Founded in 1978 in Boulder, Colorado by Charlie Matzen and Charles Papazian(author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and current president of the Brewers Association, the AHA’s parent organization and the principal trade organization for US craft brewers). See papazian, charles. It began with the publication of the first issue of the homebrewing magazine Zymurgy and in 1979 held the first National Homebrew Competition and National Homebrewers Conference. In 1983 AHA founded the Great American Beer Festival, which initially was held as a competition for both professional and amateur brewers and is now administered by the Brewers Association. See great american beer festival.

The AHA today is an organization of over 19,000 members dedicated to promoting the community of homebrewers. Through its publication of Zymurgy and its oversight of a yearly National Homebrew Conference, as well as various events and online information sites fostering competition and education among its membership, it seeks to empower the homebrewing community in improving the quality of its beer. Homebrewing is a popular hobby in the United States, and the AHA estimates that between 500,000 and 750,000 Americans brew at least one batch of beer at home at least once a year.

Despite its amateur origins and leanings, the AHA maintains close ties with professional brewers, both under the auspices of the Brewers Association and directly. With the legalization of homebrewing in the US in 1976, many of today’s craft brewers began their brewing lives as members of and participants in AHA programs; its publications were among the earliest instructional documents for a generation of New World professional brewers-to-be. AHA’s foundation and growth have proven to be a cornerstone of the revitalization of American brewing, and have influence throughout the world.

See also brewers association and homebrewing.