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A little reason to celebrate

National American Beer Day

Drink · October 27

A day for American beer, from crisp lagers to hoppy pale ales, and for the breweries and drinkers who keep the styles going.

National American Beer Day falls on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. That is today.

American beer covers a lot of ground. It means the pale, crisp lager poured at ballparks and backyard grills, and it also means the hoppy pale ales, dark stouts and sour experiments made by small breweries in towns of every size.

Most beer starts with the same four ingredients: water, malted grain, hops and yeast. The grain brings sugar and color, the hops bring bitterness and aroma, and the yeast turns sugar into alcohol and bubbles. Change the balance and you get a very different glass. American brewers became known for leaning hard on hops, often using varieties with citrus and pine notes.

A good way to mark the day is simply to pay attention to what is in the glass. Pour it into a clean glass instead of drinking from the can, look at the color, smell it before the first sip. A lot of what people call taste is really aroma, and a bottle that seemed ordinary can turn out to have more going on.

Local breweries and taprooms often offer small tasting glasses, which make it easy to compare a few styles side by side without committing to a full pint of each. Lighter lagers tend to suit salty snacks and grilled food, while roasty stouts sit well next to chocolate or a bowl of chili.

For anyone skipping alcohol, many American breweries now make nonalcoholic beers, and they are worth a fair try on their own terms.

The can in the cooler and the pint at the corner brewery share the same short list of ingredients.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a style of American beer you have never ordered before.
• Visit a local brewery or taproom and ask what they brew best.
• Pour a beer into a glass and notice its color and aroma.
• Pair a stout with chocolate or a lager with salty snacks.
• Try a nonalcoholic beer from an American brewery.

Dates

All national days on October 27

Also on October 27

• National Black Cat Day
• Cranky Co-Workers Day
• Navy Day

Categories: Drink days