If your humble narrator could ever marry a specific day of the year, that day would be the first Friday in August, also known as International Beer Day.
Yes, gentle reader, the 7th annual International Beer Day has come and gone, and your humble narrator spent the day in a celebration of all the joys that beer brings us.
First celebrated in California in 2007, IBD has grown into a worldwide soiree, with events in 200 cities and 50 countries across the world.
The closest participating booze can was Beer Revolution in downtown Calgary, a new venture from the fine folks behind the popular chain of Brewsters Brew Pubs. Naturally, your intrepid liquor reporter was there to enjoy all the beer-related celebrations.
The declared purpose of IBD is threefold: To gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer; To celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer; To unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day.
Your humble narrator certainly fulfilled the first two goals of IBD, but it was hard to celebrate the beers of all nations, if only because of the rich and bountiful cornucopia that makes up the Canadian craft beer scene.
In the spirit of inclusiveness, I did sample Canadian beers from as far east as Newfoundland, and as far west as Vancouver Island.
The camaraderie was high among the assembled beer fans, each trying to live up to the ideals of this solemn occasion by giving the gift of another round of beers to their tablemates, and waxing poetic about the love and attention that the brewmaster adds to each bottle and keg.
International Beer Day must feel like Secretaries Day for tub tarts and waitresses. For 364 days a year, they get no respect from the people they serve, followed by a single day of love and affection (and extra tipping).
The bartenders and servers did seem run off their feet on IBD, but all the patrons were happy and tipping well, so the staff were happy as well. The true spirit of IBD shone through!
Stepping out of the comfort zone of your normal beer of choice is highly recommended on IBD, giving you the chance to experience new beer-related happiness by sampling a beer from another culture.
Luckily, with the provincial liquor control boards across the country starting to reduce the red tape required for a brewery license, we are seeing new and exciting craft brewers spring up on an almost daily basis across our fair land!
I started out with a What The Huck from the Fernie Brewing Company, which is a wheat beer made with a dash of fresh huckleberries, hand-picked in the Rocky Mountains. A slightly purple tinge is imparted to the beer by the huckleberries, making for a creamy a full-bodied ale with just a a slight berry flavour.
Moving closer to home, I sampled the Midnight Son seasonal brew from Calgary’s own Wild Rose Brewery. Made in the style of a traditional farmhouse ale from Finland, the brew is a light amber ale that has been steeped in Juniper berries.
Yes, gentle reader, those are the same Juniper berries that are used to make Gin, so you just know that the brewmaster has struck upon a winning combination. This is a limited time release, but it can be found in well-stocked liquor stores in Alberta.
Moving all the way to the east coast, my next delicious pint was the Hop Yard Pale Ale from Garrison Brewing in Halifax. With medium body and a solid hop bitterness, this is a beer for those who do not fear a flavourful ale. The robust hops also provide a floral aroma that wafts up from the pint glass for added enjoyment.
There were many other beers enjoyed by your humble narrator and his drinking companions on IBD, but space constraints prevent me from describing them all.
You too, gentle reader, can do your part to promote beer-related happiness. In the spirit of International Beer Day, why not give the gift of beer to a friend? And be sure to tip your servers at the local watering hole; they put up with all our debaucherous misbehaviours while we are imbibing, and they deserve some love!
