Well, it’s that time of year again. While it is easy to forget the day, it is very hard to forget why we celebrate it. We’re talking, of course, about National Hot Dog Day! This is the day we pay homage to the humble hot dog and its ubiquitous presence in U.S. gastronomy.
The exact history is subjective and debatable with Frankfurt, Germany and Vienna, Austria, claiming creative bragging rights with their frankfurter and wienerwurst, respectively. Despite the murky partisan provenance most historians can agree German immigrant street vendors in the 1860s in New York were selling a nascent version of what we would recognize today as a hot dog.
The affordability and accessibility of the hot dog made it an instant local hit. The versatility with which it could be created and dressed made it a national hit. Seemingly limitless variations in hot dog meat content and condiments ensured its success across ethnic cultures and regional preferences in our ever-evolving country. The hot dog’s alignment with national sports and national pastimes didn’t hurt, either!
Almost every community, city, state, and region in the U.S. possesses inviolable preferences for what defines a hot dog and the best/only way to accessorize it, but that is part of the charm of the hot dog. It can be all things to all people. And that’s about as American as it gets; kind of like naming a national holiday to honor a national food.
Safe to say, there are as many possible alcohol beverage pairings as there are hot dog variations, but here are a few recommendations (see below) from our house to yours:
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