April 7th: National Beer Day
The title of the article speaks for itself – It’s time to celebrate BEER!
How did this national holiday come about? It all dates back to the year 1933, where on the date of April 7th, the finality of the Cullen-Harrison Act, signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was enacted, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) with the enactment of the Twenty-First Amendment to the US Constitution. Even Roosevelt himself was thirsty for a change, as he was quoted upon signing the Act, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” On that “first” National Beer Day, April 7th, 1933, 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed across the country.
Technically, the very FIRST National Beer Day was first officially celebrated (by today’s standards) in 2009. We can give a hearty “thanks” to a man named Justin Smith in Richmond, VA, as he had created a Facebook page dedicated to the holiday where eventually it went viral on numerous social media pages. The ultimate honor and recognition to the viral Facebook page was given by the popular beer app Untappd who created a National Beer Day badge for April 7th, rewarding persons who checked in a beer on that date. In 2017, National Beer Day was officially recognized by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe; and today, the hashtag #NationalBeerDay trends on social media on April 7th every year.
In honor of National Beer Day, I’ll leave you with some fun facts about laws still on the books in states around the country, that you can share with your friends and family while celebrating this year on Wednesday, April 7th. Cheers! In Alaska, it’s actually illegal to be drunk in a bar – no bar-hopping, because it’s illegal to enter a bar while drunk, and you’ll be booted from the premises if you become drunk at the bar.
In addition, it is also illegal to give beer to a Moose… which I suppose one might only be brave enough to attempt once they’ve been kicked out of a bar for being drunk! You cannot display alcohol within 5 feet of a store entrance or a cash register if that store also sells gasoline, in California. The only exception being if it’s stored in a secured cooler.
In Colorado, a horse is considered a vehicle, and law enforcement can ticket you for a DUI if you’re found to be riding a horse while intoxicated over the legal limit. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited during hurricanes in Florida… and it doesn’t specify which establishments, so apparently, it’s also illegal to be drinking at home during a hurricane. (It never ends with Florida, does it? Haha)
In Indiana, grocery and convenience stores are not allowed to sell cold beer. If you’re looking for a last-minute pickup to bring to a party, you’ll have to visit a liquor store, as that’s the only place you’ll be able to obtain refrigerated beer.
There is no such thing as a “happy hour” in Massachusetts, and to boot, public drinking games are illegal. Happy hour also doesn’t exist in North Carolina, and it’s probably not a good idea to upset the governor of said state either… They officially reserve the right to stop all selling, manufacture and transporting of alcohol in the state!
In North Dakota, serving beer and pretzels is strictly forbidden. While in Ohio, it’s illegal to give a fish alcohol, and “no [alcohol] advertisement shall represent, portray or make any reference to Santa Claus.” And in Wyoming, don’t go drinking in a mineshaft, or else you could go to jail for a year!
Sources: Wikipedia, craftbeerclub.com
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