Beer Day The foamy drink, known to humanity for over 5,000 years, has its own holiday. International Beer Day (International Beer Day) is celebrated on the first Friday of August. In 2026, it will be on August 7th. However, June 13th is also sometimes called "Beer Day" in some countries (for example, unofficially in Russia). Either way, there's always a good reason to raise a glass of cold foam. Beer is the third most popular drink in the world after water and tea. It is loved for the hop bitterness, the sweetness of the malt, the fizzy character, and its ability to bring people together. In this article, we will explore the history of beer, its types, the culture of consumption, and, of course, how to celebrate the holiday. The History of Beer: From Ancient Sumer to Craft Beer Revolution The first beer was brewed by the Sumerians about 4,000 years ago. They called it "kash" (barley bread soaked in water). In Ancient Egypt, beer was the drink of the poor and builders of the pyramids (they were given 4-5 liters a day!). In the Middle Ages, European monks improved the recipes by adding hops (beer became more durable). In the sixteenth century, a law on beer purity (Reinheitsgebot) was adopted in Germany: only barley, hops, and water were allowed (yeast was later added). In the nineteenth century, with the invention of refrigerators, lager beer (bottom fermentation) appeared. In the twentieth century, beer became a mass product. The twenty-first century is the era of craft beer, when small breweries experiment with ingredients, creating thousands of varieties. Main Types of Beer: Lager, Ale, Stout, and Others Beer is classified by the type of fermentation: top-fermented (ales) and bottom-fermented (lagers). Lagers are the most common (pale lager, Pilsner, Munich Helles, Dunkel). They are light, light, with hop bitterness. Ales are more aromatic, fruity, with caramel notes (Pale Ale, India Pale Ale (IPA), Brown Ale, Porter). Stouts and porters are dark, with ro ... Read more