Spirited Holidays

From Chanticleer Society

Below are a collection of "not necessarily highly researched" days which appear to be in some way cocktail/drink related. It also includes dates of "notable historic importance" which may provide a reason to celebrate as well. We will try to add and update to this list when additional dates, or additional information comes to light. When possible we will attempt to look up any factual information which might support or explain the reason these dates were chosen. There are some of these dates which the Chanticleer Society itself has decided to declare in order to mark specifically important dates.

JANUARY

January: National Hot Tea Month (US and Canada)

Last Week of January: National Irish Coffee Week

January 1: Bloody Mary Day (#1)

January 11: National Hot Toddy Day

January 12: National Hot Tea Day

Established in 2016 by the National Tea Council of the USA [1]

January 16, 1920: American Prohibition began

January 17: National Hot Buttered Rum Day

January 19: Champagne Day (conflicts with Champagne Day on December 31)

January 24, 1935: The Beer Can was introduced

January 25: Robbie Burns Day

January 25: National Irish Coffee Day

January 31: National Brandy Alexander Day

FEBRUARY

First Saturday of February: Pisco Sour Day

The National Day of Pisco Sour is celebrated every first Saturday of February, according to a resolution of the Ministry of Production published in 2004. Before that, it was celebrated on February 8th.

February 4: 1862 - Facundo Bacardi Masso, and his brother Jose, bought the Santiago de Cuba distillery and started making rum.[2]

February 7: National Hangover Awareness Day

February 10, 1945: Rum and Coca Cola by Andrews Sisters hits #1

February 11: Don't Cry Over Split Milk Day

February 17: National Café Au Lait Day

February 18: Drink Wine Day

February 22: National Margarita Day

February 22: Don Beach's Birthday

February 27: National Kahlua Day

MARCH

March 1: Beer Day (in Iceland)

March 1, 1989 is when the 74 year prohibition of beer ended in Iceland. This apparently is a well-celebrated holiday there.

March 3, 2003: A Tribute to "Professor" Jerry Thomas Father of the Cocktail - The Plaza Hotel, New York City

Featuring Jerry Thomas cocktails served by Dale DeGroff, Ted Haigh, Robert Hess, George Papadakis, Sasha Petraske, Gary Regan, Audrey Saunders, and David Wondrich. Presented in cooperation with Slow Food NYC[3][4].


March 3: National Mulled Wine Day

March 3: Bottled-In-Bond Day

In 1897, the US government passed the Bottled-In-Bond law.

March 4, 1634: First tavern in U.S. opens

March 16: Bock Beer Day

March 17: St. Patrick's Day

March 17: National Green Beer Day

March 20: Bock Beer Day

March 27, 1860: The corkscrew is patented.[5]

APRIL

April 8: Milk in Glass Bottles Day

April 9: Gin & Tonic Day (USA)

April 15: Income Tax Day (also Accountant's Day)

April 16: Kingsley Amis' Birthday (1922)

Gravesite reads "supreme clubman, boozer and blimp."

April 19: Alcohol Content allowed on labels (1955)

April 26: National Pretzel Day

Celebrate this one with a beer

MAY

May: National Egg Month

Second Week of May: American Craft Beer Week

Second Week of May: World Cocktail Week

As declared by The Museum of the American Cocktail

May 4: National Homebrew Day

May 4: National Orange Juice Day

May 4: Bourbon Whiskey Defined (1964)

May 5: Cinco de Mayo

May 6: Beverage Day

May 6-13: World Cocktail Week

May 8: "Have A Coke" day

May 13: World Cocktail Day

The word "cocktail" is first defined in print (1806)[6]

May 16: Charles Hires invents Root Beer (1866)

May 20: Last episode of "Cheers" airs (1993)

May 25: National Wine Day

May 28: Ian Fleming's Birthday (1908)

May 30: National Mint Julep Day

JUNE

June: National Ice Tea Month

June: National Dairy Lovers Month

June 1, 1494: Scotch Whiskey Day

(As declared by the Chanticleer Society) - Friar John Cor was recorded on June 1, 1494 as procuring supplies for the making of copious amounts of whisky for his Majesty, King James the IV. Not particularly an event of note excepting that this is the first known recorded use of the word whiskey and indicatory of a healthy and long established tradition of distilling whisky in Great Briton, else wise he'd not been making 1500 bottles of the stuff.
"To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt." - Exchequer Rolls 1494-95, Vol x, p. 487.[7]

June 4: National Cognac Day

June 7, 1917: Dean Martin is born

June 8, 1751: Vodka Day

(As declared by the Chanticleer Society) The first written usage of the word vodka in an official Russian document in its modern meaning is dated by the decree of Empress Elizabeth of June 8, 1751, which regulated the ownership of vodka distilleries.

