of the 21st Amendment and its ratification on December 5th of 1933. The Eighteenth Amendment is the only to have been repealed in our history.

It was then that 3.2 beer came to prominence, 3.2 representing the low alcohol content of the beer. We might even refer to this as the original session beer. We wonder what the brewers association thinks on this matter ...

Without the call to end prohibition, the craft beer explosion might never have occurred. Ok, well that is kind of far fetched, but you get the point.

What should I drink on National Beer Day?

The choice is yours. We suggest seeking out local breweries in your area and picking up some cans to go, or, sticking around to celebrate in their taproom or outdoor beer garden for a few pints. Unlike St. Patrick's Day when everyone goes wild for green beer, lagers, ales, and stouts are all fair game. If craft breweries aren't your thing and you prefer Big Brewing pilsners, that's ok too.

No matter how you approach the day, what you don't want to do is toss back a bunch of high abv IPAs early on. The best beers are the ones you enjoy (responsibly) the most.

When is International Beer Day in 2022?

International Beer Day falls on August 5th of 2022. It is an annual event that is celebrated on the first Friday in August.

IBD was kicked off by a group of craft beer lovers in San Francisco, California. The person spearheading the efforts is said to be Jesse Avshalomov. The group felt that it was necessary to pay homage to the almighty beer on a global scale.

According to the official website, International Beer Day was created, "To bring the world together by celebrating the beers of all nations and cultures on this one remarkable day."

On International Beer Day, you might want to consider British Origin Ales or Irish Beers. And, if you wait one day, you can celebrate National Root Beer Float Day! Ok ok, it's not beer per se, but root beer floats are pretty awesome.

Past International Beer Day Dates

• August 6th, 2021
• August 7th, 2020
• August 2nd, 2019
• August 3rd, 2018

Future National Beer Day Dates

• August 4th, 2023
• August 2nd, 2024
• August 1st, 2025

Beer Week

Beyond just Beer Day, most states in the United States dedicate a whole week to the hoppy beverage. In general, these Beer Weeks are put on by that state's Brewer's Guild. We've included a list of beer weeks below.

• Massachusetts Beer Week is 3/5/22 - 3/12/22

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