Let’s Celebrate…Beer Day in Iceland!
Beer lovers, head to Iceland on March 1st to celebrate your beloved beverage!
Some interesting history on their celebration is this:
Iceland’s early Viking settlers were known for having indulged in alcohol.
During this time, the consumption of ale (öl) and mead (mjödur) was common and very popular. Also known as mungát in Icelandic, ale was brewed from malt, which is essentially sprouted barley. It is believed that barley was grown in Iceland until the 1400s when the rapidly cooling climate made it impossible. Although some barley was imported, Icelanders may have been compelled to give up ale in exchange for bread until grain became more widely available in the 20th century.
Many, many years later, as a result of a temperance movement, in 1908, Icelanders banned all alcohol. In the country’s first referendum, 60.1 % of men entitled to vote opted in favour of the ban. By 1915, the new law came into full force and the country went dry. Six years later, the ban was partially lifted after Spain refused to buy Iceland’s main export fish unless Iceland bought Spanish wines.
In 1935 another referendum was held and spirits were legalized in addition to beer with a low alcohol content (2.25 %). Regular strong beer remained prohibited, the reason being the temperance lobby argued that because beer wass cheaper than spirits, it would lead to more depravity.
As it is usually the case with bans, people found loopholes and it became common practice to pour shots into the light beers, while this didn’t enhanced the taste of the beer, it certainly raised the level of alcohol.
During WW II, British and US American soldiers were stationed in Iceland and one Icelandic brewery was given special permission to brew strong beer for these foreign troops. This exclusive ale was called “Polar Beer,” however, the Icelandic public was still barred from producing or drinking strong beer.
The years following, bills to legalize the desired alcohol were introduced to parliament on regular bases but were shot down.
In 1985, the Minister of Justice, who was a teetotaller himself, banned bars from adding legal spirits into light beer. However, in 1989, the Parliament voted to end prohibition in Iceland, and ever since Beer Day, or bjórdagurinn, is celebrated as a national holiday every year on March 1!
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