International Beer Day
Sharing laughs with friends over a refreshing, bubbly, golden pint is a classic recipe for good times and memorable moments.
Drive foot traffic and craft beer sales by hosting tasting events, limited-edition releases, and social media celebrations that honor brewers and bartenders on the first Friday of August.
- Toast the craft: spotlight local breweries and their makers with behind-the-scenes brewing stories
- Beer trivia challenge: engage customers with fun facts and contests to win limited-edition brews
- Exclusive tap takeovers: feature rare or new beers available only on Beer Day at partner venues
- Bartender appreciation spotlight: celebrate the craft of mixology and beer service with staff features and promotions
Notable campaigns4
- Stella Artois (2020): #FluentInStella campaign: Used Twitter Promoted Video and Voice Tweets to ask fans to order a Stella in any non-English language, with prizes for winners. Other ABI brands amplified the hashtag. Stella hosted a live-streamed International Beer Fest with celebrity chefs leading cooking classes. Result: +2,100% increase in brand mentions, +3,300% increase in positive sentiment, 25+ languages represented.
- Miller Lite (2025): Gave away 50,000 free beers at 450 bars across the U.S. on International Beer Day (August 1, 2025) to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. Fans could find participating bars via millerlite.com/find-celebration.
- Heineken (2024): "Forgotten Beers" campaign: Created an emotional video ad showing half-drunk pints abandoned as people socialized, with the message "forget about the beer, focus on good times together." Partnered with meme creators and micro-influencers to amplify the counterintuitive message. Also ran sustainability-focused billboard campaign in Brazil powered by renewable energy.
- Guinness (2025): "A Lovely Day" campaign: Chronicled a 5,057-mile journey across all 50 U.S. states capturing moments of community togetherness. Featured 50 local communities (ice fishing, rugby teams, plumbers union). Launched updated packaging with modern American aesthetic. Distributed across TV, digital, and social media.
Campaign ideas8
- Host a brewery takeover or pop-up tasting event at bars/restaurants featuring limited-edition or international beer brands.
- Launch a UGC contest encouraging fans to share photos/videos of their beer moments using a branded hashtag (e.g., #[BrandName]BeerDay) with prizes for best entries.
- Partner with food delivery apps (Uber Eats, DoorDash) to offer discounts or free beer with food orders on the day.
- Sponsor a virtual or in-person beer trivia tournament with team challenges and branded merchandise as prizes.
- Create a limited-edition packaging design or special bottle label celebrating International Beer Day and cultural diversity of beer.
- Launch an AR experience (brewery tour, flavor profile explorer, or custom label maker) on social or mobile app.
- Organize beer-pairing dinner events at restaurants or bars, positioning beer as an elevated culinary experience.
- Run a "Free Beer Day" giveaway at select locations (as Miller Lite did with 50k free beers at 450 bars).
Social angles6
- Spotlight the stories behind local brewers and breweries—humanize the craft. Tag creators and use #SupportLocal.
- Celebrate beer's role in bringing people together (not the beer itself) with heartfelt, community-focused messaging. #FriendsOverBeer
- Share fun beer facts, history, or brewing science in carousel posts or Reels to educate and entertain. #BeerGeek #Brewing101
- Host a live Q&A with a master brewer or expert, answering fan questions about styles, pairings, or brewing trends. #AskAnExpert
- Create a "beer bucket list" post: highlight unique international beers fans should try. Encourage comments on favorites. #BeerBucketList #InternationalBeerDay
- Run a playful poll or quiz: "Lager or Ale?" "Your Beer Personality" "Guess the Beer by Flavor Notes" to drive engagement.
Ad copy starters5
“Forget the beer. Remember the moment. | International Beer Day is about who you're with, not what you're drinking. Cheers to good times together.”
“Every pint tells a story. | From small-batch breweries to global classics, celebrate the craft and culture behind your favorite beer.”
“50,000 reasons to celebrate. | Free beer at 450 bars. International Beer Day. One day. Endless good times.”
“Taste the world in one glass. | Explore craft beers from 50+ countries. Your next favorite beer is waiting.”
