My Favorite Holiday....National Homebrew Day!

When I was a kid, my favorite holiday was Christmas.  For weeks on end I would dream about running downstairs on Christmas morning and finding an Optimus Prime Transformer under the Christmas tree with my name on it.

Not me on Halloween, but close!

As I became a teenager my favorite holiday became Halloween.  I just loved getting dressed up, looking like Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, and terrorizing children or raising hell in and around the town of Westminster, MA.

Finally once I was in my twenties, I loved any holiday that meant my friends and I could go drinking (i.e., St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, Marti Gras, Oktoberfest, National Weatherman's Day, National Adopt a Kitten Day, Grandparent's Day, um I think you catch my drift).

Well now that I'm in my thirties, I've moved on to having another favorite holiday.  And although I still love and have a lot of fun celebrating all the holidays previously mentioned, my new favorite holiday is National Homebrew Day.

Saturday, May 7th, is Big Brew!!!

Saturday, May 7th is National Homebrew Day.  It is celebrated around the US (and probably the world) by homebrewers of all skill levels gathering to brew together.  This social gathering is known as "Big Brew."

We are fortunate here in Howard County, and Maryland for that matter, to have what I consider one of the best Big Brew events in the US.  Every year brewers from all over Maryland gather in the parking lot behind Maryland Homebrew in Columbia, MD for a day of socializing, showing off their homemade equipment, grilling, drinking beer, and most importantly, brewing!  These are not just your run of the mill guys and gals playing around with a Mr. Beer kit.  These are some hardcore, award winning brewers living in our own neighborhoods. 

Brewing my first batch 4 years ago

Having only been homebrewing for a little under 4 years now, I've learned a lot from some amazing brewers...all of which have been right here in Maryland.  It has been awesome guys like Pete D., Chris G., Brandon M., Matt B., and a handful of others who have given me the confidence to go from extract brewing to all-grain brewing in what many consider a very short time.  No wonder my beer doesn't taste like crap (which by the way I though all homebrew tasted like until I moved to Maryland in 1999).  I learned from some outstanding brewers and I'm very thankful to have met them. 

So if you are a homebrewer looking for some tips or someone wanting to get into homebrewing, but don't know where to start, I definitely suggest going to Big Brew tomorrow.  There will be some pretty impressive homebrew systems there and some great people who can tell you all about homebrewing.  Chris and the guys at Maryland Homebrew will also be on hand to get you the equipment and ingredients to get you on your way to brewing your first batch.

Here's the information on Big Brew.

Date / Time:  Saturday, May 7th at 10am - 4pm
Location: 
Parking lot behind Maryland Homebrew
6770 Oak Hall Ln # 115
Columbia, MD 21045
Admission:  Free 


Hopefully I'll see the faces of some of my readers out there.  If you don't know me personally, be sure to stop by and say hi.  I'm the big guy with the goatee and Red Sox cap.  If you can't find me, ask someone and they should be able to point you in my direction.


Cheers!
-Brent