Twitter and facebook tell me today, November 8, 2013, is the third annual International Stout Day.  I’m trying to work up some enthusiasm.

It’s not that I don’t love stout.  Quite the opposite. A top notch imperial stout has long been my favorite style.  If there’s a coffee stout on tap or on the shelf, it’s a guaranteed purchase with me.

No, I just don’t understand why we need a stout day.  Stouts aren’t lonely. They aren’t fading way. They’ve stood the test of time and are the workhorse stalwarts* of the beer world. 

Conversely, I kinda like IPA day. It was one of the first of these faux-holidays, but it at least has a purpose beyond beer – to harness the power of social media.  National Beer Day? I like it, too. It marks something we can all get behind, the repeal of prohibition.

I don’t think stouts were asking for a holiday either.  Unlike the smug IPA which clamors for attention with Kardashian-like frenzy, stouts are cool, calm, collected and confident. “Have one of us today, or don’t,” the stout says, “we’ll still be here when you’re ready.”

I will indeed have a stout today if a good one crosses my path. What about you?  
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* I think I’m double dipping with this phrase.  Let’s call it an imperial adjective.