“What's your beer story? | Share your International Beer Day moment with us for a chance to win. #YourBeerStory”
Tips4
- DO: Focus on community, connection, and the social experience around beer—not just product features. Audiences respond to authenticity and togetherness.
- DO: Partner with local breweries, bars, and influencers to amplify reach and build grassroots buzz. Multi-brand collaborations work well.
- DON'T: Ignore the growing demand for inclusive options (non-alcoholic, gluten-free, low-alcohol brews). Market these alongside traditional beers.
- DON'T: Make it transactional only. Pair promotions with storytelling, education, or events that create memorable experiences and emotional connections.
Originally started in the United States, in Santa Cruz, California to be exact, Beer Day was begun with the purpose of celebrating the craft of brewing.
And it was also created with the intention of showing appreciation for those involved in the making of beer. The day then quickly expanded to include celebrations of bartenders and other beer technicians as well. Why not get everyone involved?
Not only did Beer Day expand in scope, but in size as well. It quickly began gaining international recognition and following within only one short year.
In between 2007 when it was started in Santa Cruz, and where it currently is no– celebrated in 207 cities, 50 countries and on 6 continents all across the globe!
Diverse and new experiences are the hallmark of Beer Day, which means that everyone is encouraged to share various techniques on how to make beer, along with how to enjoy it. In addition, there are also the various foods and activities that go along with it, to celebrate this enjoyable day of brewing skill and beverage enjoyment.
The founders of the Beer Day had three reasons that they declared for starting the day, and they are as follows:
Start By Toasting The Beer Makers
Many folks can agree that the perfect place to begin celebrating this day is just raising a glass, tankard, bottle or can and toasting those that make the amazing brew possible. Whether it is at a bar, club, pub, or even just a cook-out, it is easy enough to find a place to get a brew or two. Learn Some Beer TriviaBeer has an interesting history and unique fun facts that can be thrown around with a group of friends, especially on Beer Day! For instance, maybe everyone doesn’t know it was the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution that made alcohol illegal in 1919!Try these fun facts out to impress those friends at the bar on Beer Day:Oktoberfest began in Munich in 1810 as a celebration of the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.At the 2010 state fair in Texas, USA, Fried Beer won the prize for the Most Creative Fried Food! (Who knew beer could be fried?)In response to America’s Prohibition Act, Winston Churchill stated that this was an “affront to the whole history of mankind”.A beer pipeline was created in Germany, where more than 100,000 gallons of beer was piped through 7 kilometers of pipe to serve visitors to a heavy metal music festival. The purpose was to keep the grass from being ruined by beer trucks driving back and forth over the festival grounds
Join In On a Beer Day Event
Most places that hold Beer Day events do so by tapping new, or in some cases rare, beers. Other places might celebrate by hosting a happy hour that lasts all day, or putting on trivia events and games–with prizes involving beer gear, of course! Grab some friends (being responsible) and share the wonders of beer with those nearby.
Try a New Kind of Beer
In honor of the day, consider hoisting up a different type of beer than the usual fare, to expand those horizons.With more than 100 different styles (and sub styles) of beer in the world, and literally thousands of different brands, there is always an opportunity to try something new! Beer Day is the perfect time to try out one of these unusual styles of beer: Gruit. This beer might especially cater to lovers of Tolkein’s fantasy world as it takes on a medieval flare, with herbs and spices that with names like mugwort and horehound. Try a variety such as Posca Rustica from Brassier Dupont, Tourpes Belgium. Oyster Stout. Hailing back to rumors of a tradition in New Zealand and England where some brewers were believed to use oysters in beer for “health purposes”. A few modern breweries have taken this up, like The Porterhouse Brewing Company in Dublin, Ireland. Gose. This one, coming from ancient brewing antics in Leipzig, Germany, is brewed with salted water that produces a briny flavor. Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon, is one of a few brewers that have started reviving the tradition with their own versions of this salted beer. Even if it is just a more average type of beer you have never tried before, give it that much at least. Sometime, somewhere, a brewer spent time to get that beer right, and to market it to the public. So hoist your tankard, tap the kegs, tip the staff and enjoy the refreshment of Beer Day!