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While a beer can be enjoyed by beer lovers on almost any day of the year, this day is certainly an extra special one. It’s National Drink Beer Day, a delightful day in which the dedicated activity is clearly stated in the name. What could be better?

Honestly, there is no shortage of beer drinking holidays on the calendar because, well, most people not only enjoy drinking beer–many of them are decidedly passionate about it! From German Beer Day to IPA Day to Stout Day, from Oktoberfest to Homebrewing Day, this tasty beverage is worth celebrating all throughout the year.

But this day offers the simplest of instructions when it comes to this world-renowned beverage: Drink Beer.

Now it’s time to raise a glass of your favorite ale or lager and celebrate National Drink Beer Day!

History of National Drink Beer Day

Certainly one of the oldest man-made beverages in history, beer has been produced since the Neolithic Era with some breweries dating back as far as 1040. In fact, going back even further, some historians think that beer had its origins as early as the 5000 BC, in places such as Iran, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Many people don’t realize that the recipe for beer is thought to be the oldest recorded recipe in the history of the world! Without an internet search or even cookbooks, these recipes for the brewing process were written on papyrus scrolls, including ingredients such as pomegranates, dates and various herbs.

Of course, that beer was probably quite different from what breweries put out today. Even so, there is little wonder why drinking beer has come to be such a popular and entertaining activity.

As beer made its way traveling across the Middle East through the Mediterranean and into Europe, the forms of beer developed that made use of the prolific supply of grains, such as barley. In the Middle Ages, the modern beers that people think of today were finally brewed, using the malting process. Hops were then added to the process somewhere around the 1300s AD, and the ancestors of today’s beer became more recognizable.

National Drink Beer Day is celebrated a few days after the birthday of Arthur Guinness, the founder of the famed Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland (Although his actual birth date is not recorded). This seems like the perfect day to raise a glass and drink a beer in honor of this man who was so important to the history of beer. More than 200 years later, people are still enjoying his dark, creamy stout!

How to Celebrate National Drink Beer Day

Held annually, this exciting holiday is recognized in many different countries across the globe and taking part could not be easier. Try out these fun ideas for celebrating National Drink Beer Day, or get creative and come up with some other unique activities. The only important thing on this day? It is required to Drink Beer!

Sample a New Kind of Beer

With hundreds of different new and traditional varieties available, National Drink Beer Day gives all drinkers a wonderful opportunity to sample both local and internationally brewed ales and lagers.

Although, of course, just any old beer will do on this day, it might be fun to make it special by trying something new and adventurous. Here are just a few interesting options for beer-trying that can take the National Drink Beer Day experience to the next level:

  • Helles German Beer. This one is ideal for an end of summer cool off. Like pilsners, these are light and sweet, but with a deeper malt taste and a bit of a leaning toward spicy hops.
  • Japanese Rice Lager. Similar in profile to an American Lager, the rice keeps the flavor super light and offers a bit of a dry finish. The perfect pairing for this beer? Sushi, obviously!
  • Cream Ale. This unique hybrid beer is brewed with ale yeast and then finished with a lager. They can be found in a wide variety of low or high alcohol content, with either a sweetness or a strong bitterness.
  • Belgium Witbier. A unique beer, brewed with the less-commonly used grain, oats, offers a darker appearance that is cloudy. The taste is a bit fruity, often using added spices such as coriander or orange peel to give it an even bigger boost of flavor.

Join Friends for National Drink Beer Day

Simply gather a few friends, go on over to the nearest liquor store or supermarket and crack open a beer for a fun-packed day. For those whose friends are otherwise engaged, don’t worry! Beer drinking is an activity that can be just as easily enjoyed with strangers–who will perhaps become new friends.

Just head down to a nearby pub or bar and order a beer from the bartender or waitress. Pick up some darts or join in on a game at the pool table to make some new friends on this special day for drinking beer.

Attend a National Drink Beer Day Festival or Event

Celebrate by attending beer festivals or beer-tasting events held in your local area. September is a great time of year for those end of summer, back to school festivals and events that can be found in cities and towns all over the globe. Make a quick search on the web or in local newspapers to find out what’s going on around the area–then join in!

Watch Some Beer-Inspired Shows and Films

These delightful (and sometimes ridiculous) movies and series are sure to get anyone in the mood to enjoy National Drink Beer Day:

  • Cheers. An American show built entirely around the goings-on of a bar, where people mostly spend their time drinking beer, this series lasted for 11 seasons on US television in the 1980s and early 1990s. Starring Ted Danson, Rhea Pearlman and George Wendt, as well as a cast of many others, this show encourages going to a place “where everybody knows your name”. Now in syndication, this show can often be viewed through online options such as Hulu or Amazon.
  • Drinking Buddies (2013). This rom-com film has a fairly solid cast, including Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde who play coworkers at a craft brewery located in Chicago. The story details the ins and outs of friendships and romantic relationships between the coworkers and their group of drinking buddies (including a character played by Anna Kendrick).
  • Strange Brew (1993). This ridiculous Canadian beer comedy film features Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas. The story follows characters Bob and Doug McKenzie, two unemployed brothers who place a mouse in a beer bottle to try to get free beer. Of course, chaos and ridicularity ensue.
  • Brew Dogs. Airing originally on the Esquire Network, this show reveals the beer brewing adventures of James Watt and Martin Dickie, who are the masterminds behind the famous Scottish brewery, Brew Dog. The brewery owners travel to find the best beers in craft brewing, while not only sampling local beers but participating in the brewing process on location.

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