Beer may seem like a man’s game, but one Sacramento woman is proving them wrong: Annie Johnson, a California homebrewer, just took home an award for “Homebrewer of the Year,” “Best in Category,” and “Best in Show” for her light lager.

That’s no small feat. Johnson beat out 3,400 entries in 25 categories for her prize, and is the first woman in 30 years to claim that title.

Johnson had this to say to the Sacramento Bee about her champion entry:

I knew my lagers were pretty good… It’s definitely balanced. Because it’s so light, you can’t hide flaws in it. It has to be a very clean fermentation – no off flavors.

There’s also something bittersweet about her win: Johnson skipped the conference to be with her father, who is in hospice care. She didn’t learn of her win until Saturday night. For a woman who is passionate about well-crafted beer, the win is a well-deserved.

Johnson also uses her passion to help other people, albeit in an unconventional way:

I like to hang out in the beer aisle at local stores and, when I see people hemming and hawing, I will go up and say, ‘What are you looking for?’ and help them with their choice.

It’s always nice to see women break open a field that is generally presumed to be inherently masculine. Annie Johnson, we drink to you.

(via The Bold Italic, photo by afagen)

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