Blog by Neville Grundy, Southport and West Lancs CAMRA
On 15 June 1215, the Magna Carta was agreed by a reluctant King John and his rebel barons.
Article 35 of this extremely important historic document states: “There shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn (the London quarter), throughout the kingdom.”
This tells us that ale was so important in England in 1215 that it was mentioned in one of the most significant legal documents in our history. 808 years later, beer remains an important part of our way of life. It is also valuable to the economy, with the brewing and pub industries paying an estimated £22 billion to the British Treasury each year. To mark the long-standing importance of beer in this country, 15th
June has been designated “Beer Day Britain”, and this year it falls on a Thursday.
The intention of Beer Day Britain is:
- To encourage people to drink beer, whether at the pub, a barbecue, party, picnic, or brewery tap room.
- To raise the profile of beer as Britain’s national drink.
- To make people proud of Britain’s beer and pubs today, of Britain’s heritage as the brewing powerhouse and of its role in spreading beer around the world.
- Most importantly, to have a great time drinking and enthusing about our favourite drink.
At 7pm on Thursday 15th June there will be a nationwide communal cheers to beer, when everyone is encouraged to raise a pint of real ale as part of the national ‘cheers’, celebrate our national drink, and – if you wish – post a message on social media with the hashtag #CheersToBeer.
To find out more about Beer Day Britain, go to: www.beerdaybritain.co.uk, where you can discover which pubs and breweries are hosting events by downloading the free smart phone app. However, the main point of the day is to have a good time while enjoying Britain’s national drink. Cheers!
► The national CAMRA website is at: camra.org.uk. The Southport & West Lancs Branch website is at southport.camra.org.uk.
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