June 10: Iced Tea Day

June 12, 1744: Cachaca Day

"The SBC (Sociedade Brasileira da Cachaça) wants to declare June 12 the International Day of Cachaça because June 12, 1744, Portugal, then colonizer of Brazil, prohibited the production and distribution of cachaça in the country."[8]

June 19: National Martini Day

June 20: Ice Cream Soda Day

June 21: John Lermayer Day[9]

June 27: National Orange Blossom Day

June 30: National Ice Cream Soda Day

JULY

July 2: National Anisette Day

July 2: National Flag Day in Curaçao [10]


July 10: National Pina Colada Day

July 14: National Grand Marnier Day

July 19: National Daiquiri Day

July 24: National Tequila Day

July 26: National Coffee Milkshake Day

July 27: National Scotch Day

AUGUST

August 2: Peter O'Toole's Birthday (1932)

August 4: Champagne is "said" to have been invented by Dom Perignon on this day in 1693.

It was said that upon his first taste of his sparkling champagne wine he announced "Come quickly, I am drinking stars!". However sparkling wine was known before this time, one possible originator was Christopher Merret, who published in 1662 an account of making wines "brisk and sparkling" by adding sugars to them. Dom's quote is probably also more marketing than actual fact, since its first appearance is in a print advertisement in the late 19th century. This should not undermine Dom Perignon's value to the history of Champagne, because he did work tirelessly on advancing and perfecting the art, and almost certainly the product we drink today owes more than a small debt to his efforts.

August 5: International Beer Day - Apparently "first celebrated" on August 5th, 2007, and henceforth christened.[11]

"On the night in question, we were beerstorming (drinking lots of beer in an effort to come up with brilliant ideas) band names for a friend's new band, but a couple of hours into the evening, talk turned to how wonderful beerstorming itself was. After thoroughly discussing beerstorming's merits someone declared that there should be a beer holiday."

August 6: Root Beer Float Day

August 9: Diet Coke introduced (1982)

August 16: National Rum Day

August 20: Lemonade Day

August 29: National Whisky Sour Day

August 29: Lemon Juice Day

August 30: Mai Tai Day[12]

As with many things on the Internet, there can be some confusion about this. There are a lot of folks who appear to claim that June 30th is Mai Tai day. So far, I haven't found any rationale that supports that claim. Since the Mai Tai was invented by "Trader Vic" in August of 1944, and since the Trader Vic company itself upholds August 30th as National Mai Tai Day, I think that settles it.

SEPTEMBER

September: California Wine Month

September 2: Beer & Can Day

September 12: Chocolate Milkshake Day

September 15: National Crème de Menthe Day

September 19: Talk like a Pirate Day

September 20: National Rum Punch Day

September 21: Dale DeGroff's Birthday

September 27: National Chocolate Milk Day

September 28: Drink Beer Day

September 29: National Coffee Day

September 30: National Mulled Cider Day

OCTOBER

October: American Beer Week (2nd week)

October 1: Sake Day (Nihonshu no Hi) [13]

October 4: National Vodka Day

October 5: Bloody Mary Day (#2)

Legend has it the world's first Bloody Mary was shaken precisely 75 years ago, on October 5, 1934-just five years after the invention of canned tomato juice-at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis, the now-100-year-old beaux arts hotel founded by John Jacob Astor at the eminently exclusive corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street.[14]

October 7: National Frappe Day

October 11: World Egg Day

October 12: First Oktoberfest Celebrated (1810)

It was actually a party to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest}

October 16: National Liqueur Day

October 19: International Gin & Tonic Day

Appears to have been honorarily declared in 2010 in honor of Mary Edith Keyburn, by her family. It is said she loved to have the occasional tipple of gin and tonic, and passed away on October 19th, 2010 - at the age of 95 - in the hospital with a gin and tonic at her side. It was smuggled into the hospital in a water bottle and served in a teacup. [15] In the US, it is also celebrated on April 9th.

October 20: National Brandied Fruit Day

October 27: American Beer Day

October 30, 1830: Birth of Jerry Thomas

The birthdate listed on his death certificate is November 1st, but according to noted historian and Jerry Thomas expert David Wondrich, he was actually born on October 30th.

NOVEMBER

November: National Pomegranate Month

November 8: Harvey Wallbanger Day

November 24: National Espresso Day

DECEMBER

December: National Egg Nog Month

Second Week of December: Lager Beer Week

December 1: Bloody Mary Day (#3)

December 5: Repeal Day

To celebrate the day that American Prohibition was repealed in U.S. (1933) [16]

December 10: National Lager Day

December 13: National Cocoa Day

December 14, 1885: Death of Jerry Thomas[17]

There are many instances of the date being listed as December 15th instead, but noted historian and Jerry Thomas expert David Wondrich, supports the date of December 14th instead.

December 17, 1773: The Boston Tea Party [18]

December 20: National Sangria Day

December 24: National Eggnog Day

December 30: National Bicarbonate Of Soda Day

December 31: National Champagne Day (conflicts with Champagne Day on January 19th)

Coffee Days

May 6: National Coffee Day

May 24: National Coffee Day in Brazil

July 22: Coffee Week

July 24: Coffee Day

August: National Coffee Month

September 12: National Coffee Day in Costa Rica

September 19: National Coffee Day in Ireland

September 29: National Coffee Day

October 1: National Coffee Day in Japan

November 24: National Espresso Day

December 26: Coffee Percolator Day

External Websites

References