Every holiday has its trappings. The Fourth of July has fireworks. Thanksgiving has turkey and football. For many people, Oktoberfest is the beer holiday, but there’s a better choice that celebrates homebrewed goodness. When Congress in 1988 declared May 7 as National Homebrew Day, it was a nice recognition of our hobby. Year after year, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) honors this day with a worldwide Big Brew on the first Saturday in May (which is next Saturday, May 6).
Big Brew is a grassroots event. Each one may be organized by a homebrew club, a local homebrew shop, or any collection of spirited brewers. It’s a time for homebrewers to gather and brew together, sharing their experience and love of the hobby. The AHA offers tips and suggestions for hosting a Big Brew along with some recipe suggestions.
You might wonder why it’s worth packing up your gear to go brew. It all comes down to a single word: