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2018 SESSION

18106676D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 90
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Rules
on February 8, 2018)
(Patrons Prior to Substitute--Delegates Robinson and LaRock [HJR 116])
Designating April 7, in 2019 and in each succeeding year, as National Beer Day in Virginia.

WHEREAS, beer, a fermented beverage brewed from cereal grains, is one of the world's oldest and most widely consumed drinks, ranking third behind only water and tea; and

WHEREAS, the earliest written accounts of beer can be found in ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian texts, but the history of beer may date back as far as the early Neolithic period when cereal grains were first farmed; and

WHEREAS, beer can be made from many different grains like barley, rye, and wheat, and variations can be found throughout the world, such as the sorghum and millet beers of Africa and Asia or the corn-based chicha of South America; and

WHEREAS, Germanic and Celtic tribes who brewed beer for personal consumption spread beer throughout Europe, and the first settlers to arrive in America brought with them not only stocks of beer but the equipment to continue brewing it in the new world; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, Virginia has experienced a renaissance in beer brewing; several West Coast-based breweries have opened East Coast locations in the Commonwealth, joining more than 200 local breweries; and

WHEREAS, Virginia breweries draw countless beer-lovers from throughout the country to enjoy great-tasting products or visit the unique Virginia Beer Museum in Front Royal, and Virginia beers have made a splash nationally, winning 13 medals at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival among many other accolades; and

WHEREAS, the nation’s two largest brewers have operated in the Commonwealth for nearly five decades, employing over a thousand Virginians; and

WHEREAS, beer distributors ensure fair access in the marketplace to all varieties of malt beverages through locally owned and operated, family-owned, and independently operated businesses that employ thousands of Virginians; and

WHEREAS, locally owned and operated restaurants, convenience stores, and grocers, as well as national retail chains, employ tens of thousands of Virginians and are a vital component to ensuring that consumers have access to beers of all types; and

WHEREAS, National Beer Day was created by Richmond native Justin Smith and Mike Connolly from Liverpool, England, to commemorate the enactment of the Cullen-Harrison Act on April 7, 1933; the act, which legalized alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of less than 3.2 percent by weight, was one of the first steps toward repealing prohibition in the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate April 7, in 2019 and in each succeeding year, as National Beer Day in Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to Justin Smith and Mike Connolly so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.