International Beer Day
Sarah K Wood
In case you don't know it, the first Friday of August is your new favorite day, perhaps second to Christmas.
It's the day to celebrate beer and is filled with "clinks" that can be heard around the globe. Yes, we are talking about International Beer Day, a holiday to celebrate beer in all its fizzy glory.
Did you know beer is the third most widely consumed beverage in the world (after water and tea), landing first for alcoholic beverages?
According to International Beer Day's website, this holiday was first celebrated in 2008 by a small pub in California — it quickly caught the attention of audiences worldwide, becoming an international affair.
Here are 10 ways you can celebrate IBD on Aug. 3:
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Drink beer
The most obvious, yet overlooked, way to celebrate is drink the stuff. Not into the bitterness of hop and wheat beer? Try a fruit beer or be on the lookout for the underappreciated older sibling of beer: gruit ale, which is made from a mixture of herbs rather than hops.
Try a new brew
One of the main missions of this day is "to unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day," so ditch your typical "right-hand-man" and try something new and exciting.
A trip to World Market, 3615 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette, will easily land you on a taste-bud trip around the globe with their offerings from Mexico, France, Italy, China, Japan, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and so many more. They even offer "Beers of the World" six-packs.
Marcello's Wine Market, 200 Johnston St., Lafayette, carries pretty much all things beer. They currently have a slew of local and regional sours from new American craft brewers— a trending favorite.
Hug a brewmaster, say cheers to your bartender
Tour that brewery you've been wanting to see and give the brewmaster a big ol' hug, or say "thank you" to that longtime bartender you've come to call a friend. Appreciation never hurts!
It is also in the spirit of the celebration to buy your friends a drink, and we are all in for this "tradition."
Explore rare, limited-edition brews
While you’re on your next brewery tour ask if they are serving any “specialty casks” for customers to try
On Aug. 3, Bayou Teche Brewing, 1094 Bushville Hwy., Arnaudville, will be serving a very unique, limited batch of beer that is brewed with green tomatoes in which they call: "Fried Green Tomato." According to Bayou Tech Brewing, it is stylistically a gose, tart, sour and salty German ale. There will also be live music from Diphrent Strokes from 7 to 9 p.m. in the taproom!
Cajun Brewing is also offering a specialty cask on this day. They will have live music from Shea Bearden from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., their brewery is located at 206 Rayburn St., Lafayette.
If you have a friend who is experimenting with homebrewing, ask if you can try a glass of their latest creation.
Gift yourself a beer glass
There is absolutely nothing better than enjoying a beer at home from an icy-cold mug of your choice — a luxury all beer-lovers should consider and can easily be obtained at your local supermarket.
For those who want something extra-special, a quick search for beer mugs on Etsy.com will bring up hundreds of varieties of styles, shapes and colors — you can even have them customized to include your name! It is also worth checking out Kegworks.com for unique shapes such as the "horn," "boot" or the "half-yard of ale" beer glass.
Eat a beer-infused dinner
This is where the holiday gets fun.
"Beer Can Chicken," beer-infused biscuits, "Pale Ale Cornbread," stout cupcakes, beer-braised brats, beer and cheddar soup, beer pretzel dip, beer-battered fried fish ... the list goes on and on.
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Heck, there's even beer-infused chocolate from Moonstruck that you can find at Indulge, 1921 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 111, Lafayette.
Speaking of chocolate: Chocolate beer
Feeling saucy? Skip dessert and try a chocolate beer because there's no better day to venture into this delicious territory than on International Beer Day.
Find British brewer Young's Double Chocolate Stout at Marcello's Wine Market on Johnston or a full selection of sweet-treat ales from Samuel Smith's Old Time Brewery such as the "Oatmeal Stout," "Nut Brown Ale" and "Organic Chocolate Stout" at World Market.
Play a beer game
Quarters, beer-pong, flip-cup, "fizzy duck" — honestly, any game can be turned into a beer challenge.
Play a game of pool, shuffleboard or foosball at The Greenroom, located at 229 Jefferson St., Lafayette, while enjoying one of their many international brews or have a laugh on Aug. 3 at The Wurst Biergarten, 537 Jefferson St., with stand-up comic Brian Posehn.
Give homebrewing a shot
Put on your mad-scientist apron and get your hands dirty — try to make your own fizzy creation at home — the possibilities are endless!
Join a beer club
Meet people as passionate about beer and the art of brewing as you are and join the "Dead Yeast Society."
The non-profit meets at Marcello's Wine Market on Johnston Street every first Tuesday of the month. It is $25, annually, to be a member and offers meetings centered around beer tastings, brewing education, and meeting new beer buds. You can apply for a membership at www.deadyeast.com and stay up-to-date on the latest at The Dead Yeast Society Facebook group.
Let us know how you plan to celebrate International Beer Day by emailing swood@theadvertiser.com.