Almost every day is a great day to drink beer but some days maybe are better than others? In August, three days highlight beer’s range of flavors, aromas and styles that will turn you into a beer geek for sure. Two of the three days in August also celebrate the IPA, one of the most popular beer styles in the U.S.
Below you’ll find the three specialty beer days and how to best celebrate beer at its best.
International Beer Day- August 1 Or The First Friday In August
Started in Santa Cruz, California in 2007, International Beer Day is a wide day to enjoy all manner of beers.
The day has three main goals: To gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer, to celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer and to unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day.
So on International Beer Day, the number one thing is to enjoy beer with people you care most about. The holiday also celebrates the gift of giving beer to all manner of people from brewers in the industry to your favorite brewery tasting room beertender. These people work really hard to serve you your favorite pints and they should be rewarded with the gift of, well, your favorite beer!
Lastly, the day is all about uniting beer lovers throughout the world. From Germany to South Africa to Japan, beer is a global beverage that deserves your attention. Perhaps on International Beer Day you try a style new to you like the Polish grodziske (also known as a gratzer) with its soft wheat and smoke flavor or a Catharina sour, a Brazilian style that’s a mingling of sour flavors with fresh fruits like passionfruit or mango.
National IPA Day- August 7 (The First Thursday In August)
Started by former beer writer Ashley Routson, this is one of the most popular beer days on the calendar with many breweries and people celebrating. IPA or India pale ale, is a very popular style of beer where the hops, one of the main ingredients in beer, are the key factor in aroma and flavor. Hops, an agricultural product, have oils in them and depending on the variety, where they are grown in the world and how they are used in the brewing process, can impart lots of different flavors/aromas to beer from floral to citrusy to tropical and beyond. IPAs can be non-alcoholic and they can be 14% ABV. They can be golden, they can be dark. It’s a very versatile style that has something for everyone.
National IPA day was started in 2011 with Routson and some industry friends at the helm and it blew up that year and now has taken on a life of its own. To celebrate, see if any of your local breweries are doing anything special or it’s easy as celebrating by opening up your favorite IPA.
Hazy IPA Day – August 21 (Third Thursday In August)
Started by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in 2023, the newest beer day on the block celebrates a specific style of hazy IPA, which is currently one of the most popular styles of IPA on the market. Hazy IPAs (also known as New England IPAs) usually have a fuller body and a juicy flavor from the hops. The juiciness is also in the appearance as the beer can look like a big glass of orange juice. Hazy IPAs can be non-alcoholic or they can be very strong, upwards of 12% ABV. Sierra Nevada created the holiday to show off their large range of hazy IPAs including the best selling Hazy Little Thing.
Celebrating Hazy IPA Day is easy, just drink them! Since they are so popular, visit your local brewery to see if they make this style or visit a local beer shop to see what they have available.
Cheers to a tasty month and remember to drink responsibly with people you truly care about.