National Beer Day 2027 is on Wednesday

About National Beer Day

The date comes straight from Prohibition history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act on March 22, 1933, and it went into effect on April 7. The law allowed the sale of beer and wine with an alcohol content of up to 3.2 percent by weight, so for the first time since 1920 Americans could legally buy, sell and drink beer. Stronger liquor stayed illegal until the 21st Amendment repealed national Prohibition in December 1933.

The modern observance is much newer. Justin Smith of Richmond, Virginia, came up with the idea in 2009 after a stranger wished him and his friends a happy beer day, a reference to Iceland's beer day on March 1. His friend Mike Connolly suggested that the United States should have its own, and Smith picked April 7 because of the Cullen-Harrison Act. The day spread first through social media and later through breweries and the brewing trade.

National Beer Day has no federal status. In 2017 Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe recognized it in Virginia, and Representative Dave Brat of Virginia paid tribute to it in the Congressional Record on April 6 of that year, crediting Smith with the idea. The Brewers Association, the trade group for small and independent US brewers, now lists it as a day for breweries to celebrate brewing heritage.

Beer is only for adults of legal drinking age, which is 21 in the United States. If you take part, drink in moderation, never drink and drive, and keep alcohol-free beer or other drinks on hand for guests who don't drink.

Sources: Congressional Record: Recognizing National Beer Day (April 6, 2017), National Constitution Center: The constitutional origins of National Beer Day, Brewers Association: National Beer Day, All About Beer: Justin Smith, the godfather of National Beer Day. How we check dates.

How to mark National Beer Day

• Read up on the Cullen-Harrison Act and the end of Prohibition, or visit a local history museum with an exhibit on brewing in your area.
• Take a tour of a nearby brewery to see how beer is made, and ask about the brewing history of your town.
• Try a non-alcoholic beer or cook with beer, for example in a stew, bread or batter.
• If you're 21 or older and drinking, share a single beer with friends over a meal, and arrange a sober driver, a ride share or public transit home.
• Learn the basics of beer styles, such as the difference between ales and lagers, from a brewing guide or class.

National Beer Day dates