We enjoy beer nearly every day.  It’s what we turn to after a day of work, for a lazy float on the river, after a good hard run, to pair with our meal, and all manner of routine and not so routine activities. We put bottles away for that special occasion and we reach for the great stuff for important celebrations.

Every once in a while we stop and celebrate beer itself.

There’s National Beer Day on April 7, marking the repeal of prohibition. All manner of craft beer weeks are popping up around the nation, including our own Missoula Craft Beer Week.  The Washington State legislature even created the Washington Beer Commission specifically to promote the State’s craft beer.

I’ll admit I don’t take much notice of the made up beer holidays/celebrations other than to note their presence if you’re in need of an excuse to crack one open. That said, IPA Day is one I like.

I like it because the event was created to celebrate communication as much as any particular style of beer.  Given Growler Fills exists primarily in the social media realm, that’s an effort we highly endorse.  Here’s a description of IPA day in the founder’s words:

Founded in 2011 by beer evangelists and social media personalities Ashley Routson (@TheBeerWench) and Ryan Ross (@RyanARoss), IPA Day is a universal movement created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation.

IPA Day is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. IPA Day is opportunity for all breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. It is an opportunity for the entire craft beer culture to combine forces and advocate craft beer through increased education and global awareness.

IPA as a style was picked due to its overwhelming popularity.  No style had more entries at the 2012 World Beer Cup and it’s a rare brewery that doesn’t have an IPA on tap (though there are two in Western Montana).

Want to take part in IPA Day?  Of course it’s as easy as cracking one open, but I encourage you to join the other part of the celebration by communicating with others about craft beer.  Here are some suggestions from the founders:

• On August 2, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts on IPA with the world. Be sure to tag your posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and other social media platforms with the #IPADay hashtag.
• See what other people are saying on Twitter by searching #IPADay. Follow the conversation closely by adding an #IPADay search column on your Tweetdeck.
• Become a craft beer steward in your community. Encourage non-craft beer drinkers to take a break from their normal beverage routine and join the collective toast on August 2. Set the goal of converting at least one person, if not the whole world of drinkers, to IPA lovers!

Let us know what you’re doing by including GrowlerFills on your twitter action (@GrowlerFills) and commenting on our facebook page.  For more information about IPA Day visit www.IpaDay.org.