National Beer Day is on Wednesday, April 7, 2027, and it falls on April 7 every year. It marks the day in 1933 when Americans could legally buy beer again after 13 years of Prohibition. It’s a day for adults 21 and over to raise a glass, responsibly.
When Is National Beer Day?
It’s always April 7. Some beer fans also mark April 6 as “New Beer’s Eve,” for the night people lined up before sales restarted. National Beer Day isn’t a federal holiday.
Why Is It on April 7?
On March 22, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, the National Archives’ FDR Library notes. It amended Prohibition-era law to allow beer and wine with no more than 3.2% alcohol.
Legal sales began on April 7, 1933, in states that chose to allow them. Full repeal came later: the 21st Amendment ended national Prohibition on December 5, 1933.
Who named the day?
Justin Smith of Virginia, a former Virginia General Assembly staffer, started it in 2009, according to All About Beer magazine. His friend Mike Connolly, from Liverpool, England, suggested America needed a beer day. Smith researched dates and settled on April 7 because of the 1933 law.
The idea spread online, helped in 2011 by a National Beer Day badge on the beer app Untappd. Virginia’s governor issued a proclamation, and House Joint Resolution 90 set Virginia’s official recognition starting in 2019. Smith’s team has also worked with federal lawmakers on nationwide recognition.
What Is the Purpose of National Beer Day?
It celebrates beer’s history in America and the brewers who make it, from historic breweries to new local taprooms. It’s also a reminder of how different drinking laws looked less than a century ago.
The day is strictly for adults 21 and over. A brewery tour or one well-chosen beer with dinner fits the spirit just as well as a party.
How to Celebrate National Beer Day
- Visit a local brewery: try a flight of small pours to sample several styles.
- Toast with a 1933-style lager: pick a light, crisp beer like the ones sold that first day.
- Cook with beer: make beer-battered fish, beer cheese soup or a stout beef stew.
- Host a style tasting: compare a pilsner, an IPA, a wheat beer and a stout.
- Take a brewery tour: many breweries show how malt, hops, yeast and water become beer.
- Pair beer with food: try an IPA with spicy tacos or a stout with chocolate cake.
- Support a local brewer: buy a four-pack from a small brewery in your town.
- Try a non-alcoholic beer: craft NA options are a good pick for drivers and anyone skipping alcohol.
- Plan your ride: choose a designated driver or book a rideshare before you start.
American Brewing by the Numbers
The U.S. had 9,724 breweries in 2025, according to the Brewers Association, down slightly from a peak of 9,922 in 2024. Small and independent craft brewers held 13.4% of the beer market by volume and 24.8% by dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much alcohol is in one standard beer?
A 12-ounce beer at 5% alcohol counts as one standard drink. That’s about 14 grams of pure alcohol, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Did Prohibition end on April 7, 1933?
No. April 7 only brought back lower-strength beer and wine. Prohibition fully ended on December 5, 1933.
Why was the limit 3.2% alcohol?
Lawmakers treated 3.2% beer and wine as low enough in alcohol to allow while the 18th Amendment was still in force. Stronger drinks waited for full repeal in December 1933.
Sources
- National Archives, FDR Library – This Week in Roosevelt History: March 22–31
- History News Network – April 7th is Not the 75th Anniversary of the End of National Prohibition
- All About Beer – Justin Smith, the godfather of National Beer Day
- Brewers Association – National Beer Sales & Production Data
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – What Is a Standard Drink?