National Cocktail Day was created by a writer in 2013

March 24 (UPI) -- National Cocktail Day is celebrated every year on March 24, and the holiday was first established by a freelance writer and columnist to pay tribute to alcoholic drinks.

The annual observation was established in 2013 by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, an author and former freelance writer who made a career out of writing about various holidays and ended up creating a few of her own.

National Cocktail Day "not only celebrates the ginormous variety of cocktails, but also encourages folks to create their own original concoction and share it with others," Shoemaker-Galloway wrote on her Holidailys website.

The word "cocktail" has appeared in print since at least 1803, and typically refers to concoctions consisting of wine or distilled liquors mixed with ingredients such as soda, liqueurs, fruit or juice to create a beverage designed for sipping.

Other notable observations for March 24 include National Cheesesteak Day and National Chocolate-Covered Raisins day.