Big Brew is an event unlike any other. First celebrated in 1998 as a way to commemorate National Homebrew Day, the AHA estimates that over 190,000 gallons of beer has been brewed at a Big Brew event over the years. Each event is different, and we encourage you to use this event planning guide to make your Big Brew a success, and to help us cross the 200,000 gallon threshold on May 5, 2018!

Plan your Big Brew celebration

• Register your Big Brew event with the AHA.
• Designate brew leaders and recruit fellow organizers to help you plan the event.
• Identify a location with brewing stations for your brew day.
• Connect with your local brewing community and invite them to be involved.
  • Homebrew shop directory
  • Homebrew club directory
  • Brewery directory
• If your organization/business is willing, we encourage you to plan your Big Brew event with a charitable element. Partnering with a local food pantry or housing shelter to host a canned food, or coat drive is a great aspect to add to your brew day.

March

• Order FREE copies of Go Brew Yourself, the AHA’s introduction to homebrewing pamphlet.
• Set up a meeting with confirmed participants & fellow organizers. Determine who is responsible for outreach, promotion, ingredients, brewing, catering (if applicable), etc.
• Download the Big Brew 2018 poster and fill out relevant information. Hang posters in beer-centric places around town (homebrew shops, brewpubs, breweries, restaurants, grocery stores, etc).
• Post the event information on your organization/business website, and other community-focused websites in your area.

Early April

• Send a save-the-date reminder to your email contacts and local homebrew clubs. Tell them to share the event with their friends!
• Create a Facebook event for your Big Brew event and invite your contacts. The AHA provides downloadable Big Brew social media imagery to use in your posts on all social platforms.
• Register your event on well-known homebrewing or beer-focused websites, and on locally-focused beer blogs.
• Promote the official 2018 Big Brew recipes so that your brewers can plan ahead.

Late April

• Send a second message to your email contacts reminding them to partcipate
• Highlight any updates or fun plans on social media to reinforce your email reminder.
• Request a list of local media contacts from the AHA, and invite them to your event with this editable Big Brew press release.
• Confirm that all brewing equipment and ingredients are ready to go.
• Ensure the information on your website is up to date.

Week of Big Brew

• Final event reminders on social media using #Big Brew
• Follow up with local media via phone or email and invite their coverage of your event again.

After Big Brew

• Thank everyone for attending and tell them to save the date for May 4, 2018
• Send pictures of your event to the AHA. Your Big Brew event might make an appearance in Zymurgy!