National Homebrew Day

Homebrewers around the country gather to brew selected beer styles on National Homebrew Day as part of the American Homebrewers Association’s  ”Big Brew Day“.  This most worthy of national holidays finds home brewers testing their chops on 3 chosen recipes for this year: (1) American Craft Beer Wheat, (2) Scottish Export 80 Shilling and (3) Rocktoberfest.

According to the American Homebrewers Association, last year was the most successful yet with “more than 5,000 people celebrated National Homebrew Day brewing over 13,000 gallons at 342 sites on six continents worldwide. Sites were registered in 47 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Israel, Kenya, The Netherlands, Russia, and Switzerland.” This is up from 10,500 gallons and 4,000 participants in 2008, so we hope the trend continues.

We have never tried our hands at a Scottish Export 80 Shilling (I’m thinking Belhaven’s Scottish Ale or Sam Adams Scotch Ale) and I’ve never honestly heard of a Rocktoberfest (similar to an Oktoberfest, I’m guessing) but currently have a wheat ale ready to bottle in the basement. The guys at DrinkHomeBrew.com were unable to participate in this most holy of holy days but raise our glasses to the growing movement of home brewers and craft beer drinkers. Cheers!