American Homebrewers Association

Our Mission

We celebrate and promote the art, science, and joy of fermentation, championing a united and knowledgeable community of today and tomorrow’s homebrewers.

Our Vision

A homebrewer in every neighborhood and a homebrew club in every community.

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American Homebrewers Association History

• January 17, 1920: Prohibition begins as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
• December 5, 1933: The 21st Amendment repeals Prohibition; however, it excludes the legalization of home beer making (home wine making was legalized at that time).
• October 14, 1978: President Jimmy Carter signs H.R. 1337, creating an exemption from taxation for beer brewed at home for personal or family use.
• December 7, 1978: The American Homebrewers Association is founded by Charlie Papazian and Charlie Matzen in Boulder, Colorado, with the publication of the first issue of Zymurgy magazine.
• February 1, 1979: Homebrewing becomes legal on a federal level in the U.S.
• May 5, 1979: AHA holds its first-ever National Homebrew Competition and Gala Homebrewers Ball.
• September 1, 1982: AHA debuts the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) as part of AHA‘s fourth annual conference for homebrewers.
• 1985: AHA and Home Wine and Beer Trade Association (HWBTA) create the Beer Judge Certification Program.
• May 2, 1988: Representative David Skaggs of Colorado declares May 7th as National Homebrew Day before the U.S. Congress. In response, AHA creates ‘Big Brew’ as an annual event to celebrate National Homebrew Day worldwide.
• September 1992: The organization’s name is updated to Association of Brewers.
• December 1998: The determination of the Association of Brewers (also representing the AHA) evolves to a 501(c)(6) from a 501(c)(3), setting the stage to fuel and grow today’s modern-day independent craft beer movement.
• November 1999: Learn to Homebrew Day is established.
• 2005: The Association of Brewers and Brewers Association of America join to form the Brewers Association (as published in the March/April 2005 Zymurgy). “Under the new Brewers Association bylaws, the AHA Board of Advisors has been renamed the AHA Governing Committee.”
• May 31, 2005: AHA introduces the GABF Pro-Am competition, in which AHA members team up with professional brewers to compete with their award-winning recipes.
• 2013: Alabama and Mississippi legalize homebrewing, officially making homebrew legal in all 50 states.
• August 2023: The first annual Home Fermentation Day, formerly Mead Day, debuts.
• December 7, 2023: AHA turns 45, with over 30,000 members from around the world.
• December 12, 2024: Brewers Association (BA) Board approves AHA’s request submitted by Shawna Cormier, AHA Committee Chair, to transition to an independent entity to become an independent nonprofit organization.
• January 2025: AHA incorporates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Colorado, later changing its status to 501(c)(6) and taking steps to also establish itself in Texas.
• July 7, 2025 – The AHA separates from the BA, with Strategic Association Management serving as the operations team and a new AHA Founding Board comprising Drew Beechum, Sandy Cockerham, Shawna Cormier (Chair), Gary Glass, and Gregory Roskopf.
• Summer 2025: AHA recruits, trains, and organizes five new committees along with more than 30 member leaders.
• November 2025: AHA announces filings for both 501(c)(6) and 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
• January 2026: AHA receives official IRS approval for:
  • 501(c)(6) Membership Association based in Colorado.
  • 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization based in Texas.
• February 2026: AHA announces elections for four new board seats, and the AHA Founding Board expands its committees and working groups.

Note: Key Chief Staff Executives post-1980: 1992-1996 Karen Barilla, AHA Vice President; 1996 to 1998 Jim Parker, AHA Director; 1998-2006 Paul Gatza, AHA Director; 2006-2020 Gary Glass, AHA Director; 2020-2021 Ryan Farrel, temporary AHA Director; 2021 to present Julia Herz, AHA Executive Director.

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