Over the last decade or so we've seen an intensification of many beer styles. Sour beers have added pucker, IPAs have become hazier, juicier, and milkshakier, and stouts have become boozier, darker, and more indulgent. 

Thanks to the creativity of modern craft brewers, we've seen many Willy Wonka-esque variations on the stout. Like these Imperial barrel-aged beauties, some of which are aged in tequila or whiskey barrels. We've wandered into the whimsical world of pastry stouts. We've even awoken our senses with coffee stouts.

But do you know where stouts come from? Originating from porters in 18th century London, stouts were considered a premium version of its roasty, toasty cousin. In early English brewing culture, premium beers were equated with a higher ABV. For instance, a brewery would have brewed a lower-ABV pale ale alongside an "extreme" pale clocking in at 8% or 9% ABV. Brewers did the same with darker beers, with the higher-ABV version eventually becoming known as a "stout porter." What's important is that English brewers often marketed "stout porter" as their best product. 

Eventually, the beer style grew beyond England to the Baltic countries and Russia. These exported versions earned the name "extra stout" porter. As the story goes, Czarina Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796 (and the country's longest-ruling female leader!), thoroughly enjoyed these brownest and strongest of English beers and helped them gain popularity. 

More recently, in America, Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall elevated the style when he had the brilliant idea to age Goose Island's one-thousandth batch of beer in a bourbon barrel in 1992. As the country's first bourbon barrel-aged beer, Bourbon County Brand Stout changed beer forever. 

On Nov. 4th, 2021, stouts in all of their wondrous forms are set to be celebrated around the world. Happy International Stout Day!

At Untappd, we're celebrating the annual holiday by releasing a new badge. The "International Stout Day" badge encourages you to drink your own favorite stout. For instance, you could follow Drinking Socially podcast hosts Harrison Hickok and Jon Dispenza as they drink Perennial's Abraxas and Alewerks' York River Oyster Stout on this week's episode.

WATCH THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF DRINKING SOCIALLY ALL ABOUT STOUTS

Alternately, you could drink one of Untappd's highest-rated stouts such as Beer: Barrel: Time (2020) from Side Project Brewing (Untappd's top-rated Imperial / Double stout of 2021) or As Above So Below from Mortalis Brewing Company (Untappd's top-rated coffee stout of 2021) 

Or you could even just enjoy a Guinness in its purest form from a pub in Dublin. 

However you choose to celebrate, indulging in (and checking-in!) any stout will unlock this new badge. 

To earn this badge: Check-in any one (1) beer in the beer style / category: stout. Including: Stout - Oatmeal Stout - Russian Imperial Stout - Other Stout - Imperial / Double Oatmeal Stout - Irish Dry Stout - American Stout - Oyster Stout - Foreign / Export Stout - Milk / Sweet Stout - Imperial / Double Stout - Imperial / Double Milk Stout - Coffee Stout - White Stout - Imperial / Double White Stout - English Stout - Pastry Stout - Imperial / Double Coffee Stout - Imperial / Double Pastry.

All hail the mighty stout! 

Click here for more information on International Stout Day.