Today is International Beer Day! Imagine my frustration learning that my birthday, August 6th, is National Root Beer Float Day (yuck) while the day after is so much better? Yes, complaints have been made to my mother. If my birth was an Amazon purchase I would have given her 4 stars. ‘Giving me life was great and all, although quite traumatizing. The timing of delivery could have been improved. Would try again if the timing issue was resolved.’
International Beer Day
Not only is today International Beer Day, but it is also National Water Balloon Day. I don’t suggest that you combine the two, although I can’t stop you. Do I really need to explain how to celebrate today’s special occasion? Well, I will anyway. Drink some beer! The first Friday in August (so it CAN fall on my birthday on occasion, sorry mom!) raises a glass to ales, lagers and pilsners worldwide. Non-drinkers don’t need to fret – there is alcohol-free beer too and it can be delicious.
Since I come from THE country of beer, the Czech Republic, I feel like I need to celebrate extra hard. We even have ATM-style beer vending machines. That’s how much we love beer. Plus, Czechs have the highest beer consumption per capita IN THE WORLD. We are beer-obsessed. Doctors tell us that it’s actually healthy to drink one beer a day. The one you have at lunch with your boss doesn’t even count. Right?
Beer Facts
If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what beer is, let me tell you! Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world. It the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. Beer is brewed from cereal grains—most commonly from malted barley, though wheat, maize, and rice are also used.
The ancient Egyptians first documented the brewing process on papyrus scrolls around 5,000 B.C.E. These first beers were brewed with things like dates, pomegranates, and other indigenous herbs. They were probably quite harsh by today’s standards.
I could spend all day, if not all week, writing about beer. But I’m busy – I’m late for my appointment to drink ALL THE BEER – just kidding, it’s 5 AM and I am chugging coffee like my life depends on it. Anyway, this great article has 80 fascinating beer facts. I will tell you though, that around the world 50 billion gallons of beer are consumed every year! That’s a lot of brewskies (I’m rewatching Gilmore Girls AGAIN, bear with me.)
Great Video
Consider watching this video from an awesome channel on the origin of just about everything. This will give you facts to make you sound smarter next time you talk about beer (does anyone ever not talk about beer?)
Summary
Beer is delicious, refreshing and available in so many different styles, flavors and cool glasses. Obviously, you should be careful when drinking beer because alcohol is really unhealthy and you need to make sure not to drink and drive or even ride a bike. If consumed in moderation, beer can be nutritious.
You can also enjoy it in other ways, such as bathing in a beer spa and using it to condition your hair. That’s right, at least 1 million of those 50 billion gallons of beer consumed are likely used as a beauty product. That’s right men, a woman somewhere is likely storing a bottle of beer right next to her feminine hygiene products!
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