​​Beer-ly Beloved, We Gather for the Second Annual PA Homebrew Invitational

Contributed photo

Over 20 hobbyist homebrewers will gather at Lavery Brewing Company for the second annual PA Homebrew Invitational, at which visitors will be able to taste and vote for their favorite homemade brews.

SATURDAY, AUG. 19

Plato once said, "He was a wise man who invented beer." Perhaps Plato would have been surprised to have learned that when the home brewing of beer became a regular activity, it was mostly women who did the brewing. And in those early days, many recipes were passed down through song and poetry. Today, though, it seems we can share the craft of craft beer more easily and deliciously than ever.

The ingredients to brew beer — barley, hops, water, and yeast — have been a part of and important to many cultures throughout history and are still held in high regard today. We have built business empires around it. When Prohibition began, brewing from home became more popular, but was still illegal until good old Jimmy Carter made homebrewing legal again in October of 1978.

Cue Charlie Papazian in December of that same year, when he founded the American Homebrewers Association. By 1979, the first homebrewing conference was born. Today, the group Breweries In PA is hosting the second annual statewide competition for homebrewing and Erie is lucky enough to be one of the regional hosts with Lavery Brewing Company. The co-owner of Lavery actually started out as a homebrewer — Jason Lavery successfully turned his passion into a living, and now has the opportunity to give back to local homebrewers who may be chasing that same dream.

"Homebrewing is where I started, so to be able to host this event at mine and (my wife) Nikki's brewpub that came as a result of that hobby is very exciting and humbling," Lavery, the only board member of the American Homebrewers Association representing Pennsylvania, commented. "I'm looking forward to meeting brewers and tasting as much beer as possible. Events like these really give homebrewers a chance to showcase just how well they can make beer."

The event will be 21+ and there will be no underage entrants, without exception. Guests will be able to enjoy unlimited samples from over 20+ homebrewers. Each guest will also be able to help determine the fate of one lucky competitor by voting for the People's Choice. The People's Choice winner will then be sent to compete in the PA State Homebrewers Championship. The overall winner will receive a pretty sweet trophy belt and $2,000. — Jordan Coon

Noon to 3 p.m. // Lavery Brewing Co., 128 W. 12th St. // 21+ // $35 // For tickets and information visit: breweriesinpa.com/homebrew

The writer would like to share the memory of her uncle, Tony "The Beer Man" Knipling, who was an inspiration to so many homebrewers and craft breweries all throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. He would have loved this invitational and would have been proud of his niece for being a beer snob.