DRINKING: National Homebrew Day is tomorrow!

Delicious fermenting beer in a carboy.

Despite what you may think about current economic policies and fiscal budgets, sometimes you have to admit that Congress just simply rocks. Why? Because they had the wisdom to declare a national holiday for my personal favorite hobby, homebrewing beer. Back in 1988, when homebrewing beer was in its grungy, devil-may-care days, Congress declared May 7th as National Homebrew Day. Since that day falls on a weekday more often than not (and most brewers don't have the time to brew except on the weekends), the American Homebrewers Association declared the first Saturday in May to be Big Brew Day, where brewmasters and neophytes alike gather to educate, learn, and get sloshed on homebrew.

No slouches themselves, the Central Florida Homebrewers have set up their own Big Brew to bring the magic of making beer to those of you who've always been curious but not really known how to get started. So local member Austin Hardy is opening his doors in Sorrento, Florida to you to teach you the ins and outs of making your own beer. All you need do is RSVP to Aust_1@yahoo.com and you're in. In addition to Austin, there will also be a bunch of other folks there with their rigs so you'll get a good glimpse at how many different schools of brewing operate. Just be sure to bring a snack to share and some beer to impress and you'll be on your way to making that double imperial coffee stout you've been dreaming of.

Seriously, for anyone who's ever wanted to brew, this is a fantastic opportunity to get some free knowledge and a great head start on the hobby. Homebrewing is low cost, fun, and a great way to stock your fridge with beer that will impress friends and woo mates (seriously, it works). If you can't make it out tomorrow, feel free to holler at me and I'll do some educating next time I fire up my kettle.