by Michael Fry
Everywhere you look; you’re either reading about Craft Beer or hearing about it on the news. So what is all the fuss about? Well, there is a group of folks that have been immersed in the Craft Beer scene for years, and they’ve even made it at home. Yes, Homebrewers are what they’re called! For those that aren’t familiar with the hobby of homebrewering or have heard of it from the past might think of bad examples of beer. Well, with the craft beer explosion onto the scene, homebrewing has come to the forefront. Gone are the days of old where the cooking on a stove with some random ingredients that one found by chance in a small shop. No, nowadays it’s the Golden Age of the hobby. With the advent of online homebrew shops and even local homebrew shops, 
(there are currently two in Tucson and one in Sierra Vista), the ability to make wonderful craft beer in the comfort of your own home has never been so easy.
Homebrewing did not become legal until Jimmy Carter signed H.R. 1337, which effe
ctively legalized homebrewing nationwide. Of course, that took a while for each state to embrace this, and it wasn’t until 2013 that it was finally legal in all 50 states. It’s currently legal to brew 100 gallons of beer, per adult, per year and up to a maximum of 200 gallons per household annually when there are two or more adults residing in the household. Honestly, that’s a lot beer one can make at home.
So if you have the desire to recreate that wonderful craft beer you just had or one you can’t find here in Arizona, look into homebrewing. There are also two local homebrew clubs if you want to find out more. Tucson Homebrew Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at D
ragoon Brewery from 7PM – 9PM and the Buffalo Club meets at AZ Hops and Vines the first Sunday of every month from 2PM – 4PM. Any and all are welcome to join, ask questions, meet other homebrewers, and find out more.
