On June 15th, it’s Beer Day Britain! Which, as the name would suggest, is the day when all Britons raise a glass and say cheers to beer.
Surely one of the country’s favorite drinks, there’s nothing much better than sitting back on a sunny afternoon with a nice ice cold beer. And on June 15th, it’s time to celebrate everything great about beer – from the fascinating process of brewing it to the fun of drinking it.
Beer has such a rich and vibrant history, we can’t possibly do it justice in just this one article. As arguably the oldest alcoholic drink, it’s an absolute favorite not just in Britain, but worldwide.
Beer is made by brewing, a process which requires fermenting cereal and water with yeast. There are plenty of traditional methods of doing this, and ancient records suggest that humans have been brewing since around 6000BC.
Beer Day Britain sees pubs and brewers across Britain taking part in beer-based festivities for the weekend, just before Father’s Day.
June 15th was chosen for Beer Day Britain because the Magna Carta was sealed on this date, way back in 1215. In it, article 35 states ‘Let there be throughout our kingdom a single measure for wine and a single measure for ale and a single measure for corn, namely the London quarter’ – proof that ale was just as important back then as it is today!
Author and beer aficionado Jane Peyton started up Beer Day Britain, and thanks to her this day has the support of the biggest organizations in the beer industry of Britain. So that’s even more reason to take notice of this day!
There’s plenty of ways to celebrate all things beer, and it isn’t all necessarily to do with simply drinking it!
If you are a brewer, get involved by brewing a special beer just for the occasion, host an event in your brewery and jump on the social bandwagon by tweeting and Facebooking about the day!
Pubs can join in by hosting special events to honor the day, or perhaps offer up a selection of beers for tasting. Offering matching lunch items could be a great idea, too.
And if you’re simply in it as a punter, today is the day to try out the beers you haven’t tasted yet! Who knows, you could end up finding yourself a new favorite tipple. Cheers!