Celebrate National Homebrew Day on May 7th

Thousands to Participate in Worldwide, Simultaneous Toast.

In honor of National Homebrew Day (which falls every year on May 7th), each year the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) celebrates AHA Big Brew on the first Saturday in May. And guess what? This year, May 7th, 2016 is a Saturday!

Throughout the day, hundreds of bars, breweries, shops and homebrew clubs nationwide will host their local communities to brew on-site for a national, same-day homebrewing session. At noon CDT, all homebrewers and beer lovers are encouraged to raise a glass of homebrew in a simultaneous toast to homebrewing, a hobby enjoyed by of thousands of people all over the world. A number of suggested recipes are selected for participants to follow. This year’s recipes celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, commonly referred to as the “German Beer Purity Law,” which went into effect in Bavaria in 1516 and allowed brewers to use only three ingredients in their beer: water, hops and barley. Full recipe details and directions can be found here.

From homebrewers’ homes and backyards, to the shops that provide the ingredients and supplies, to local breweries and craft beer bars worldwide, everyone can participate. View an interactive map of AHA Big Brew event locations across the country. Register your local AHA Big Brew event and join the conversation on Twitter with #BigBrew16.

There are more than 1.2 million homebrewers in the United States. With one in every 200 adults in the U.S. now crafting their own beer, homebrewing has become one of the country’s fastest growing hobbies. AHA Big Brew is a toast to the nation’s homebrewers and their shared love and appreciation for homebrewed beer, mead and cider. In 2015, over 11,000 people celebrated the AHA National Homebrew Day at 484 registered sites. Additionally, 2,722 batches created 19,631 gallons of homebrew enjoyed around the world. Last year, 50 U.S. states and 14 countries participated.

Beer lovers and anyone interested in making their own homemade beer are invited to learn more at HomebrewersAssociation.org. Follow the AHA on Twitter, and join us on Facebook and Instagram.