Beer Day Britain is an annual event celebrating beer in the United Kingdom. The date has been celebrated annually on 15 June since 2015.[1] It is supported by the British Beer and Pub Association, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).[2]
The date was chosen because 15 June is also the date that Magna Carta was sealed in 1215[3] and ale is mentioned in clause 35 of Magna Carta, which states:
Let there be throughout our kingdom a single measure for wine and a single measure for ale and a single measure for corn, namely 'the London quarter'[4]
Beer Day Britain was instigated by beer sommelier, writer and drinks educator Jane Peyton,[5] alongside brewers Sara Barton and Sophie de Ronde.[6] It took place for the first time in 2015. The main focus of the day is the National Cheers To Beer that takes place at 7 pm when people also sing the Cheers To Beer anthem co-written by Peyton.[7]
There had been an earlier attempt to set up a National Beer Day in 2009, when 43 Members of Parliament supported an Early day motion, as follows:
That this House welcomes the forthcoming National Cask Ale Week, the world's largest ale festival, from 6 to 13 April 2009, a week of campaigning across the United Kingdom to promote the importance and pleasures of drinking real ale in pubs; supports the aim of National Cask Ale Week to denote 6 April as National Beer Day; notes the economic strength of the cask ale industry as demonstrated by sales figures from the Small Independent Brewers' Association in November 2008; expresses hope that National Cask Ale Week will succeed in entering the Guinness Book of Records for the world's biggest toast, a record breaking attempt which will take place on 11 April 2009; and encourages hon. Members to support their local pub's participation in National Cask Ale Week.[8]However, this did not result in the repeated celebration of National Beer Day.