Beer Holidays
Everyone’s calendar is filled with weird and random national holidays. National Zipper Day, really? But does your calendar have beer holidays? With each beer holiday, you will find a specific beer or type of beers where you can sit back and enjoy a unique and delicious pint. So much better than celebrating National Zipper Day. Below are some of the most famous (and some less famous) beer holidays that you should have on your calendar.
National IPA Day
First Thursday in August | August 4th, 2022
National IPA Day celebrates everything hoppy. Originated in the United Kingdom and eventually amped up to teeth-scraping bitterness in the United States, the India Pale Ale style has seen a complete rebirth in the Craft Beer Era. Check out our Ultimate IPA Guide to learn more about all 18 (and counting) variations of the IPA style.
International Beer Day
First Friday in August | August 5th, 2022
This holiday celebrates the most popular alcoholic beverage around the world. Behind water and tea, beer is the third most common drink overall and one of the oldest prepared drinks in history.
Sour Beer Day
September 8th, 2022
Time to celebrate all things sour! Whether your favorite style is Lambic, Berliner Weiss, Gose, or any other type of sour beer, this is the day for you!
North Texas Beer Week
September 9th —> 18th, 2022
A celebration of all things North Texas Beer, this annual event was held every November prior to the pandemic. The 11th annual North Texas Beer Week, now moved to September, highlights beer releases, events, and activities across all parts of the metroplex, including the Dallas Observer Brewfest at the Dallas Farmers Market on September 10th.
Zwanze Day
September 24th, 2022
While not held on the same day every year, Zwanze Day is typically held on a Saturday in late September. Zwanze Day was originally reserved as a release day for a special annual one-off beer bottle release by the renowned lambic producer, Cantillon. When brewer and owner Jean Van Roy realized people were selling the bottles on the secondary market for astronomical markups, he decided to change the format of the release. Instead of in bottles, the special Zwanze lambic is now draft only and distributed to hand-picked locations around the world. Locations for this year have not been announced yet, but if tradition holds true, the only place in Texas you’ll be able to celebrate is at Jester King Brewery down in Austin, or you could also travel to other destinations like Avenue Pub in New Orleans or Crooked Stave Brewery in Denver.
Barrel-Aged Beer Day
First Friday in October | October 7th, 2022
A relatively new beer holiday, Barrel-Aged Beer Day celebrates those beers that have a unique flavor profile from aging in either neutral or spirit-soaked barrels.
International Stout Day
First Thursday in November | November 3rd, 2022
Started by beer writer, Erin Peters, in Southern California in 2011, International Stout Day celebrates the big dark roasty beer style. Find celebrations around the world for this event at their website below!
International Happy Gose Day
November 17th, 2022
Somewhat of an obscure style, Gose is a pale sour beer traditionally brewed with salt and coriander. A perfectly tart and refreshing beer, especially on this day!
National Lager Day
December 10th, 2022
Taxonomically speaking, lagers make up half of the beer styles around the world. They are bottom-fermented and are typically light, refreshing, and crisp. One of the most popular lagers (and overall beers) around the world is Pilsner. Cheers to lagers!
National Bock Day
March 20th, 2023
Bock, a type of dark moderate-strength lager, was originally brewed in Einbeck, Germany. There are various sub-styles including Maibock (a pale colored Bock drunk in the Spring), Weizenbock (a wheat-based Bock brewed both in dark and pale variations), and Doppelbock (a high-strength Bock). No matter what type of Bock you choose, make sure to grab one and celebrate it on this day!
Orval Day
March 26th, 2023
Orval Day celebrates the unique wild-fermented Trappist Belgian Pale Ale known as Orval. The founding of the monastery that brews Orval revolves around a widow losing her wedding ring in a fountain and a trout retrieving it back for her. While the story may seem a bit far-fetched, the beer is not.
National Saison Day
TBD April, 2023
Declared annually by Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, Saison Day celebrates everything around the rustic farmhouse style of beer. The style itself can by hard to quantify, but generally covers hand-made beers brewed with some non-traditional grains (wheat, spelt, rye) and using very low-tech methods. They can be sour, funky, dry, and/or bitter, and range from low strength table beers (3-5% abv) to heavier super strength beers (generally up to 9% abv).
American National Beer Day
April 7th, 2023
While it might seem very similar to International Beer Day, American National Beer Day specifically celebrates the signing of the Cullen-Harrison Act by Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 22nd, 1933. This eventually led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment, thus ending Prohibition.
Beer Clean Glass Day
Fourth Saturday in April | April 22nd, 2023
Beer Clean Glass Day was created by the Cicerone Program to promote the benefits of having a beer-clean glass, and to educate how to achieve it. Visit the Cicerone website to learn how to always have a beer clean glass, even at home!
German Beer Day
April 23rd, 2023
Most German beer styles are lagers, so many German styles can be celebrated on other various beer holidays. But before lagers took over the country, Germany also had a rich history of brewing ales too. The ubiquitous Hefeweizen is the most well-known, but other styles like Altbier and Kolsch are technically ales, despite being lagered after primary fermentation. Sour German beers, like Berliner Weiss and Gose, are also considered ales as well. So raise a glass of German beer on this day and PROST!
National Homebrew Day
May 7th, 2023
This holiday was first introduced in front of Congress in 1988 and celebrates all those who brew at home. Homebrewers provide all sorts of creativity to the brewing community, and some even make the jump into opening their own breweries. At Funky Picnic, we started out as homebrewers and attribute a lot of our founding principles to those days brewing beer on a small scale out of a garage right here in Fort Worth. Make sure you try a local homebrew on this day and it might just turn out to be a professionally-made beer in the future! For more information on brewing at home, please visit the American Homebrewers Association (AHA).
American Craft Beer Week
May 16th —> 22nd, 2023
Similar to North Texas Beer Week, American Craft Beer Week celebrates everything related to independent craft beer, for an entire week across the country.
It doesn’t matter what beer holiday it is, Funky Picnic will have you covered. So come on over for the next few holidays and enjoy a pint or two with us! And make sure to check out our free, downloadable beer guides below!
Cheers!
Collin Zreet
Collin is a native Texan and is a founding member and co-owner of Funky Picnic Brewery and Café. He is a Certified Cicerone and Certified BJCP Beer Judge, specializing in beer and food pairings. When he is not thinking about beer, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Taylor, son, Alder, and dog, Rocco.