Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world, dating back centuries, there are thousands of recipes and millions of fans in all corners of the planet. Therefore, it is not surprising that many festivals, fairs and holidays of various levels are organized everywhere in her honor.
So in the calendar of many countries appear “professional“ celebrations of the producers and lovers of this sparkling, intoxicating drink. For example, in Iceland it is March 1, in Russia the main industrial holiday of beer producers – Brewer's Day – is celebrated on the second Saturday of June.
In recent years, International Beer Day has become increasingly popular – annual unofficial holiday of all lovers and producers of this drink, which is celebrated on the first Friday of August. The founder of the holiday is the American Jesse Avshalomov, a resident of Bar, who wanted to attract even more visitors to his restaurant.
This holiday was held for the first time in 2007 in the city of Santa Cruz (California, USA) and for several years there was a fixed date – August 5, but as the geography of the holiday expanded, its date also changed – since 2012 it is celebrated on the first Friday of August. In that time, it has turned from a local festival into an international event – in 2012 it was celebrated in 207 cities in 50 countries on 5 continents. In addition to the United States, today Beer Day is also celebrated in many countries in Europe, South and North America, Asia and Africa. But in Russia it is still not very famous, although beer has always been popular in Russia.
As already mentioned, beer is a very ancient drink. According to archaeological findings, beer in Ancient Egypt was produced as early as the 3rd century BC, that is, its history can go back to more ancient times. A number of researchers associate its appearance with the beginning of human cultivation of cereals – 9000 BC By the way, there is an opinion that initially wheat was cultivated not for baking bread, but specifically for the production of beer. Unfortunately, the name of the person who came up with the recipe for making this drink is not known. Although, of course, the composition of the “ancient“ beer is different from modern beer, which includes malt and hops.
Today, as before, the main purpose of all such holidays is to gather with friends and enjoy the taste of your favorite beer… (Photo: BlueSkyImage, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
Beer, roughly as we know it today, appeared in the 13th century. Then hops begin to be added to it. Breweries appeared in Iceland, Germany, England and other European countries, and each had its own secrets for making this drink. Beer was made according to various family recipes, which were passed down from father to son and kept in the strictest secrecy. It is believed that the tradition of organizing wild celebrations in honor of beer came from Iceland, the homeland of the Vikings. And then these traditions were picked up in other countries.
Today, as before, the main purpose of all such holidays is to gather with friends and enjoy the taste of your favorite beer, to congratulate and thank everyone who in one way or another is connected with the production and serving of this sparkling drink.
That is why, traditionally on International Beer Day, the main events are held in pubs, bars and restaurants, where all participants of the holiday can try beer not only of different varieties, but also of different producers from different countries and even rare varieties. Also, the bars are open until the morning, because the main tradition of the holiday is to fit as much beer as you can fit. And for example, in the USA, various themed parties, quizzes and games are often organized, especially beer pong (an alcoholic game in which players throw a ping-pong ball across the table, trying to hit it into a glass or beer mug standing at the other end at this table). And all this in a glass of high-quality drink. The main thing to remember is that beer is still an alcoholic drink, so you should celebrate Beer Day in such a way that you don't have a headache in the morning.
Some interesting facts about beer:
– It is believed that the most drinking nation is the Germans, the Czechs and the Irish are slightly behind them in terms of beer consumption.
– In England, in the town of Great Harwood, an unusual beer competition is held – the men organize a 5 mile race during which they have to drink a glass of beer in 14 pubs along the distance. But at the same time, the participants are not just running, they are running with baby carriages. And the winner is the one who not only came first to the finish, but also never turned the cart over.
– At auction, a bottle of Lowebrau beer sold for more than $16,000. This is the only beer bottle that survived the Hindenburg airship crash in Germany in 1937.
– One of the most famous beer festivals in the world is Oktoberfest, which takes place in Germany in September; The Great London Beer Festival, which takes place in August; Belgian Beer Weekend – in Brussels at the beginning of September; and at the end of September – Great Beer Festival in Denver (USA). And this is not a complete list.
Source: ndt1.eu