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A little reason to celebrate

International Beer Day

Drink · The first Friday in August

International Beer Day marks one of the oldest brewed drinks, a mix of grain, hops, yeast and water, enjoyed in the US and around the world.

International Beer Day falls on Friday, August 6, 2027. That is 283 days away.

Beer starts with grain, usually malted barley, which is steeped in water to release its sugars. Brewers boil that sweet liquid with hops, cool it, and add yeast, which turns the sugar into alcohol and bubbles. Four plain ingredients, and somehow thousands of results.

International Beer Day falls on the first Friday in August and is marked in the United States as well as in many other countries. It is mostly a social occasion. People meet friends at a local brewery or bar, try a style they have never ordered, or pick up a pint for someone else.

The range is wide. Lagers are fermented cool and tend to taste clean and crisp. Ales are fermented warmer and often carry fruity or spicy notes from the yeast. Stouts and porters get their dark color and roasted flavor from malt that has been kilned until it looks like coffee beans. Wheat beers can be cloudy and soft, and sour beers lean tart on purpose.

The glass matters a little too. A wide glass lets the aroma gather, and a tall narrow one shows off the bubbles rising. Pouring at an angle and straightening the glass near the end leaves a modest head of foam on top, which carries much of the smell.

For anyone who skips alcohol, many breweries now make nonalcoholic beers that keep the malt and hop flavors without the alcohol.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a beer style you have never tasted before.
• Visit a local brewery or taproom with a friend.
• Compare a lager and an ale side by side.
• Try pouring at an angle to get a neat foam head.
• Sample a nonalcoholic beer if you skip alcohol.

Dates

All national days on August 6

Also on August 6

• National Root Beer Float Day
• National Fresh Breath Day
• Wiggle Your Toes Day

Categories: Drink days