International Beer and Pizza Day
October 9
About International Beer and Pizza Day
International Beer and Pizza Day takes place on Friday, 9 October 2026, celebrating one of the most popular food and drink pairings in the world. The day was created in 2016 by Nick Saulino, an American beer and pizza enthusiast, and it invites people everywhere to raise a glass and a slice in honour of two foods with ancient histories and universal appeal.
How to Celebrate International Beer and Pizza Day
This is a day built for participation, so the best way to mark it is simply to gather good company, good beer, and good pizza. Here are eight ways to make the most of 9 October.
- Visit a local pizzeria and craft brewery – Support independent businesses by ordering a fresh pizza alongside a beer brewed nearby. Many breweries now run their own kitchens, making this easier than ever.
- Host a pairing night at home – Line up three or four different beers and pizzas, then taste them side by side to discover which combinations you like best. A pale ale with pepperoni or a crisp lager with a margherita are reliable starting points.
- Experiment with contrasting flavours – Try a hoppy IPA against a rich, cheesy slice, or a fruity wheat beer with a Hawaiian pizza. The carbonation in beer cuts through the richness of the cheese and cleanses the palate between bites.
- Make your own pizza dough – Spend the afternoon kneading, proving, and topping your own bases. Homemade pizza pairs beautifully with the ritual of opening a cold beer once the oven is hot.
- Go alcohol-free without missing out – The range of non-alcoholic craft beers has grown enormously, so anyone avoiding alcohol can still enjoy the full pairing experience with a dealcoholised lager or pale ale.
- Organise a workplace lunch – Order in pizzas for the office and let colleagues unwind together. It is a low-effort way to bring a team together over a shared favourite.
- Explore regional pizza styles – Use the day as an excuse to compare Neapolitan, New York, Detroit, and Chicago deep-dish varieties, each with its own ideal beer companion.
- Share your pairing online – Post a photo of your perfect plate and glass using the day’s hashtags. It is a friendly way to swap recommendations and discover combinations you would never have thought to try.
What is International Beer and Pizza Day?
International Beer and Pizza Day is an annual celebration of the timeless partnership between beer and pizza. It is a light-hearted, unofficial food holiday with no single governing body, embraced by pizzerias, breweries, bars, and home cooks around the world. The day is less about formal observance and more about enjoyment, encouraging anyone who loves the pairing to take a moment to appreciate it. Whether you favour a thin and crispy base or a thick deep-dish, a hazy IPA or a classic pilsner, the day is an open invitation to indulge.
When is International Beer and Pizza Day?
International Beer and Pizza Day falls on 9 October every year. In 2026 that is a Friday, making it conveniently placed for an end-of-week treat. The date is fixed, so it lands on the same day each year regardless of where it sits in the week. If you enjoy marking food-themed occasions, you might also like National Pizza Day, which celebrates pizza in its own right every February.
The History of International Beer and Pizza Day
The modern celebration is a recent invention, but the foods it honours are anything but. International Beer and Pizza Day was founded in 2016 by Nick Saulino, a web developer and self-described pizza connoisseur and beer lover from New York. Saulino ran a blog dedicated to the combination and decided that the natural next step was to create a holiday in its honour, choosing 9 October as the date and launching a dedicated website to spread the word.
The ingredients themselves stretch back thousands of years. Beer is among the oldest beverages humans have produced, with evidence dating to at least the fifth millennium BC and references in the written records of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Pizza has a slightly shorter but still ancient lineage. The word “pizza” was first documented in 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy, though flatbreads topped with oil and herbs were eaten by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans long before that. The dish recognised around the world today took shape in Naples during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, when tomatoes and cheese were added to yeasted dough.
Because both beer and pizza grew from cereal grains and shared culinary traditions, they have long been natural companions. The official day simply gave that long-standing pairing a fixed place on the calendar, and it has spread through social media and the enthusiasm of breweries and pizzerias ever since.
Fun Facts About International Beer and Pizza Day
- Around 54 percent of surveyed Americans named beer as their favourite alcoholic drink to enjoy with pizza, making it the clear winner over wine and spirits.
- According to the United States Department of Agriculture, roughly one in eight American adults eats pizza on any given day.
- The carbonation in beer acts like a tiny palate cleanser, cutting through the richness of cheese and helping each bite of pizza taste fresh.
- Hawaiian pizza, a popular pairing partner for fruity ales, was invented in Canada in 1962 by Greek-born Sam Panopoulos.
- Pizza has even reached orbit: a pizza was delivered to the International Space Station in 2001.
- The word “pizza” predates the modern dish by centuries, having first appeared in writing in the Italian town of Gaeta in 997 AD.
Why International Beer and Pizza Day Matters
It is easy to dismiss a food holiday as trivial, but days like this serve a genuine purpose. They give independent breweries and pizzerias a reason to draw in customers and showcase their craft, and they encourage people to slow down and share a meal with friends and family. At its heart, International Beer and Pizza Day is about community, conviviality, and the simple pleasure of enjoying two things that taste better together than apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is International Beer and Pizza Day?
It is an annual, unofficial food holiday celebrating the pairing of beer and pizza. Created in 2016, it encourages people worldwide to enjoy the combination at home, at pizzerias, or at breweries.
When is International Beer and Pizza Day in 2026?
It takes place on Friday, 9 October 2026. The date is fixed, so it is celebrated on 9 October every year.
Who created International Beer and Pizza Day?
It was founded in 2016 by Nick Saulino, an American beer and pizza enthusiast who ran a blog about the pairing and set up a dedicated website to launch the day.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your best beer and pizza pairings on social media with #BeerAndPizzaDay and #BeerAndPizzaDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to find the perfect slice and glass of their own.
Related Awareness Days
- National Pizza Day – A dedicated celebration of pizza in all its forms, marked every February.
- International Hawaiian Pizza Day – Honours the famous pineapple-topped pizza that pairs so well with a fruity ale.
- National Beer Lovers Day – A day for craft beer fans to raise a glass to their favourite brews.
Links
- Visit the official International Beer and Pizza Day website
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
Featured image: Photo by Thomas Tucker on Unsplash.
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