06 Apr Happy National Beer Day April 7th
But ask any craft brewery or beer enthusiast and they just might say…but “isn’t every day National Beer Day? And what beer lover could argue with that! In fact, beer is one of the world’s oldest prepared beverages dating back to 9500 BC and is probably the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage today. It is reported that following water and tea, beer is the third most popular drink overall!
The day is actually in celebration of the day the Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law during the time of President Roosevelt. Americans could finally return to brewing and purchasing beer as long as it was no stronger than “4.05 percent alcohol by volume.”
The enforcement of this Act, as you might imagine, was a big deal for the country, and helped to nullify the attempt of the federal government to curb the so-called “decay of the American family and crimes” that had been blamed primarily on alcohol producers including wineries, breweries and distilleries. Prior to the 1873, the United States alone was home to over 4,100 breweries. Less than 50 years later, there were none. And it’s a little amazing, given the growth we have recently experienced on a national level that the recovery back has taken some time. We now have well over 7,000 breweries nationally – and while it seems like new ones are opening on a daily basis, others are being bought up by large corporate beverage companies.
Research suggests that “National Beer Day” was actually created by Virginia based Justin Smith and his friend Mike Connolly from England. They obviously chose the date of April 7th since that was the day the Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law. The story goes that they first created it on Facebook and invited their friends to join in the celebration and initiative to make it a national holiday. This just validates once again the power of one of the social media giants – “Facebook”!
Many of TampaBay Food and Craft Beer Tours partners are planning on hosting and celebrating this day in style. In St. Petersburg alone, 3 Daughters will be putting on an extravaganza – releasing a “super special Barrel aged Saison which has been aging in Chardonnay barrels” in addition to live music and a diverse variety of food trucks to pair with their delicious brews and ciders. Green Bench will be offering $1.00 of all packaged beers.
Join in the fun and celebrate with one of the local craft breweries by lifting in “cheers” your favorite brew in recognition of National Beer Day! #NationalBeerDay
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