It seems like nowadays there is a day for everything. The beginning of May is especially crowded because of May Day (5/1),May The Fourth Be With You Day (5/4) and Cinco de Mayo (5/5). On Saturday May 2nd, homebrewers hauled their kettles, burners and grain bags over to Summit Brewing Company to celebrate National Homebrew Day. Summit partitioned off a huge section of their parking lot so that homebrewers could set up their brew stations and tents. Summit also provided a water supply and electricity for the brewers.

As someone who aspires to learn how to brew better homebrew, I felt that this would be a great way to see brewers in action. The event certainly did not disappoint. As I walked around and chatted with people, I learned a lot. There were representatives from several homebrewing clubs including the St. Paul Homebrewers Club and Minnesota Homebrewers Association. I have brewed beer from extract kits, however, the all-grain brewing method has been something that has always intimidated me. Being able to see the all-grain process in person and the friendliness of those who were happy to answer questions I had made this a wonderful learning experience.

The best part of an event like this is that people bring samples of their own beer to share. I tasted cider, pumpkin beer, double IPA and even moonshine! All in all, it was a great day. The sun was shining, the temperature was in the 80s and I met some really friendly homebrewers. The camaraderie in the homebrew community second to none. At no point did I feel out of place despite the fact that I have never brewed beer on the level as a lot of the brewers there. I am already looking forward to next year and I hope that Summit decides to make this an annual event. Now that National Homebrew Day is in the rearview mirror, it is time for me to get out my Frank Sinatra albums in preparation for May 17th, which is National Rat Pack Day.